Digital Forsyth: An NCECHO Collaborative Multi-year Digitization Project
1. Digital Forsyth An NCECHO Collaborative Multi-year Digitization Project NCLA Biennial Conference, October 19, 2007 Forsyth County Public Library C. G. O’Kelly Library, Winston Salem State University Z. Smith Reynolds Library/Coy C. Carpenter Library, Wake Forest University
2. Project Mission Project Vision Users will turn to Digital Forsyth as the definitive online repository of cultural heritage resources held by Forsyth County institutions. Through digitization, Digital Forsyth, a collaboration of cultural heritage institutions in Forsyth County, North Carolina, facilitates access to cultural, historical and scientific heritage photograph collections, thereby increasing interest in and knowledge of the past and informing future generations.
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9. Take A Tour Digital Forsyth: http://www.digitalforsyth.org/
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Editor's Notes
Goal: 12,000 images in 3 years freely available on the web
Difficult access Way to limit direct contact with physical object Complementary collections: FCPL: largest image collection, images back to 1870’s ZSR: history of college in Winston-Salem from 1954 CCCL: from 1930’s medical history WSSU: from 1892: history of WSSU, focus on african american higher education
Applied Nov. 2004 Grant ran first 6 months of 2005 Consultant: Jeff Trzeciak Grant is only as good as the consultant you hire! Involved: Develop an assessment of each partner’s archival and special collections and selection criteria to identify the materials that should be included in this project. Assess the condition and readiness of the materials for inclusion in a digitization project. Provide recommendations for an action plan to meet the deadline to have the materials ready for the project in a year. Ascertain a scope (breadth and depth) for the project and a realistic timeline for its completion. Determine the desirability and feasibility of inviting additional Forsyth County cultural institutions to participate in the project. Assess and recommend an effective collaborative organizational structure in which to operate the initiative. Make recommendations concerning allocation of staff and appropriation of resources. Strategize a plan for technology education to ensure sustained technical expertise by staff to execute project. Address digitization issues including development of standards and best practices ; development of selection criteria; development of policies including quality control, metadata, and intellectual property. Establish formative and summative evaluation mechanisms to ensure timely assessment of the project’s progress and outcomes. Two site visits: Group meetings Individual institution meetings Final recommendations in a 47 page report
Groups: Steering Committee: set administrative policies and oversee general planning for the project (more strategic), promote the vision Project Management group: communication, monitor project timelines, oversee team activities, facilitate bumps in the road! Infrastructure : WFU: develop framework that enables the collections to act as an integrated whole: technical specification, develop system for ingestion and delivery User Services: WSSU: guides development and use of the collections, meeting user needs, marketing plan, usability, etc. Collections: selection (establish selection criteria), copyright and other intellectual property issues, develop metadata Partnership Statement Project Administration: Central: Fiscal administration: WFU Research and Sponsored Programs, All purchasing done through accounts established Communication: Intranet to store project documentation (Blackboard), discussion list, Best Practices: digitization production, preservation, staffing, down to file naming conventions Centralized; Fiscal administration, storage of repository and delivery of images over web Decentralized: digital production and metadata creation
(July 2006-June 2007) ½ year set up, training, and more planning: buy equipment, develop job descriptions, establish taxonomies for metadata, determine technical workflow, programming web interface for metadata entry, set up production tracking tools, training Talk about pilot, difficulty with taxonomies (protege as a solution) Need to be ready to make changes when warranted Web interface development: Encompass, unforeseen during initial planning!
User interaction: commenting, usability, volunteers Print Services: how to simplify, use Creative Commons to govern use, establish common pricing Enhance images (zoom and watermarks)