using digital media technologies to improve museum archival monitoring systems · 2017. 9. 20. ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Using Digital Media Technologies to Improve Museum Archival Monitoring Systems
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty
of
Drexel University
by
Patrick A Dean
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree
of
Masters of Science in Digital Media
August 2017
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
2
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
3
Abstract
Archival collections composed of vulnerable materials require careful monitoring of temperature
and humidity. Archivists currently use a variety of data loggers to monitor relative temperature
and humidity. Normal data logging systems including the HOBO and eClimateNotebook use
expensive digital data loggers whose data is typically converted from an excel spreadsheet to a
basic line graph. This project sought to convene with the archival department at the Academy of
Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA to see how improving the collection and visualization of
environmental data for museum archives. With assistance from a group of experts from the
Academy of Natural Sciences, this project developed a low-cost data logging system using
Arduino microcontrollers to collect the data, and a custom-built web based interface to visualize
the data. We believe that this created an improved data logging system that allowed live data to
be accessed via web interface while also generating new visualization methods that highlighted
problem areas within the archival collection facilities.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
4
Acknowledgments
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my committee for all of their guidance
during the course of my research project: Professor Finamore for overseeing my project and
answering my endless number of questions, Professor Wagner for his guidance with my
research, and Dr. Rice for her guidance with core aspects of the project.
I would also like to give thanks to my mother, father and brother for their support and
understanding throughout this whole process. It was thanks to you that I was able to realize my
dream of working in the field of digital media, and for that you have my eternal gratitude.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
5
Table of Contents ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................................3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...........................................................................................................................4 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................6 2. RELATED WORKS..............................................................................................................................15
2.1 SIMILAR PROJECTS.............................................................................................................................16 2.2 WHY USE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES WITHIN ARCHIVES? ....................................................................18 2.3 PAST/PRESENT RESEARCH OVERLAPS ...............................................................................................20
3. RESEARCH QUESTION .....................................................................................................................24 4. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................25
4.1 SPARKFUN THING ..............................................................................................................................26 4.2 WEB BASED VISUALIZATIONS............................................................................................................34 4.3 EXPERT PANEL...................................................................................................................................40
5. ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................................................42 5.1 EXPERT PANEL SELECTION ...............................................................................................................44
5.1.1 First Round - Background Information .....................................................................................44 5.1.2 Second Round - Current Implementation ..................................................................................45 5.1.3 Third Round - Enviro-Alert Survey............................................................................................48
6. DISCUSSION.........................................................................................................................................52 6.1 SIGNIFICANCE ....................................................................................................................................55
7. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................57 8. FUTURE WORK...................................................................................................................................58 BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................................................64 APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................................65
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
6
1. Introduction
Due to physical composition, environmental and storage conditions, artifacts including
papers, books, manuscripts, fabrics, paintings, earthenware, wood products, and ornaments
degrade over time. For archival collections, protecting precious and culturally valuable artifacts
against this deterioration presents an urgent problem as HVAC systems are often not controlled
directly by the archivists (Conrad, 1999). In an attempt to mitigate harmful environmental
storage conditions and slow the process of deterioration, archivists use data loggers to monitor
storage conditions and capture environmental data. By having access to this data, archivists can
then make adjustments within their storage areas to better preserve their artifacts. Data loggers
are a key interest point from the digital media perspective, as they provide key information that
directly aid archivists and preservationists monitoring and visualizing environmental degradation
(Conrad, 1999).
Within archives, historical societies and museums, one of the key standards for collecting
environmental data is through an instrument called the hygrothermograph.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
7
Figure 1
Image of a hygrothermograph. Conservation Notes: Get to Know a Hygrothermograph. Digital image. Art Gallery of Ontario. 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 7 July 2017. <http://artmatters.ca/wp/2012/08/conservation-notes-get-to-know-a-hygrothermograph/>.
While this device provides critical temperature and relative humidity information in the form of a
line graph, the device contains a few issues that make it a rather unsavory choice in terms of data
loggers. The hygrothermograph records on a paper medium that often outputs environmental
data for a set number of hours, after which the paper must be replaced. These devices also
require constant maintenance and recalibration in order to make sure that they’re correctly
collecting environmental data, which takes manpower and money that an institution may not
necessarily have in abundance. Institutions may switch over to a digital data logger like the
HOBO or PEM plug loading systems in order to collect environmental data in a digital format,
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
8
which is beneficial for storing large quantities of information and visualizing that data within a
simple line or bar chart.
Figure 2
Image of a Plug Load HOBO data logging device. HOBO Plug Load Data Logger. Digital image. ONSET. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2017. <http://www.onsetcomp.com/products/data-loggers/ux120-018>.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
9
Figure 3
PEM2 digital data logger that collects temperature and humidity data. Data collected by this device can then be visualized using the eClimateNotebook system. PEM2 Datalogger. Digital image. Image Permanence Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2017. <https://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/store/environmental-monitoring/pem2-datalogger>.
Unfortunately, there are still issues that pop up with digital data loggers. Plug load data loggers
require someone to manually connect the devices into a computer to collect the data. This
process usually takes place once a month due to the time-consuming nature of physically
collecting multiple sensors, downloading the data, and setting up the visualization system during
a routine check. This assumes of course that the institution purchases the basic digital data logger
and not the wireless version of these devices, as cost is often the most critical component behind
any such device purchase, especially for smaller institutions and historical societies. As wireless
data loggers can cost several hundred dollars per device before the cost of an online system to
interpret that data, this cost is a real issue that cripples small to medium archival collection
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
10
facilities. Even when institutions do purchase several data loggers for their collections, the
standard practice of an archival facility is to place one or two loggers per collection space, which
aids in monitoring the macro-environment of a room, but fails to monitor microenvironments
that are inevitably present in the facilities (Morris, 2009). The main areas that should be
monitored are near windows, doors and ventilation systems where temperature and relative
humidity fluctuations are not stable (Morris, 2009).
Another issue of standard data logging systems like the HOBO, eClimateNotebook and
hygrothermograph is the visual representation of data presented to an archivist, historian or
museum curator. The most commonly accepted visualization is a simple line graph that shows
the temperature over a period of days, weeks and months. This type of line graph only provides a
single-colored line to visualize the data set, which can be problematic if the archivist wishes to
present the data to an interested party outside of archives, as the outside party may not
understand issues presented by a simple line. More modern line graphs give the ability to change
color dynamically based on data points, giving a subtle yet effective depth to their visualization.
One could then combine this type of visualization with the addition of a heat map to provide
effective visualization options to the users, ultimately providing a graphical representation of the
physical archival environment.
With the advent of microcontrollers (such as the Arduino Uno or ESP8266 Thing), there
is now an opportunity to create a customizable data logging system that will aid in the
monitoring, collection and visualization of external and internal environmental factors.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
11
Figure 4
Image of an Arduino Uno microcontroller. What Is an Arduino? Digital image. SparkFun. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2017. <https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/what-is-an-arduino>.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
12
Figure 5
Image of the ESP8266 Thing microcontroller. SparkFun ESP8266 Thing. Digital image. SparkFun. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2017.
This system can be as robust as individual institutions require in their range of data collection
needs while also implementing visualization graphs that allow for a wider range of interpretation
and use of collected data. Additionally, this system allows for multiple data loggers to be used in
conjunction with one another to record various problematic areas within an archival facility and
generate a more detailed map of the collection space.
This project’s main goal is to study the application of digital media climate monitoring
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
13
technologies within archives to record, collect and visualize environmental conditions of archival
collection facilities. This is due to the necessity of finding out how these technologies can be
used to interpret and visualize data in a customizable range so that archival collection facilities
can better safeguard their artifacts against degradation caused by fluctuations in temperature and
relative humidity.
This research project consisted of three main stages of development: the setup of a
microcontroller with temperature and humidity sensors to collect environmental data, the
creation and implementation of web-based chart visualizations to interpret collected data and a
user experience analysis to determine if the application was successful at addressing the research
questions. The user experience analysis was conducted with the assistance of an expert panel,
which was formed by members of the archival community from the Academy of Natural
Sciences (ANS) in Philadelphia, PA. These experts gave critical input into the design process of
this research project and gave feedback into as to how they believed a better data logging system
could be built from the ground up.
The first stage of development consisted of creating a low-cost wireless digital data
logger that was responsible for collecting temperature and relative humidity at the ANS for the
duration of this project. The data logger was created from a microcontroller, environmental
sensor, and a solderless breadboard designed to connect the two parts together. After coding the
microcontroller to function with the sensor, the functioning data-logging device was then set up
in a diorama room at the ANS. The room chosen for this project was a “poor” archival diorama
room, meaning that it did not have environmental data monitored by the archival staff and was
known to be heavily influenced by outdoor conditions. The main area of concern was the
diorama exhibit itself, but our project was allowed to deploy one data logger within the exhibit
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
14
and two behind the exhibit’s room in a sort of crawlspace. This crawlspace contained both a door
that entered into a staff room and two windows that faced the outdoor environment, meaning that
data loggers were deployed near these zones to fully capture their respective microenvironments.
