Digitization on a Shoestring Basics of Scanning for Small Libraries Dave LaCrone - Johnson County Library

Challenges Small IT departments Or depend on county/city IT? Not a lot of time to dedicate to scanning Limited staff and monetary resources Documentation produced by and for larger libraries Others?

Small IT departments

Or depend on county/city IT?

Not a lot of time to dedicate to scanning

Limited staff and monetary resources

Documentation produced by and for larger libraries

Others?

Digitization Project Steps Select materials for digitization Choose access mechanism (software) Obtain needed software & equipment Scan items Catalog and upload Preserve archival images Market your collection Document what you did

Select materials for digitization

Choose access mechanism (software)

Obtain needed software & equipment

Scan items

Catalog and upload

Preserve archival images

Market your collection

Document what you did

Selection What will you scan? Photos, manuscripts, books, maps, graphics… Choose items that lend themselves to web display Start Small!

What will you scan?

Photos, manuscripts, books, maps, graphics…

Choose items that lend themselves to web display

Start Small!

Access Systems Choose one you are comfortable with! Decide what’s most important to you Cataloging functionality? Web 2.0 tools? Ease of use? Pretty templates? Price? Every choice involves customization

Choose one you are comfortable with!

Decide what’s most important to you

Cataloging functionality? Web 2.0 tools? Ease of use? Pretty templates? Price?

Every choice involves customization

Access Systems (contd.) Flickr – Regina Public Library Omeka – Ringwood Public Library Drupal – Black Archives of Mid-America CONTENTdm – JoCoHistory Greenstone – Detroit Public Library Also Wordpress, DSpace, others

Flickr – Regina Public Library

Omeka – Ringwood Public Library

Drupal – Black Archives of Mid-America

CONTENTdm – JoCoHistory

Greenstone – Detroit Public Library

Also Wordpress, DSpace, others

Software & Equipment Scanner Computer Scanning Software* Image Editing software OCR software (if necessary)* Plenty of Storage (CD, DVD, Hard drives) See options on handout * Usually comes with scanner

Scanner

Computer

Scanning Software*

Image Editing software

OCR software (if necessary)*

Plenty of Storage (CD, DVD, Hard drives)

See options on handout

* Usually comes with scanner

Scanning Settings are listed on handout More DPI, higher bit depth = larger file size Thumbnails usually auto-generated Meaningful file-naming convention Perform quality control on scanned images

Settings are listed on handout

More DPI, higher bit depth = larger file size

Thumbnails usually auto-generated

Meaningful file-naming convention

Perform quality control on scanned images

Cataloging Schema Dublin Core Controlled Vocabularies LCSH, TGM, AAT… Names Local Tags

Schema

Dublin Core

Controlled Vocabularies

LCSH, TGM, AAT…

Names

Local

Tags

Preservation Keep copies of TIFFs in more than 1 location CDs, Hard drives Periodically revisit & reformat

Keep copies of TIFFs in more than 1 location

CDs, Hard drives

Periodically revisit & reformat

Promoting Your Collection Within the organization To persons affected by the project The Press Patrons Community stakeholders To library community Regional libraries & orgs Blogosphere

Within the organization

To persons affected by the project

The Press

Patrons

Community stakeholders

To library community

Regional libraries & orgs

Blogosphere

Document What You Did Meet with staff after completion Document lessons learned Note suggestions for improvement Consider presenting or publishing case study Capture user feedback Plan for the next project!

Meet with staff after completion

Document lessons learned

Note suggestions for improvement

Consider presenting or publishing case study

Capture user feedback

Plan for the next project!

Thank You! Questions?

Questions?