How to Turn 1,000 Pages of Public Information into PDFs By: Elisa Greenwood

After completing this presentation you will… Understand why releasing documents to the public is important Have an idea of good and bad ways to present the documents online Be able to turn numerous pages of public records into PDF files ready for uploading to your Web site

Understand why releasing documents to the public is important

Have an idea of good and bad ways to present the documents online

Be able to turn numerous pages of public records into PDF files ready for uploading to your Web site

Why would my newspaper want to do this anyway? Provide a service for your readers Free Simple Easy Make the government more transparent Make the government more accountable

Provide a service for your readers

Free

Simple

Easy

Make the government more transparent

Make the government more accountable

What are some good examples of others who have published public records online? Good Examples Wyoming Supreme Court John Schwartz Ex. Incorporating multimedia Bad Examples Always a free service Always increase transparency

Good Examples

Wyoming Supreme Court

John Schwartz

Ex. Incorporating multimedia

Bad Examples

Always a free service

Always increase transparency

Now its your turn… Determine which documents add the most value to your story. Obtain copies of the documents. Scan the documents. Upload the documents onto your Web site. There are four main steps to putting public records online.

Determine which documents add the most value to your story.

Obtain copies of the documents.

Scan the documents.

Upload the documents onto your Web site.

1. Determine which documents add the most value to your story Relevance: Realistic: Exemplar Effect: Do the documents really pertain to the story? How many documents can you publish and still meet your deadline? Most people will look at this before the article. Do the documents tell a story? ? ? ?

1. Determine which documents add the most value to your story

Relevance:

Realistic:

Exemplar Effect:

2. Obtain copies of the documents Locate the government agency that has the documents According to NC Public Record Law , anyone can request copies of public records. Request copies in writing , date the request The law has no specific process. Make a request to any government employee. Call the employee, and then send them an e-mail. Pick-up the copies The law justifies requests for copies on CDs. Copies must be returned in a reasonable time.

2. Obtain copies of the documents

Locate the government agency that has the documents

According to NC Public Record Law , anyone can request copies of public records.

Request copies in writing , date the request

The law has no specific process. Make a request to any government employee.

Call the employee, and then send them an e-mail.

Pick-up the copies

The law justifies requests for copies on CDs. Copies must be returned in a reasonable time.

( for projects with less than 50 pages) 3. Scan the documents Use steps 1-5 of this tutorial on Adobe Acrobat Professional Scan: create new document Click scan twice. At this prompt, choose flat bed scanning. After the first document scans If you are only scanning one document, click finished scanning. If you need to scan more documents, click scan new document. After all the documents are scanned Save as

3. Scan the documents

Use steps 1-5 of this tutorial on Adobe Acrobat Professional

Scan: create new document

Click scan twice.

At this prompt, choose flat bed scanning.

After the first document scans

If you are only scanning one document, click finished scanning.

If you need to scan more documents, click scan new document.

After all the documents are scanned

Save as

( for projects with more than 50 pages) 3. Scan the documents If you do not have access to a scanner with a feeder, take jobs of 50 pages or more to FedEx Kinkos . This will save you time and energy. Kinkos will scan all your documents into PDF files and burn the files to a CD. Kinkos Price List Scan less than 500 pages: $1 each sheet Scan 500 or more pages : $.15 each sheet Scan 700 or more pages: $.10 each sheet

3. Scan the documents

If you do not have access to a scanner with a feeder, take jobs of 50 pages or more to FedEx Kinkos . This will save you time and energy.

Kinkos will scan all your documents into PDF files and burn the files to a CD.

Kinkos Price List

Scan less than 500 pages: $1 each sheet

Scan 500 or more pages : $.15 each sheet

Scan 700 or more pages: $.10 each sheet

4. Upload the documents to your Web site Create URL for the PDF file by uploading files with FTP. Hyperlink the URL to text in your story.

4. Upload the documents to your Web site

Create URL for the PDF file by uploading files with FTP.

Hyperlink the URL to text in your story.

How do I know if I did it right? Do your PDF files exist? If the government agency denied you access to public records, file suit . Are there blank pages in your PDF files? If yes, use this tutorial on how to replace and delete pages in Adobe Professional. Do the PDF files add value to the story? Is the information helpful to your readers? Of course, because you are making the government more transparent, holding them accountable, and providing a free service .

Do your PDF files exist?

If the government agency denied you access to public records, file suit .

Are there blank pages in your PDF files?

If yes, use this tutorial on how to replace and delete pages in Adobe Professional.

Do the PDF files add value to the story?

Is the information helpful to your readers?

Of course, because you are making the government more transparent, holding them accountable, and providing a free service .

Recap First, determine which documents add the most value to your story. don’t be alarmed, get a second opinion on the set of documents that you choose Second, obtain copies of the documents. be nice to the government employees, they may give the copies away for free and in a timely manner Third, scan the documents. first time creating PDFs, not a problem there are many tutorials on how to do this Fourth, upload the documents onto your Web site. create URL by uploading files via FTP, link away!!!!!

First, determine which documents add the most value to your story. don’t be alarmed, get a second opinion on the set of documents that you choose

Second, obtain copies of the documents. be nice to the government employees, they may give the copies away for free and in a timely manner

Third, scan the documents. first time creating PDFs, not a problem there are many tutorials on how to do this

Fourth, upload the documents onto your Web site. create URL by uploading files via FTP, link away!!!!!

Contact Information Please direct all questions to [email_address] View my uploaded PDFs

Please direct all questions to [email_address]

View my uploaded PDFs