The second stage of development consisted of creating a web-based system that would
pull collected data and visualize it in such a way as to improve upon the basic line graph that is a
standard for visualizing environmental data within archival collection facilities. These
visualizations took two forms: one, which was to make a line graph that dynamically changed
colors based on data ranges and two, to create a two-dimensional heat map of the diorama
exhibit and its accompanying crawlspace. The goal with these visualizations were to allow
archivists to be able to know when environmental conditions were unfavorable within the
diorama and be able to present this information to outside parties if required.
Once an initial rough draft of the web-application was developed, the expert panel was
gathered to give critiques and guidance on how to improve the visualizations and features. The
experts also gave their opinions on the process as a whole, giving insight into how future work
could expand upon this project’s research to create a more dynamic and user-controlled system.
The experts met together with research personnel for three one-hour sessions, during which they
were presented with this research project’s web-application titled Enviro-Alert. As the experts
gave feedback on this project’s development, they also were prompted to give limitations and
successes of their currently implemented data logging systems.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
15
2. Related Works
When it comes to the preservation of historical materials, temperature and humidity are
two of biggest environmental threats that preservationists have to deal with on a daily basis.
While there are numerous other environmental factors that also facilitate in the degradation of
materials, temperature and humidity allow for the development of microorganisms that speed up
the natural deterioration process. This fact coupled with the need to present items to the general
public means that certain balances must be found between preservation and presentation (Morris,
2009). In the ideal world, a balance is achieved by creating environmental conditions that allow
for humans to interact with materials comfortably while also limiting the temperature and
relative humidity to unfavorable conditions for microorganism development.
Unfortunately, these ideal conditions are not always applicable in the real world. Even
with features like HVAC systems, dehumidifiers, and insulated buildings, there is not a
guaranteed guard against environmental swings. Building features like windows, doors, shelves,
vents, and boxes can cause microenvironment conditions to fluctuate enough to affect the overall
macro-environments (Morris, 2009). Archival collection institutions thus require the use of data
loggers to help keep a tab on internal environmental conditions and record these fluctuations.
Archivists require data loggers to contain certain qualities that make data collection flexible.
These features range from the data logging device having an ability to be powered either through
battery or plug-in, to also being able to accurately record variations in temperature and humidity
in unfavorable environmental conditions. These loggers must have the ability to collect long-
term environmental data and be able to present users with legible information. Archival
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
16
collections often require a combination of a digital data logger to collect data and an online
service in order to interpret the data, thus bringing this paper to the first two main limitations of
these data logging systems, which is their cost and readability.
2.1 Similar projects
According to Patricia Morris, data logging systems can range from a couple hundred to
several thousand dollars, often meaning that smaller historical societies and libraries cannot
afford to monitor their collections with any real efficiency (Morris, 2009). Even when smaller
archival collection facilities are able to purchase equipment like the physical data logger known
as the hygrothermograph, the equipment can be difficult to interpret without proper training, and
require daily maintenance in order to keep the devices in working order (Morris, 2009). If these
initial requirements are met, then there is still the issue of storing the acquired data sets, a task
that is hardly viable for analogue data sets on paper but a trivial task for digital content (Morris,
2009).
There have been studies done to see how microcomputers can function with regards to
recording and relaying environmental data in order to automate smart climate control (Gurdita,
Vovko, & Ungrin, 2016; Vujovi, Vladimir, Maksimovi, & Mirjana). These studies were
conducted to provide a clear guideline for future work to take place and have a checklist of
desirable features that both microcomputers and microcontrollers can employ (Vujovi et al.).
These devices had to have the ability to be customized from the ground up, have access to
knowledge communities that allow for ease of development, and have the ability to fulfill all the
requirements that an collection institution would need in terms of monitoring, collecting and
sending environmental data (Vujovi et al.).
Several devices were considered for the purpose of this paper’s study, including the
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
17
Raspberry Pi that was proposed by these other studies (Gurdita et al., 2016; Vujovi et al.). As
this project didn’t require a microcomputer to perform the basic task of collecting data and
uploading it to a online repository, the microcontroller known as the SparkFun ESP8266 Thing
was chosen due to having all the desirable features for environmental data collection while also
having a built-in wireless shield that gave the microcontroller the ability to connect wirelessly to
the Internet.
While it is always a necessary to strive to reduce or eliminate false reports, it is equally
important that the sensors record accurate data as well. There are often times where sensors must
be able to record with high-levels of accuracy in order to protect against environmental
fluctuations. This is what truly separates microcontrollers from other monitoring equipment,
which is to say the ability to be customized for such accuracy (Lewis, Campbell, & Stavroulakis,
2016). Depending on the individual user’s needs, attached sensors can be recalibrated to read
fluctuations in as little as .11 degrees in Celsius (Lewis et al., 2016). This is due to the fact that
these devices can have small but powerful algorithms implemented to improve accuracy and also
have sensors replaced with more powerful versions should the need ever become necessary. This
combination makes microcontrollers a desirable and highly customizable choice in terms of
customizable data loggers.
Microcontrollers with temperature and humidity sensors can also perform tasks that
standard plug load data loggers cannot do, such as using the collected data in conjunction with
other microcontrollers to create dynamic visualizations that allow for different
microenvironments within a archival facility to be monitored. With an appropriate online
monitoring application, one could be able to see the data at any time or place so long as one has
an Internet connection (Gurdita et al., 2016). This is coupled with an online database that allows
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
18
for notifications to be sent to users in the event of breaches in specified parameters (Gurdita et
al., 2016). Even with the ever-increasing use of microcontroller capabilities, it is possible to push
its ability to collect data and combine it with other digital media techniques to lower the bar of
entry for small historical collection institutions. Studies have already been done on the use of
data-mining equipment for the purposes of preservation, but it can always be pushed further if a
technological advancements have allowed for previous process to be done cheaper and easier
(Morris, 2009).
2.2 Why use digital technologies within archives?
Along with setting up data logging systems to monitor and collect temperature and
relative humidity data, there is a real need for collected data to be more accessible to archivists
and collection managers, both in terms of being able to access and interpret the data from
anywhere and being able to interpret the data (Kilb & Jansen, 2016). Simple things like color,
letter size, font, etc allow for different visual interpretation, but overall the data must be able to
be read by archivists and outside parties like engineers, donors, scientists, or administrative staff
(Morris, 2009). These visualizations can include graphical representations like that of a heat
map, which could readily provide visual cues as to where problem areas are within an archival
facility. It should be noted that these graphical representations need to be simple yet effective, as
complex visualizations run the risk of being more of a distraction and being generally inefficient
(Shamim, Balakrishnan, & Tahir, 2015). As the standard design is either a line graph or numbers
on a screen, improving the design can be as simple as creating a dynamic line graph that lets
users know what times problems occurred.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
19
Figure 6
Illustrating the difference between a standard line graph collecting temperature versus a dynamically colored line graph. The left image is a standard type of line graph that would be commonly seen in an archival institution or as part of a standard data logging system. The right image is a dynamically colored graph that illustrates how adding a bit of color can highlight key information of a normal graph.
Within the realm of archival facilities and libraries, data visualizations already exist in
various degrees. One of the key examples is the use of bar charts within libraries to show how
collections are being handled comparatively to one another (Phetteplace, 2012). Unfortunately,
even with visualizations as simple as bar charts, issues arise. Seemingly minor things like length
of a bar compared to presented numbers can cause confusion and may put data interpretation in
jeopardy if presented in a way that cannot be deciphered by the user (Phetteplace, 2012). This is
why it is important to pick the correct visualization for the type of data that will be presented.
With that said, visualizations are useless if the collected data is not properly maintained or stored
in such a fashion that makes the raw data accessible (Phetteplace, 2012).
This is where digital technologies step in to prevent such issues. Web-based applications
combined with digital data loggers allow for visualizations to be rendered in real time while
keeping a consistent overall look. This inherently keeps the data from being stored improperly,
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
20
as the only way to make the system work is by having the raw data being stored correctly and
being parsed in a legible manner. Even with larger systems and multiple data loggers collecting
from the same room, the nature of microcontrollers allows for their data to be easily accessed
and utilized together.
With the assistance of a web-based application, it is then possible to have a data logger
collect information that can then be wirelessly transferred to an online repository. From the
online repository, one could take the data and interpret it through the use of chart visualizations
while simultaneously creating an alert system that notifies users of potentially dangerous events
within an archival facility. The visualizations and alerts would all be presented to the user in a
way that would be easy to read visually yet provide substantial wealth of knowledge that would
otherwise be lost through the use of a simple line (Morton-Owens & Hanson, 2012; Phetteplace,
2012).
2.3 Past/Present research overlaps
While it is expected that archival personnel place their artifacts within environmentally
stable/safe conditions, there are often real world issues that can prevent this from occurring.
When this happens, the archival collection facilities need to raise the necessary revenues through
donations, state funds, or other interested parties in order to fund the enhanced protection of
stored artifacts. These funds that may or may not be released based on the need of individual
facilities, often requiring proof that there are problems within an institution. Having the ability
to prove that a facility is in need of funds for the continued preservation of materials is an
essential task for archival facilities of all sizes. Without collected environmental data, it can be
difficult to prove that artifacts stored within different parts of a building are being affected by
different environmental fluctuations. It is also a common tale to hear about how administrators
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
21
may turn off heating and cooling systems in archival facilities hoping to save money, only to
learn later that mold and other environmental hazards have damaged the archival collections.
