applying mplp principles to digitization of archival collections (elings, 2008)

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Applying MPLP Principles to Digitization of Archival Collections

Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Merrilee Proffitt, OCLC/RLG Programs

James Eason , The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Applying MPLP Principles to Digitization of Archival Collections

Mary W. ElingsArchivist for Digital Collections

The Bancroft LibraryUniversity of California Berkeley

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

More Product, Less Process

Mark A. Greene/Dennis Meissner “More Product,Less Process: Pragmatically Revamping Approaches to Deal with Late 20th Century Collections” (2004)

http://ahc.uwyo.edu/documents/faculty/greene/papers/Greene-Meissner.pdf

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

More Product, Less Process

• Principles for Change– Maximize user access (preeminent goal)– Golden minimum “good enough” is realistic

– Arrange, describe and at a common, aggregate level

– Reserve exceptional effort only when warranted– Accomplish more by trying to do less

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Forces

• Lack of funding sources

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Forces

• Lack of funding sources

• Mass digitization

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Forces

• Lack of funding sources

• Mass digitization

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Forces

• Lack of funding sources

• Mass digitization

• User expectations

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Forces

• Lack of funding sources

• Mass digitization

• User expectations

ARNOLD ROTH, New Yorker (February 5, 2007)

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Newspapers

Manuscripts

Images

Microfilm

Books

ArchivesSo much to digitize….

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Microfilm Pilot (2003)

• George and Phoebe Apperson Hearst Papers (selections)

• Newly created microfilm

• Targets present (aggregate grouping)

• 4000 frames scanned @ $0.50/frame

• Folder level digital objects

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Other Microfilm Projects

• 16,000 pages of Bancroft Dictations (2004)• 100,000 pages of Historic CA Newspapers as part

of NDNP (2005-2007)• LHDRP workflow (potential)• What has changed:

– Price is dropping: $0.30/frame– Specifications stabilizing

• 300-400 ppi or 4000 along longest edge• grayscale, JP2, PDF

– Can scan first, then create MF or vice versa

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

Examiner Pilot (2007-2008)

• San Francisco examiner photograph archive (selections)

• ca. 3,600,000 negatives total

• Pilot: 170,000 nitrate negatives

• Sleeve-level digital objects

• Low resolution scanning (access/reference images only)

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

What’s Next?

• NASA and Internet Archive • Space Act

– to develop a massive online archive of photography, film and video from NASA’s 50-year history

– five-year, non-exclusive agreement wherein the Internet Archive will digitize, host and manage still, moving and computer-generated imagery produced by NASA.

– The NASA Images site should be up by July 1, 2008, (www.nasaimages.org)

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/aug/HQ_07178_Internet_Archive.html

SCA Annual General Meeting, May 1-3, 2008 Mary W. Elings, The Bancroft Library

More Product, Less Process

• Principles for Change– Maximize user access (preeminent goal)– Golden minimum “good enough” digitization is

realistic

– Arrange, describe and digitize at a common, aggregate level

– Reserve exceptional digitization effort only when warranted

– Accomplish more digitization by trying to do less