1. CASE STUDY
Digitising the Anthropology
Photographic Archive
Rose Holley
Small Museums Group, Auckland, April 2005
Images are copyright of the University of Auckland and must not be used for any purpose without our permission.

2. Overview
In the Beginning…
Start of a Project…
Issues along the way…
Results at the end…
The Future?
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3. The Archive
• Neglected
• Unique collection of material
• Established in 1950’s
• Retrieval system lost
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4. 50,000 negatives?
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5. Advanced Deterioration
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6. Environmental Conditions
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7. Project Plan
• Objectives
[Preservation, improve access]
• Method
[Next slide]
• Cost
[$80,000 for 5000 negs]
• Timeframe
[2 years]
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8. Method
• Selection of negs
• Scanning of negs (outsource)
• Design web accessible database
• Load images to database
• Describe images in database
• Quality control images and records
• Re-file scanned negs in archive
• Design website for database
• Launch and promote the product
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9. Funding application
April 2002 Vice Chancellor’s Funding
Application for the collection to:
Preserve
Improve Access
By use of digital technologies
Also seek more appropriate
housing/conditions for collection.
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10. Joint Project
Anthropology Dept. University Library
October 2002 10

11. Project Team
Library Anthropology
• Managers • Managers
• Digital Services • Photographer
• Systems • Ex members of staff
• Cataloguing with knowledge of
the archive
Rose Holley Tim Mackrell
Project Manager Photo Archivist 11

12. Inventory of Archive
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13. Copyright/Cultural Sensitivity
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14. Selection of 5000 images
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15. Selection
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16. Project Specifications
• Transport and Handling
– Pelican cases
• Scanning resolution and format
– 300 dpi tiff, 200 dpi jpg, 96dpi thumb jpg
• File naming and CD Structure
• Delivery Format
– archival CD, no sticky label
• Rectifying errors
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17. Scanning
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18. Wellington
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19. Delivery of Digital Images
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20. Storage
Review of future digital
storage needs resulted in
purchase of:
• Dell Powervault 770N
Storage Device
• 143 GB Hard Drive!
• Named ‘Invidia’ = ENVY!
• Cost $18K
• Perfect timing!
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21. Quality Control
After loading onto server all images
QC’d
• All negs sent returned?
• Images correct way round?
• File name/type/size/resolution
correct?
• Time consuming for photographer
• Minimal errors but worth it.
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22. Content Revealed: Born Again
• Archaeology
– New Zealand
• Social Anthropology
– Papua New Guinea
– Solomon Island
– Tokelau
– Samoa
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23. Researchers
Bruce Biggs Andrew Pawley
Linguists 23

24. Researchers
Ralph Bulmer Jack Golson
Anthropologist Archaeologist 24

25. Remote Places - PNG
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26. Unique Communities
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27. Peoples – Kyaka 1955
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28. Excavations – Skippers Ridge 1959
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29. Artefacts – hair combs
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30. Lapita Pottery (1000BC)
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31. Database Design
• Inmagic (Library to design)
• Consultation for structure and
purpose
2 functions:
• Delivery mechanism for digital
images
• Current archive system for new
acquisitions
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32. Database Fields
• 60 fields
• Key Fields
– Peoples Names (Researcher/Photographer)
– Place Names (5 levels)
– Activity Types
– Keyword Description
– Peoples
– Title
– Image Metadata (image format, type,
resolution, condition)
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33. Authority Lists
• Activity Types – own list
• Peoples Names – own list
• Peoples – adapted LC
• Site Names – own list
• Placenames
– World Region: Ref Map of Oceania, Univ
Haiwaii
– NZ: Tapuhi
– Other: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
(TGN), maps of PNG
* Used Current Names
* Five levels (world region, country, province,
district, locality). 33

34. 34

35. Subject Index
Options:
• Use existing index e.g. AIO
• Modify an existing index
• Modify old hard copy index from
archive
• Create our own index?
NO – Instead free text description
keywords (with a lot of QC afterwards)
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36. Data Entry
• Guidelines created
• Web Interface
• Drop down boxes
• Staff remote from archive and library
• Images out of context and sequence
• Field notebooks hard to read
• Academics not used to data entry
• Took longer than expected
• Batching for some records
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37. Web Data Entry Screen
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38. 38

39. Splash Page Design
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40. Initial Designs
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41. 41

42. 42

43. Final Design
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44. Search and Results Interface
• Keyword
• Browse
• Advanced
• Results – thumbs
• Big picture – all details
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45. 45

46. 46

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48. Project Results
2 years later July 2004:
• Successfully obtained funding
• 5000 images preserved
• Database containing images publicly
accessible
• Advice and recommendations for
management of archive
[Actual Cost of Project = $80,000]
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49. Future
• Suitable storage for archive
• Preserving more of the archive
• Matapihi?
Monitor use of database and prioritise:
• Preservation?
• Research value?
• Interest value?
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50. Conclusions
Successful Partnership
Win Win
Library Anthropology
Improve access Preserve archive
to collection
Improve
Enhance management of
knowledge of
archive
digital technologies
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51. URL’s
Database:
http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/databases/alt/apa
Rose Holley:
r.holley@auckland.ac.nz
Digital Projects at UofA:
http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/about/genlib/digital_
projects.htm
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