Archival personnel always make it a mission to keep a record of environmental fluctuations
through the use of data loggers in order to provide proof of the necessity of proper facilities,
environmental controls and staff numbers. With that said, raw environmental data is presented to
the archivist in the form of a line graph or basic numbers, which requires explanation as to what
the numbers mean. The next stage to assisting in the data collection process therefore is to be
able to present the data in such a way that allows for different parties to understand the context of
the information and where issues are within a facility. One could even make a valid argument
that it is more critical to present this information to outside sources than it is to archivists
themselves.
Past studies of representing data in a graphical format within libraries illustrate how
creating legible visualizations is equivalent to creating a working language, going so far as to
equate it to reading sheet music (Kong & Agrawala, 2012). When archival personnel work with
outside sources, like scientists, to present or store data, there is often a disconnect as both parties
have personal preferences to in how they use and visualize their collected data (Akmon,
Zimmerman, Daniels, & Hedstrom, 2011). This disconnect shows that archivists potentially have
hard times explaining their facilities’ situation to donors, engineers, and even administrators who
may be interested in aiding an archival facility with preserving artifacts through various methods.
By proving that specific areas within the archives need assistance, the limited funds of smaller
archival facilities can then be channeled to areas that need the most aid. It is therefore essential
that a common visual language be established with any sort of chosen visualization, as a wide
audience requires both the archival personnel and outside sources to view data in a way that
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
22
makes issues immediately apparent to all parties involved.
As a line graph is simple chart visualization, it is not inherently difficult to understand.
The main problem occurs when the line graph is only a line with numbers, as it does not reveal
issues without context, which professions outside of archives may not necessarily know or
understand.
Figure 7
Image of the eClimateNotebook line chart. Dew Point Temperature Outdoors in Washington DC, and in one storage space for music, 2009. Institute, I. P. (2017). DP°F of Music Room et al. In monitoring_dp_graph_example.jpg (Ed.), eClimateNotebook (700x470 Dew Point Temperature Outdoors in Washington DC, and in one storage space for music, 2009.). Image Permanence Institute.
By adding something as simple as coloring the line red when it goes past an archival
collection standard temperature and relative humidity threshold while remaining a black line
when inside of safe parameters, this gives instant feedback that illustrates issues without
requiring extensive background knowledge. This can be pushed further by adding in a range
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
23
element to the line graph, thus causing the red to stand out more by creating visual danger zones
that are in direct contrast with a gray background.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
24
3. Research Question
This paper is studying the application of microcontrollers and web-based repositories to
monitor and collect environmental conditions of archival collection facilities. This is because this
paper wants to find out how these microcontrollers can be used in conjunction with a web-based
application to interpret and visualize data in a customizable range so that low-budget historical
societies can better safeguard their artifacts against degradation caused by fluctuations in
temperature and relative humidity.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
25
4. Methodology
The proposed approach of this research was to utilize microcontrollers to collect
temperature and humidity data within an archival facility for the purpose of storing and
visualizing the collected data in order. This was done in order to decrease the amount of time
required to acquire environmental data and emphasis shifts in temperature and relative humidity
within an archival collection. The overall goal of this project was to create a low-cost multi-point
data logging system to monitor, store and visualize environmental data within archival collection
facilities. This was accomplished with several stages of development that built upon each other
in order to create a stronger information network that would assist in environmental data
collection and retrieval.
The first stage was setting up multiple microcontrollers within a single room of an
archival collection facility. This facility had to meet the requirement of being a medium sized
collection facility that not only contained an archival department, but also housed dioramas in
museum spaces. This is due to the fact that dioramas have a wide range of environments that
must be both protected enough to allow for long-term preservation while also allowing visitors to
the museum to view exhibits and artifacts. By setting up the project in such a setting, the
noticeable shifts within the collected data would allow the created system to demonstrate the
entire range of good and bad qualities that the proposed system should reasonably be expected
encounter.
The second stage of the project was to develop a web-based application that stored the
collected environmental data from the microcontrollers and visualized the data into two different
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
26
visualizations. The first visualization was a line-range chart that allowed for dynamic coloration
to occur based on live-data feeds. The second visualization was a heat map visualization of the
space where the microcontrollers would be set, offering a clear yet simple visual guide to where
the microcontrollers were located within the archival collection environment. The purpose of this
was two-fold: one, to see if the visualization would be of assistance, as the heat map is generally
not a standard visualization for archivists, and two, to see if there was any value to using such a
visualization for showing outside parties environmental conditions within the archives. These
charts would be rendered client side as opposed to server side, serving the purpose of being open
sourced and available to parties interested in designing their own versions of the application.
The third stage of this project was to gather an expert panel to assist with the analysis of
the system. The expert panel consisted of members who were part of the archival personnel at
the ANS and who had at least year or more experience with data logging systems. The expert
panel consisted of three members from three levels of archival management, ranging from an
assistant who checked data loggers for their assigned department to a director who oversaw the
entirety of the ANS’s archival facility. This allowed a unique insight into the range of an archival
collection facility and gave the greatest potential to receive feedback from different levels of
archives.
4.1 SparkFun Thing
The first step in this project was to outfit three microcontroller units with RHT03 sensors
before implementing code for the units to use previously mentioned sensors.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
27
Figure 8
Image of the RHT03 temperature and humidity sensor. Humidity and Temperature Sensor - RHT03. Digital image. SparkFun. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2017.
The microcontroller chosen for this project is known as the SparkFun ESP8266 Thing.
This microcontroller was chosen for reasons including the capability with the Arduino library,
compatibility with existing sensors, the large knowledge community-sharing site and a built-in
Wi-Fi shield.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
28
Figure 9
Diagram of the ESP8266 Thing development board with RHT03 temperature and humidity sensor and an LED. Thingdev. Digital image. Exosite Documentation. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2017. <http://docs.exosite.com/tutorials/esp8266-tutorial/>.
The microcontroller selection and implementation stage were fairly straightforward in
terms of development. The researchers involved in this project initially had to find a mini-
computer or microcontroller that would allow for the implementation of customized sensor
setups while also being flexible enough code-wise to access a variety of open-source knowledge
communities. A Raspberry Pi mini-computer was considered as a strong contender during this
round of development, but several issues arose that ultimately pushed the mini-computer to the
side in terms of data logging capability. The main problem with a Raspberry Pi stemmed from
the facts pertaining to the mini-computer, such as the fact that the device consumed more energy
than a microcontroller does and the greater entry level of coding knowledge required to get a
functioning device up and running when the system was designed to be as low entry as possible.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
29
This eventually led to the study of Arduino capable devices, specifically microcontrollers
with WiFi capabilities. After a comparison period, taking into account WiFi shields, physical
size of devices, sensor compatibles and Arduino library capabilities, ultimately the SparkFun
ESP8266 Thing was chosen for this project. The knowledge community of the Arduino library
was also particularly helpful for designing this project, as data logging projects similar to this
one have been completed and implemented within the last few years. This has lowered the bar of
entry for designing such systems, as both hobbyists and professional coders break down their
systems into easy to interpret bits. This would allow archivists an opportunity to have an
accessible database of code that could be customized to fit the needs of an individual archival
collection facility.
The SparkFun ESP8266 Thing’s overall cost and built-in WiFi shield were strong initial
desirable factors for this project. With that said, the ESP8266 device did require a few additional
components to be prepared before adding in an external sensor. These items included straight
breakaway headers, a solderless breadboard, jumper wires, wall adaptor 5V DC 2A power supply
for micro-USB and a resistor 10k Ohm 1/6th Watt PTH. Once one factors in the cost of a higher-
end sensor like the RHT03 humidity and temperature sensor used in this project, the overall cost
per device is roughly forty-five dollars. This is immensely cheaper than many other wireless data
loggers that were reviewed at the time of this paper, as a normally accepted data-logger with
wireless capabilities can cost anywhere from one hundred to six hundred dollars. One of the
main downsides to this setup though is the fact that the ESP8266 does require a bit of preemptive
work in order to prepare everything, as the device comes broken out and needs to have the
straight breakaway headers soldered to the ESP8266 before it can function. The device also
requires a one-time purchase of a SparkFun FTDI Basic Breakout board to both connect and
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
30
upload data from the Arduino IDE, and issue that is not made apparent in the documentation
when purchasing the device.
After the microcontrollers were put together and coded with the correct functionality,
three devices were deployed at the ANS in the Desert of Borkou diorama. Two microcontrollers
were deployed behind the diorama in a sort of crawlspace and the third device was deployed
inside the exhibit near the staff entrance door. After ESP8266 Thing’s were deployed, the
devices were allowed to collect data from February to June while the rest of the project moved
forward.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
31
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
32
Figure 10
Top: Image of the diorama where the ESP8266 devices were monitoring. One ESP8266 device was in the diorama towards the left side of the exhibit, out of view of the general public.
Middle: Image of the crawlspace behind the Desert of Borkou diorama.
Bottom: One of the three ESP8266 devices. This particular microcontroller was named #Window, as this device was monitoring the conditions nearest the Window of the diorama’s crawlspace.
The ESP8266’s data was stored on the online repository, ThingSpeak.com.
ThingSpeak.com is an Internet of Things (IoT) online repository, which specializes in the
collection of data from Arduinos and Raspberry Pi devices. Since the compatibility and
straightforward parsing features were highly desirable for this project, the ThingSpeak site was
chosen to store all of the ESP8266’s data. This data would eventually be fed into the web-
application that was designed to go with this paper to test out various features that would assist
the archival facility’s environmental data collection and presentation. A rather important limiting
factor to the development of this web-application was an eight thousand data point retrieval limit
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
33
from ThingSpeak.com. If one moved the data from ThingSpeak.com into a personal network
server, this limit could have been removed. However, this would also require knowledge into
networking and node-based management, a feature that was not pursued during the development
of this project.
During this stage in the project, it become necessary to store the collected data on an
online repository that allowed for an external application to access the information. The main
data sets required for this project were the following: dates, temperatures, and relative humidity.
These data sets were required to be easily retrievable via cloud connection, which required the
use of a cloud-based storage application. For the purposes of this project, this feature was
completed through the use of a third-party website known as ThingSpeak.com. ThingSpeak
allowed devices like the ESP8266 to upload sensor data to its server and easily forward stored
data to an external site. ThingSpeak also translated the collected data into JSON, XML and CSV
file formats, allowing for HTML sites to easily access the stored data and visualize it outside of
the ThingSpeak site.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
34
Figure 11
Image of standard line graphs from ThingSpeak.com as they collect data. ThingSpeak Setup. Digital image. SODAQ. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 July 2017.
4.2 Web based visualizations
The second stage of this project was to create dynamic visualizations from the collected
data in order to easily interpret the data. These visualized instances were to be compared to the
graphs produced by a hygrothermograph and eClimateNotebook system before being read by
experts within the ANS in order to compare and contrast the usefulness and usability of these
visualized data sets.
The visualized graphs designed for this project were line-range charts that dynamically
turned the line and ranged areas red if the temperature shown on the chart were over 70°
Fahrenheit or under 50° Fahrenheit and over 50% in relative humidity or under 30% relative
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
35
humidity. These ranges were chosen by the National Archives in order to best safeguard the
typical archival environment, taking into account both the safety of artifacts and the ability for
humans to reside near the collections (Conrad, 1999).
Figure 12
Illustrating the coloration range for humidity taken by the #Window ESP8266 device during the month of May.
One of the key areas of interest during the creation of the visualizations for this project
was creating a heat map that showed live temperature data as is was being drawn from the
microcontrollers, thus providing a new form of graphical representation that could aid in the
ability to visually see problem areas within a collection. While this may or may not be
particularly helpful in the day-to-day operations of an archival facility, it would eventually prove
to be of interest to outside parties, as the heat map provides context to data that line graphs
cannot be reasonably expected to visualize in a similar manner.
In order to provide a client-side visualization of the collected environmental data, a
JavaScript library known as D3 was implemented into this project. D3 has many beneficial uses
in terms of programming, as it allows a coder to take raw JSON, XML or CSV data and convert
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
36
it into simple or complex graphical visualizations. D3, along with the JQuery JavaScript library
were implemented into this project and gave rise to a web-based application that would
eventually be tested by the expert panel. The D3 library also proved to be especially important
during the heat map creation process, as the ability to create visualizations that responded to live
data gave unintentional benefits to the overall study.
Figure 13
Visualization of how the system works. The ESP8266 device uploads the information collected by the sensors to the online repository through the use of WiFi, as indicated by the Cloud. When the user’s web-browser opens Enviro-Alert, the web-application pulls the requested data from ThingSpeak and forms visualizations on the client’s web-browser. Nantakaew, Adun. Arduino and ESP8266 Control Device with ThingSpeak (IoT). Digital image. Blogger. N.p., 24 May 2015. Web. 21 July 2017.
As part of this stage in development, a simple dashboard was created and utilized to
house the visualizations while allowing for the visuals to be generated from the client side web
browser. The web-based application was a mixture of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery and D3
web code. The bulk of the application came from the development of a D3 code that allowed for
two distinct visualizations to be created. The first visualization was the line-range chart that was
discussed previously in this paper.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
37
Figure 14
Screenshots of the dashboard and visualizations of the Enviro-Alert page. The user would typically see only the first visualization (temperature) before scrolling down the page to see the relative humidity line-range chart. As the temperature and humidity breach “safe parameters” as set by the National Archives, the line would turn red and the graph would fill with red.
The temperature line-range chart only showed the range from 80° Fahrenheit to 40°
Fahrenheit while the relative humidity line-range chart displayed the range from 60% humidity
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
38
to 20% humidity. By limiting the range viewed by the user, it was hoped that users would focus
more on the peaks of the data instead of viewing empty space. Between 70-80° and 40-50°
Fahrenheit and 20-30% and 50-60% relative humidity, the background of the line-range chart
filled in with a light gray color. Between 50-70° Fahrenheit and 30-50% relative humidity, the
background is left blank, with no additional colors behind displayed. A line is then generated
based on parsed data from the microcontrollers through the third-party repository of ThingSpeak.
This generated line, while in the colorless background zone, was then colored black to contrast
against the white background. As the line was generated based on numerous points from the
parsed data, if any of the points go into the grey background zones, the line and background
within the line were colored red. This gives a distinct visual warning that parameters set by the
National Archives had been breached, either by being higher or lower than the recommended
safe parameters for archrival materials.
The heat map visualization builds upon this color idea by providing a grey circle
collection graphic that turned red if the zone was too warm or blue if the zone is too cold. This
graphical zone was then superimposed over a PNG file that contained a rough schematic of the
room where the ESP8266 microcontrollers were placed within the ANS. This not only gave a
visualization of the area of collection for each device, but also allowed users to see the
differences in temperature between the microcontrollers. Besides the graphic zones, the ESP8266
were assigned somewhat arbitrary names that were determined by their location, such as
window, case and door. As these three areas of monitoring were considered to be the most
important areas of environmental fluctuation, this setup allowed for a real world monitoring
scenario to be set up without any need for assumptions on determining data collection sites. The
overall web-application was named Enviro-Alert and was to be directly tested against the
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
39
eClimateNotebook, HOBO and hygrothermograph systems with the expert panel section.
Figure 15
This image illustrates the heat map design used for the duration of this project.
As part of this stage of the project, a rudimentary alert system was designed and
implemented for when safe parameters were breached. These safe parameters once again dealt
with the standard safe zones set by the National Archives, meaning that an alert was sent
whenever temperature or humidity breached their respective zones. This notification system was
setup in ThingSpeak.com, as the repository already contained all of the relevant information for
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
40
setting up such an alert scenario. By implementing an algorithm to check the live data feeds for
parameter breaches, a Tweet would then be sent out any time there were unfavorable conditions
were detected by the three devices. This Tweet was then linked to a Smartphone, giving instant
notification of any of the three microcontrollers that there had been a breach of safe parameters.
These Tweets were set to private notification, thus preventing any unnecessary leaking of
information to outside parties. A second algorithm was set up to check the parameters once an
hour to make certain that the microcontrollers were still recording favorable conditions within
the dioramas. If the parameters were still in unsafe zones or if the microcontrollers failed to
respond to the hourly check, a second alert was sent out via Tweet that informed the user that
conditions needed to be checked within the collection site. This proved to be an insightful
addition to the alert system, as the location chosen to set up the microcontrollers happened to be
poorly insulated against temperature and relative humidity, making collection of data during the
months of May and June a constant stream of Tweets.
4.3 Expert Panel
The third stage of development for this project involved gathering the expert panel and
performing three rounds of User Experience (UX) testing to see how the digital data logger and
web-based application system performed when compared to their standard data loggers. Before
officially meeting with the expert panel, the experts were asked to give a brief description of the
data logging systems that they were familiar with and how long they used the system. The
HOBO, EL-USB-2 and hygrothermograth data loggers were the most familiar loggers used by
the experts, and the web-based system commonly used was the HOBO and eClimateNotebook.
During the expert panel meetings, the Enviro-Alert system was then compared to those familiar
systems to see how the multi-point microcontroller based digital data logging system improved
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
41
or failed to improve collection of holistic data, whether the data collected indicated any issues
within the collected environment, whether the issues were obvious and how the familiar system
would have shown the variations in microenvironments versus macroenvironments.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
42
5. Analysis
In order to analyze the success or failure of this project, several questions had to be asked
and answered regarding the data loggers and web-application. As the purpose of this project was
to create a low-cost wireless data logging system that improved upon both collection and
visualization of data, the questions pertained to the ease of use for creating data loggers, how
collection of data was performed, whether that was an improvement or not, whether the
visualizations worked for interpreting data and highlighting issues, whether the web-application
functioned in intuitive manner, and what kind of features would need to be present to make truly
useable within archives. During the third stage of development for this project’s research, an
expert panel was gathered who provided key insight into answering these and other questions
regarding the overall data logging system. The expert’s opinions and thoughts were recorded as
they performed three rounds of research, with each round focusing on a different aspect of
research project.
The first round involved gathering information based on past experiences with data
logging systems. Experts were first introduced to the Enviro-Alert system, but were not asked to
perform any tasks with the system at that time. Instead, they were given the opportunity to air
any compliments or grievances with their current data logging system and what they would have
desired if a system could come out that they could customize. The experts and research agreed
on the time-consuming nature of retrieving data and desired an easier method of gathering the
environmental data, while also complimenting the amount of internal storage that the data
loggers contained for housing large amounts of raw data.
The second round with the experts involved side-by-side comparison of the Enviro-Alert
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
43
to the HOBO, hygrothermograph, and eClimateNotebook systems. While the Enviro-Alert
provided easier to interpret data, it also lacked user-controlled features. Experts found that, when
compared to the other systems, Enviro-Alert’s data was easier to interpret and show to people
outside of archives and even for archivists but found that the lack of user-input meant that
archivists couldn’t control the data in any way that they would have liked. In terms of the
visualizations however, the experts praised the development of the heat map and found that they
would like to see it develop more and show temperature fluctuation over time. As the heat map
visualization was not present in any of the other data logging systems, this was particularly
insightful for the development of this visualization. When comparing the line-graph
visualizations with one another, while experts had no issues with the standard line graph from the
other systems, the Enviro-Alert’s dynamically colored graph was seen as an improvement for
showing outside parties (donors, administrative staff, engineers) data without having to explain
what the graph was representing.
The third round of testing involved the experts filling out an online survey while tasked
with finding different bits of information within the Enviro-Alert system. The purpose of this
round’s research was to thoroughly test the Enviro-Alert system and see where the strengths and
weaknesses of the system laid. The experts were also given an opportunity to verbally speak
about their experiences with the system during and immediately following the survey, which
gave insight into the ease or frustration that the experts felt during the process. Experts found
that, while the system was currently too bare-bones to be of any significant assistance to
archivists in its current form, they believed that the visualizations and ability to retrieve data was
an important aspect that solved archive’s issues with being able to easily collect environmental
data and show it to outside interested parties. The foreshadowed benefit of the Enviro-Alert
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
44
system was being able to access the data from anywhere in the world, meaning that the archivists
could look up on how their collections were doing even if they were somewhere else trying to
recruit donors.
5.1 Expert Panel Selection
As part of this paper’s research, an expert panel was assembled at the ANS in
Philadelphia, PA consisting of various levels of archival management within the archival
facilities. The experts consisted of a Senior Director of Public Spaces, an archivist and a library
assistant. As these experts had various levels of interactions with data loggers, an initial review
was given to check the levels of interaction with hygrothermographs and other standard digital
data logging systems took place before the study commenced. All experts had worked with data
logging systems for at least a year and had extensive familiarity with the data logging
technologies, though not all of the experts used the data loggers on a constant basis within the
prior year of this paper’s study.
5.1.1 First Round - Background Information
The Director of Public Spaces’ job was to ensure a consistent environment for their
collections as a whole and therefore did not have the time or manpower to check data logging
systems on any regular basis. While this expert had kept up with how different systems were
presented and utilized, it also meant that they personally had not interacted with the physical
portion of the data logging system in several years. According to this expert, the accepted data
logging system at the time was the HOBO system. The HOBO system gave the desirable effects
of data collection accuracy, large data storage, implemented a small physical data logging device
and had the ability to allow for customizable line graphs for multiple rooms/devices to be shown
and displayed on one graph. The cumbersome side of the HOBO system included short battery
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
45
life for the physical device, lack of user friendliness on the web application, required constant
upkeep of the devices and the general length of time required to retrieve physical devices and
data. The expert felt that the time required to maintain and calibrate the system was a big enough
flaw that kept it from being implemented to the current day within the ANS.
The archivist and library assistant regularly checked their data logging systems, which
was a combination of a digital data logger known as an EL-USB-2 with the eClimateNotebook
web-service system that interpreted the environmental data. These systems were compatible with
one another, mostly due to the fact that the EL-USB-2 digital recorded data in the form of a
spreadsheet, which the eClimateNotebook was then able to use to create visualizations. The main
benefit of this data logging system is the non-intrusiveness of the data loggers and the
eClimateNotebook system’s ability to create easy visualizations. There were significant
downsides to the system as a whole however, including the battery life of the EL-USB-2 device,
connectivity issues, and the general length of time it took to retrieve the data and parse the data
by hand enough to be usable by the eClimateNotebook system. The biggest issue that the experts
had with the system as a whole was the inability to tell when the data loggers were offline, as
they only checked the devices once a month to see if the data had changed in any way.
5.1.2 Second Round - Current Implementation
The second round of meeting with the members of the expert panel consisted of testing
the web-application that was developed by this paper’s researchers to see how the data logging
system compared to standard data logging systems like the hygrothermograph, HOBO and
eClimateNotebook. When presented with the Enviro-Alert system, the Director of Public Spaces
found that the system did present a clearer picture for interested parties outside of the archival
facility but required more development to be of assistance to the archivists who deal with the
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
46
data on a daily basis. One of the more favorable features that the Eviro-Alert system presented
from the test was the ability to constantly collect the data and have it comparable to the other
ESP8266 devices. When compared to the hygrothermograph, HOBO system and
eClimateNotebook, the director found that the heat map visualization was particularly useful for
presenting current temperatures inside of the dioramas and displaying live data to interested
outside parties. As this feature was not present in the three other standard data logging systems,
this feature was determined to be a particularly helpful addition to the overall data logging
system. There may even be a benefit in the future to creating a Smartphone-based application
that focuses on the heat map, allowing for enhanced notification possibilities based on user-set
parameters.
When asked about whether the Director of Public Spaces would use the Enviro-Alert
system in its current state, the director found that the system was currently too lightweight in
terms of features to be particularly useful within the archival facility. The complaints were
directed at the lack of control that the user has when presented the data, as the HOBO system and
eClimateNotebook allows users to customize the x and y axes. The HOBO and
eClimateNotebook also allowed for a customizable date range to be presented to the user while
the Enviro-Alert system only presented a few predetermined date ranges to the users, which was
deemed as too limiting. Finally, the director found that the colors of the line graph could be
misinterpreted and preferred a color spectrum of red for too high value (too hot or humid), green
for neutral and blue for too low value (too cold or humid).
The archivist and library assistant were also presented with the same questions and
scenarios as the Director of Public Spaces. When presented with the Enviro-Alert and
eClimateNotebook system comparisons, the two experts took the questions towards a different
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
47
direction to look over the possibilities of the presented research project being more of an open
source manual to designing similar systems within archival environments. They explained that in
small to medium-sized archival facilities, there was a growing demand for open source projects
as the idea of being able to set up low-cost but customized monitoring systems was gaining
traction within the archival community. The main problem with their current data logging
systems were that the devices only collected data from a single point of reference, and while
these data points could be compared to the other rooms where data loggers were also present, the
ability to compare these sites may not necessarily be the most efficient of ways to study
environmental conditions within any single room. The experts believed that the Enviro-Alert
system contained the desirable Do-It-Yourself (DIY) project that archivists would be looking for
and felt that the ability to set up multiple sensors within the same room without interfering with
the overall results was a valuable tool. This was then elaborated on with the visualizations, as the
experts found the visualizations straightforward and easy to comprehend while also being
presentable to outside interested parties.
When asked to compare the visualizations differences between the hygrothermograph,
HOBO, eClimateNotebook and Enviro-Alert systems, the archivist and library assistant found
that the eClimateNotebook system had simple line graphs that effectively gave required
temperature and humidity information while the Enviro-Alert system presented a similar graph
that also had the added benefit of being more presentable to outside parties. They believed that
this would make it easier to explain the environmental conditions to their administrative staff and
engineers who may not necessarily interpret a standard line graph the same way that archivists
would. They found that the heat map visualization was also particularly useful for displaying the
conditions within the collection zone on a two-dimensional level more effectively than a line
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
48
graph could ever accomplish. It was believed that this would be an efficient way of explaining
issues within the archival collection to donors or engineers who may require the visualization to
fully comprehend the real-world implications of environmental parameter breaches. The experts
felt that the heat map should be made to display temperature change over time as opposed to
showing the last recorded temperature reading from the ESP8266 devices, but otherwise believed
that the heat map visualization would be an effective tool in understanding the environmental
data.
All experts felt that a notification system would be strongest feature that should be
implemented in order to truly differentiate itself from the other three standard data logging
systems. The experts believed that a notification system which would send an alert to their
phones or through email whenever temperatures climbed to over 75° Fahrenheit or whenever the
data was not being retrieved would prove to be an invaluable tool would distinguish itself from
the Plug Load data loggers. The experts also felt that the ability to have live data that was parsed
already saved an immense amount of time, going from taking several hours to collect data to
only taking a few seconds to open a web browser. This time saving feature was highly sought
after as it is one of the most critical complaints that the experts had about the hygrothermograph,
HOBO and eClimateNotebook systems. The experts also found that the graphs allowed for the
data to be presented while they were traveling, which would open up the possibilities of
answering questions and displaying the data in a legible fashion while speaking to potential
donors or parties interested in seeing the inner functions of an archival space.
5.1.3 Third Round - Enviro-Alert Survey
The third round of meeting with the expert panel consisted of the experts using Enviro-
Alert to fill out a survey designed to test out all of the various features and different scenarios.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
49
These scenarios ranged from finding the temperature of a certain date and time to explaining
why they preferred certain features to others. Each expert was given the same survey to fill out
and answer before finishing with a few final comments designed to see how they felt about the
project overall. The overall survey was divided up into four sections, with an additional fifth
section dedicated to identifying each of the expert’s submission.
The first section of the survey introduced the expert panel members to the index page of
Enviro-Alert, which contained six line-range graphs that displayed the data from the past twenty-
four hour period. Each graph corresponded to either the temperature or relative humidity of the
three ESP8266 devices and gave live data straight from the dioramas within the ANS. The
experts were to fill out this section of the survey before continuing the survey. In the second
section of the survey, the expert panel was asked to click on the Enviro-Alert section labeled “7
Days.” They were then presented with the same questions from the first section, only now being
asked to locate the temperature and humidity for certain times and on certain dates.
The third section had the expert panel utilize the past few months feature of Enviro-Alert,
having each expert finding a certain date before being asked if they felt that the navigation to and
from the various pages were understood or if there needed to be improvements made. This
culminated in the fourth and final section, where experts were asked to give their overall opinion
on the Enviro-Alert before being asked to consider what they felt were the most important
features that they would like data loggers to perform in an archival facility environment.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
50
Table 1
Experts were given eight questions requested that they locate the temperature and humidity of certain times ranging from the past 24 hours to several past months. This in turn allowed for the collection of twenty-four different responses, from which this paper can determine the visual accuracy of data when compared to the raw numbers.
Table 2
Experts were also asked to rank their opinions on the visualizations, dashboard, and overall look of the web-application known as Enviro-Alert. This ranged from 1-5 for the first eight questions and 1-10 for the last three, with 1 being considered a more
75%
17%
8%
Accuracy of visualizations
Under 1% or 1°F
1%-5% or 1F°-5°F
Over 5% or 5°F
1
1
17
11
6
0 5 10 15 20
Greatly Disliked
Disliked
Neutral
Liked
Greatly Liked
Opinions on visuals
Greatly Disliked
Disliked
Neutral
Liked
Greatly Liked
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
51
negative opinion of a feature and 5/10 being a more favorable opinion. For the above table, opinions following within 2-4 and 6-9 are considered slightly disliked and slightly liked respectively.
Table 3
Expert’s opinions on individual sections were ranked from a positive opinion to a negative opinion based on their interpretation, ease of understanding and overall understanding of each visualization section.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
24 Hour 7 Day Month Heat Map
Opinions of visualization sections
Positive
Neutral
Negative
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
52
6. Discussion
Based on the findings of this paper’s research combined with the feedback acquired from
the expert panel, several new concepts sprang forward that contribute to the knowledge of
creating a better overall of data logging system by highlighting both their strengths and
weaknesses. Through the background research and knowledge acquired, data logging system
decisions and implementation ultimately boils down to cost efficiency, data accuracy, data
accessibility and ease of use (Conrad, 1999; Fagan, 2014; Morris, 2009; Morton-Owens &
Hanson, 2012; Phetteplace, 2012). These factors weigh in to determine the type of data logging
device an archival facility will utilize, with some facilities choosing to go without loggers due to
the inability to act upon collected data (Morris, 2009). However, with the advent of affordable
microcontrollers and open source knowledge communities like the IoT, there is no longer a
reason to outright dismiss data logging systems. Even if a facility cannot act upon the collected
data, having the data available for future use can prove invaluable should a donor or interested
party come into the equation that could solve facility issues.
Once the issue of collecting the data has been solved, the next logical stage is being able
to present the data in a meaningful way (Kilb & Jansen, 2016). Having the data in the form of an
spreadsheet or a basic line chart could lead to confusion as to where problem areas arise in
archival facilities (Kilb & Jansen, 2016; Morton-Owens & Hanson, 2012). Changing minor
details like the coloration, font and size of different elements within the visualization can alter
the interpretation of data, which can ultimately be the deciding factor as to whether potential
donors to archival facilities understand and are willing to help based on their needs (Morton-
Owens & Hanson, 2012). Even if the data is not shown to donors or outside parties, archival
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
53
collection facility curators need to be able to show and explain the collected data as efficiently as
possible.
This project’s research found that the basic line graph has its benefits, but also has
enough issues to warrant a change in the way the graph is presented. By making the line portion
of the line-range chart dynamic and change colors based on the height of the line, researchers
found that the line became easier to interpret while also creating a lower bar of entry for
explaining showing issues within the diorama room. Without explaining the graph or what the
colors represented, all participants understood that there had been issues within the diorama
room and that the issues were great enough to require action in the near future. This also proved
that simple alterations to a standard line graph could enhance the interpretation of the displayed
data (Kilb & Jansen, 2016; Morton-Owens & Hanson, 2012). All three ESP8266 devices
contained readings in the upper seventies to lower eighties during the months of May and June
while maintaining a safe temperature zone from February to April. The collected data revealed
that the interior space of the diorama had been breached, as the temperature collected outside of
the diorama was within a few degrees difference of the inside of the diorama. As the inside of the
ANS is climate controlled via HVAC system, this also revealed that the diorama’s space was not
being cooled or dehumidified by the HVAC system, revealing further flaws from within the
space that the diorama had been set up.
The ANS was not actively collecting data from the particular diorama that the researchers
of this project were granted access to, but researchers had been informed that the diorama was
isolated from the rest of the ANS’s climate control systems. If the dioramas had the standard data
logging system in place, meaning a single HOBO, EL-USB-2, hygrothermograph or
eClimateNotebook device would have been placed in the diorama, the standard data logger setup
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
54
would have revealed a problem within the diorama but not necessarily where the issue was
originating. By having a three-point data logging system in place, the issue became clear that the
diorama was not isolated from the outside environment, but rather contained a breach somewhere
along the back wall of the exhibit where the outside ESP8266 devices were collecting
environmental data. This was an unexpected discovery, but it did also bring up the idea that
having multiple data logging devices within a single area did provide valuable information that a
single point of data would not have revealed (Morris, 2009). The reason why three
microcontroller data loggers were placed within the same diorama space was to test for this
possibility, as the standard data logging setup is to use one data logger per room monitored.
However, it is important to look at these spaces as containing multiple entry points for
temperature and humidity through doors, windows and vents while also remembering that
shelves and boxes create microenvironments that are each contain different environmental
conditions (Morris, 2009).
The visualization of these data points played an important factor in how the data was
interpreted and understood by the expert panel, especially in the case of the heat map. While the
heat map visualization only showed the latest recorded temperatures by the ESP8266 devices, the
idea that these visualizations could give a literal picture of the environment meant that the
experts could show the visualization to administrative staff, scientists or engineers to show were
problem areas are within the archival collection facility (Akmon et al., 2011). With the addition
of a date-picker, the user could control the time and range of the temperature data, providing a
powerful visualization of past environmental data within the archives. The combination of the
highlighting color, showing temperature readings, and displaying all three ESP8266 devices at
the same time revealed that the heat map visualization left a favorable impression on the experts.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
55
Each expert felt that the heat map could be taken a step further by showing temperature change
over time, a task that could be taken up by future researchers who wish to build upon this project.
The entire project was created from various knowledge communities who have, to our
knowledge, not attempted to recreate a holistic system the way that this project has created.
There has been research done on using Raspberry Pis’ to create digital data loggers for the
purposes of monitoring data and sending alerts to users if safe parameters have been breached,
and most projects involve visualizing the data in the form of a standard line graph, but all
projects focus on different aspects and never truly unite their ideas (Lewis et al., 2016; Vujovi et
al.). Unlike the research done on the Raspberry Pis’, this project’s research was more focused on
using several microcontrollers that work in close proximity and gave readings on a single room
to present a clear picture of the environmental conditions that did not require interpretation from
the users to fully understand internal conditions. Even in laboratory settings of other research
projects, collected data was only understood by researchers performing the experiments as
outside groups would have required explanation as to where the safe parameters were located per
device (Lewis et al., 2016). By focusing more on the visualizations between the different
microcontrollers, this research proved that improving the data visualization variable affected the
way the data was interpreted by viewers and thus increased the legibility of data for both archival
collection facility curators and outside interested parties.
6.1 Significance
In terms of significance towards the field of digital media, this project has proven that
web-based applications and the IoT knowledge communities can be utilized to create a working
data logging system that is both practical and useful for archival environmental data collection,
management and visualization. The data collected by the microcontrollers had been created from
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
56
scratch as a DIY data logging system with the help of the IoT knowledge community, stored and
utilized by an online repository that openly shared the knowledge from the IoT community and
visualized by a D3 library that is shared by yet another knowledge community that gave example
codes for repurposing visualizations for unique projects. This project overall gave a clear
indication that these knowledge communities can not only be repurposed for the use of creating a
digital data logging device, but can be taken to several steps beyond to create an entire data
logging system from physical device to web-application and notification system without the need
for expensive hardware and software.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
57
7. Conclusion
The goal of this research paper was to study how to create a low-cost data logging system,
complete with a digital data logger and web-based application, for accessing internal
environmental data while also bringing together an expert panel to give insight and context to the
development of the overall project. This in turn would allow smaller archival collection facilities,
museums and historical societies to benefit from the project’s work by laying out a blueprint that
these institutions could follow and expand upon to suit individual needs. These created systems
would provide the necessary data that would aid in the protection of historical artifacts by
highlighting dangerous environmental elements and providing an easy to access application that
can be viewed from any web browser.
This project’s research has shown that a DIY data logging system is a valid cost-efficient
method of collecting environmental data within archival collection facilities and that the IoT
knowledge community is a powerful tool for creating systems designed to utilize and visualize
this data in a multi-purpose manner. By going through the steps of implementing a
microcontroller for the purposes of creating a digital data logger, utilizing a IoT compatible
online repository, and repurposing JavaScript knowledge communities to create visualizations
from data, this paper has provided a blueprint that can change the way that archival collection
facilities gather environmental data and utilize that data in a meaningful way. From creating a
heat map to alerting the users of potentially damaging humidity levels, this project’s work has
created a strong starting point for future archival collection facilities to create personal data
logging systems that cater to their individual needs.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
58
8. Future Work
After testing out all of the necessary features that were implemented in this paper’s
project, several issues and realizations occurred that future works could expand upon or enhance
as technology improves, knowledge community grow and as net coding becomes more powerful.
One of the first issues that this project happened across and requires future work to find a
solution was when the ESP8266 data-logging device lost power or was otherwise interrupted
from uploading data to its online repository. If the microcontrollers lose the ability to upload the
data for any amount of time (power outage, Internet loss, etc), that data was simply lost. This is
why it is imperative to have the notification system that checks for lack of data on a cloud-based
platform and not to have that feature on the device itself. While a Raspberry Pi microcomputer
would allow one to host a notification system on the device itself, it would be imperative to have
a secondary notification system in the cloud that could still send notifications in the event of
device failure. A secondary option that could be implemented to keep the device operating in the
event of a power outage would be a universal power supply (UPS). This would allow for
microcomputers to keep collecting data, even if a localized power outage occurred within the
room that contained the data logger. The microcomputer could programmed to store the data
locally until it reconnected to the Internet, a feature that would be ideal for temporary power
outages. During this power outage and for longer term power failures, an email or text message
would be sent to the archival collections manager courtesy of the cloud-based notification
system, informing archivists of issues that have arisen in the archives.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
59
During the expert panel stage of this project, an idea of having the web-application being
able to generate customizable reports appeared and generated quite a bit of interest. While the
current method of generating these reports comes from paying companies to provide this service,
there has been a rise in open-sourced JavaScript based libraries that will one day give the ability
to generate these reports based on parameters that the user sets and controls. It was not possible
to test these libraries during the creation process of this project, but it is believed that knowledge
communities will provide the required information for generating the reports. These reports
would require the ability to gather temperature data over a user-controlled time range before
calculating the frequency of temperature fluctuations and the average amount of time that the
collected data was either in unsafe zones or how often the environmental conditions fluctuated.
This kind of automated task could be generated with the correct algorithm implemented via
JavaScript, with the only current hurdle being able to generate a PDF or compatible file that
would allow for a clean appearance physical printout. As JavaScript does not natively allow for
such files to be created, an external library would need to be implemented for this to work.
There are also a number of smaller features that one could add to the provided setup
depending on the individual needs of an archival institution. These features range from different
visualizations, user inputs, dynamic graphs, different types of data, storing data on local servers,
comparing various year’s worth of data to one another, etc. Visualizations and user inputs can be
implemented via JavaScript and its various libraries like JQuery and AJAX, but would also
require a dedicated computer scientist to correctly set up the coding script. Otherwise, the
JavaScript knowledge communities are informative and growing enough to assist in creating
DIY systems that all archival collection facilities could take advantage of regardless of size and
budget.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
60
This project has revealed several research paths that one could take in future projects
should certain technology and knowledge barriers are overcome. Costs associated with data
logging development will inevitably become cheaper and the bar of entry will continue to be
lowered as time progresses. Along with this inevitable progress are features that can improve this
project’s web-application while also expanding upon the microcontroller and microcomputer
digital data logging ideas. Setting up these data logging systems could soon be as straightforward
as downloading a piece of open source software, uploading it to a customized digital data logger
and using an open sourced web-application to monitor the facility.
In both the immediate and near future, systems can be set up that allow for monitoring,
collecting and uploading data while also providing cloud-based systems to act upon the gathered
data. If the data was stored on a network that an institution controlled and gave permission for
the archival collection facility to utilize the information, a notification system could be set up
that would email or text archivists in the event that unfavorable conditions occurred within the
archives. This project had a basic notification system that was set up using ThingSpeak.com
during the expert panel phase of this project, but it had predetermined sections and parameters
that the archivists couldn’t control and thus was considered more of an untested experiment into
seeing how a cloud-based system worked with this project’s original setup. If the system was
redesigned to work on a network instead of the client side hosting setup, then the overall project
could be designed to work in tangent with an institution’s network setup. This redesigned setup
would benefit medium to larger institutions, as they would be able to customize the notification
scenario to act upon data as soon was it was pulled instead of when the client opened the
browser. Smaller institutions or historical societies may not have access to a network’s Structural
Query Language (SQL) to store their data, and thus may follow this project’s approach to
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
61
utilizing a third party repository that can act upon data as it was being uploaded to the storage
site. Smaller institutions would then have access to emergency notification possibilities, though
they would not be able to set up a forewarning system as that ability would require access to the
SQL database that third-party repositories may not provide. As technology improves and new
web-based coding languages appear, this divide in network access for third-party systems will
become null as databases are becoming easier to create and allow for more user-controlled
content.
By having access to the SQL databases, one could negate the eight-thousand data point
limitation of ThingSpeak.com, creating fully customizable ranges of data sets. This would be
especially useful for creating graphs that chart more than a single month’s worth of data, though
this feature would need to be coupled with an ability for user-controlled date ranges in order to
function correctly. A date-picker function would prove useful and straightforward to implement
in future data logging systems, as adding in the required JQuery library is already a well-known
feature that many websites utilize. There are some issues when using JQuery with D3.js,
especially in generating graphs from JSON data, so it may prove to be beneficial to replace D3
with a different JavaScript visualization library in order to get around this problem.
Another highly desirable feature that would prove to be an effective tool for future
projects is the ability to capture external weather conditions and display it next to or onto the
graph of the internal environmental conditions of the archival collection facility. While one can
currently buy historical weather data and current weather updates via third party applications, if
one were to find a way to get parsed or raw weather data for their local area, then they could use
the same visualization method provided by this project to generate their own weather graphs. By
collecting the data into an online repository and then visualizing is using one’s own developed
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
62
web-application, the overall design integrity would not be compromised by a third party’s design
principles and would be easily retrievable by the archival collection facilities’ system. The
benefit of having this internal and external environmental comparison is significant; if one were
to determine that internal humidity drastically went up on certain days that also corresponded to
weather events like rain, then a direct link between external variables and internal factors would
be established. This would be especially useful should this concept be taken further by using
future forecasts to predict weather events and allow archivists time to prepare their collections
against upcoming external conditions.
Looking even further into the future, it will soon be possible to create the ideal setup for a
multi-point data logging system that will be both low cost and more efficient than current
methods. Setting aside the microcomputer’s need to be plugged into a power outlet, using the
device along with the previously mentioned suggestions would allow multiple custom sensors to
be deployed in each archival collection room, with the sensors having the ability to send alerts to
users should safe parameter within archival collections become too unfavorable for artifacts.
These devices would be controlled via a web-application, thus allowing archivists to remotely set
parameters and monitor various locations around a facility. This web-application would also
allow users to generate reports based on user-controlled parameters, and could be tailored to
provide information based on individual microcomputer’s readings. By having access to the SQL
databases and a weather forecast site, an algorithm could be set up to see future weather
predictions and generate a predictive graph for interior conditions. This predictive graph would
be based on past historical data from outside conditions alongside interior conditions during the
same time frame. With this tool in hand, archivists would have up to ten day’s worth of notice
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
63
for internal facility conditions and thus would be able to take preemptive measures to safe-
guarding their artifacts.
These concepts can be further enhanced when inevitably an open-sourced or inexpensive
form of web-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes available, which will revolutionize the
concept of data loggers. The AI would not necessarily need to be overly complex to be a game
changer; it would need to run algorithms to determine risks at archival collection facilities based
on collected data from digital data loggers. By comparing past internal environmental conditions
with external weather conditions and current temperature and relative humidity data, the AI
could chart a sophisticated graph that takes future forecast data and calculates whether upcoming
days will have enhanced risks to archival collections. This AI software can be taken even further
if multiple archival collection facilities shared their data with one another, allowing the software
to see patterns in internal conditions based on weather forecasts and general climate predictions.
By sharing this data with other facilities, it would also allow a network of knowledge to be
established and potentially allow archival collection faculties to aid one another should internal
conditions prove to be too unfavorable to their more vulnerable artifacts.
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
64
Bibliography
Akmon, D., Zimmerman, A., Daniels, M., & Hedstrom, M. (2011). The application of archival concepts to a data-intensive environment: working with scientists to understand data management and preservation needs. Archival Science, 11(3), 329-348. doi: 10.1007/s10502-011-9151-4
Conrad, E. A. (1999). Realistic Preservation Environment. Paper presented at the Preservation Conference, Washington, DC. https://www.archives.gov/preservation/environmental-control/realistic-preservation-environment.html
Fagan, J. C. (2014). The Suitability of Web Analytics Key Performance Indicators in the Academic Library Environment. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 40(1), 25-34. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2013.06.005
Gurdita, A., Vovko, H., & Ungrin, M. (2016). A Simple and Low-Cost Monitoring System to Investigate Environmental Conditions in a Biological Research Laboratory. PloS one, 11(1), e0147140. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147140
Kilb, M., & Jansen, M. (2016). Visualizing Collections Data: Why Pie Charts Aren't Always the Answer. Serials Review, 42(3), 192-200. doi: 10.1080/00987913.2016.1207479
Kong, N., & Agrawala, M. (2012). Graphical Overlays: Using Layered Elements to Aid Chart Reading. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 18(12), 2631-2638. doi: 10.1109/TVCG.2012.229
Lewis, A. J., Campbell, M., & Stavroulakis, P. (2016). Performance evaluation of a cheap, open source, digital environmental monitor based on the Raspberry Pi. Measurement, 87, 228-235. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2016.03.023
Morris, P. (2009). Achieving a Preservation Environment with Data Logging Technology and Microclimates. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 16(1), 83-104. doi: 10.1080/10691310902754247
Morton-Owens, E., & Hanson, K. L. (2012). Trends at a Glance: A Management Dashboard of Library Statistics. Information Technology and Libraries (Online), 31(3), 36-51. doi: 10.6017/ital.v31i3.1919
Phetteplace, E. (2012). Effectively Visualizing Library Data. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 52(2), 93-97. doi: 10.5860/rusq.52n2.93
Shamim, A., Balakrishnan, V., & Tahir, M. (2015). Evaluation of opinion visualization techniques. Information Visualization, 14(4), 339-358. doi: 10.1177/1473871614550537
Vujovi, Vladimir, Maksimovi, & Mirjana. Raspberry Pi as a Sensor Web node for home automation. Computers & electrical engineering, 44, 153-171. doi: 10.1016/j.compeleceng.2015.01.019
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
65
Appendix
Below are the questions and responses for the expert panel’s third round of testing that involved a survey: Enviro-Alert Testing Section 1: Last 24 Hours Page Question Director Archivist Library Assist At 6:00am, what was the temperature reading for the Arduino labeled "Door?"
77 degrees
Looks to be around 76, just above 75
76
At 9:00pm, what was the humidity reading for the Arduino labeled "Window?"
48 %
About 51%
47%
At 1:00pm, what was the temperature reading for the Arduino labeled "Case?"
78 Approximately 77 degrees
76
How would you describe the page setup? Is the information relevant? Do you have any issues finding information?
Scale 1-5, with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being very relevant: 5
The page set up is straight forward and basic. The information is relevant to our needs. Expert thinks having all of the graphs for each area looking exactly the same could be problematic. Setting each area off in some way in addition to the title could decrease the chances of mixing up the data.
The page setup is a little clunky. With three different locations it isn't too difficult to scroll through the page and find what expert looking for but if there are more than three locations it might become somewhat cumbersome to scroll through the page to find what the expert is looking for. As it stands, expert did find the information relevant and didn't have any issues finding what the expert was looking for.
How relevant is the information for finding environmental data?
Scale 1-5, with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being very relevant: 5
Scale 1-5, with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being very relevant: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being very relevant: 5
How useful would this setup be for a day-to-day check of data?
Scale 1-5, with 1 being not useful and 5 being very useful: 3 Scale 1-5, with 1 being not useful and 5 being very useful: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being very relevant: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being not useful and 5 being very useful: 3
Would you use this page as it currently stands?
Maybe Maybe Maybe
If you could, what would you change about this page? Would you like to
Bigger everything.
Being able to isolate each area of measurement would be helpful to me.
Expert would probably make it easier to get to the data point expert is
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
66
see any additional features or information?
While seeing every reading for every space on the same page can be useful, it's a lot of information to scroll through when sometimes all expert needs is to see one reading for one area.
looking for rather than scrolling through the page to find what data the expert is looking for.
Additional Comments? Nope No No Section 2: Last Seven Days Page Question Director Archivist Library Assist At 12:00pm on June 17th, what was the humidity reading for the Arduino labeled "Window?"
53% About 57%
53%
At 3:00pm for June 18th, what was the temperature reading for the Arduino labeled "Case?"
77 55% 75
At 2:00pm for June 16th, what was the humidity reading for the Arduino labeled "Door?"
33% 48% 50%
At 8:00pm for June 17th, what was the humidity reading for the Arduino labeled "Case?"
50% 51% 51%
At 1:00am for June 19th, what was the humidity reading for the Arduino labeled "Window?"
58% 59% 60%
How would you describe the page setup? Is the information relevant? Do you have any issues finding information?
x/y axis is too loose. Needs to be tighter and larger since the variables are so small.
Again the information is straight forward and basic. The information is relevant. It's nice to be able to see the changes over a week, which can be very helpful in determining trends. Being able to pin point specific data for specific times doesn't seem to be particularly easy.
Again the scrolling through the page to find the relevant data points is a bit cumbersome. The way the graph is set up with the date and time listed on the column is a little bit confusing.
How relevant is the information for finding environmental data?
Scale 1-5, with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being very relevant: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being very relevant: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being irrelevant and 5 being very relevant: 3
How relevant is the information for finding environmental data?
Scale 1-5, with 1 being not useful and 5 being very useful: 1
Scale 1-5, with 1 being not useful and 5 being very useful: 3
Scale 1-5, with 1 being not useful and 5 being very useful: 3
Would you use this page as it currently stands?
No Maybe No
If you could, what would The variables should be Expert would like to Make the graphs slightly
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
67
you add, subtract or change about this page?
easier to deduce and see. possibly see more divisions along the bottom line giving a better grasp of time relative to changes. So rather than just start of day and mid-day having every three hours might be helpful.
larger to show larger stretches of time.
Any additional comments or suggestions about this page?
No Similar to the 'last 24 hours' having to scroll through the page is a bit cumbersome, when expert often wants specific data from a specific area.
No response
Section 3: ESP8266 Individual Device Pages Note: Each time the question starts with “How easy was it to find this page” illustrates a different page that the expert had to find without any guidance from the researchers. Question Director Archivist Library Assist How easy was it to find this page? (#Case Page)
Scale 1-5, with 1 being hard and 5 being easy: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being hard and 5 being easy: 3
Scale 1-5, with 1 being hard and 5 being easy: 3
How quickly were you able to locate and click to this page?
Scale 1-5, with 1 being very slowly and 5 being very quickly: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being very slowly and 5 being very quickly: 3
Scale 1-5, with 1 being very slowly and 5 being very quickly: 3
Do you have any comments or critiques for this particular page?
Top tabs should be very clearly written.
It took expert a couple tries to figure out how to navigate to the specific month for the specific area. Expert had been in "Window" and it took going to window February before heading back to Case and then to Case February.
The graph only had data for a few days of the month available.
How easy was it to find this page? (#Window Page)
Scale 1-5, with 1 being hard and 5 being easy: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being hard and 5 being easy: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being hard and 5 being easy: 4
How quickly were you able to locate and click to this page?
Scale 1-5, with 1 being very slowly and 5 being very quickly: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being very slowly and 5 being very quickly: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being very slowly and 5 being very quickly: 4
Do you have any comments or critiques for this particular page?
Same Once expert figured out the navigation it was easy to move from one to the other. It does take several steps to get to the specified graph, which isn't necessarily a problem, just a bit cumbersome.
This graph has more days listed than February but still doesn't show the full month.
How easy was it to find this page? (Heat map page)
Scale 1-5, with 1 being hard and 5 being easy: 4
Scale 1-5, with 1 being hard and 5 being easy: 5
Scale 1-5, with 1 being hard and 5 being easy: 5
How quickly were you able to locate and click to
Scale 1-5, with 1 being very slowly and 5 being
Scale 1-5, with 1 being very slowly and 5 being
Scale 1-5, with 1 being very slowly and 5 being
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
68
this page? very quickly: 4 very quickly: 5 very quickly: 5 Do you have any comments or critiques for this particular page?
It should be made clear that the heat map covers the last hour only.
Expert liked having the option of a heat map. No suggestions, though it would be interesting to see how it functions with a more complex layout.
No
Section 4: Final Thoughts Question Director Archivist Library Assist How easy was the system to navigate? Were you able to get to every page without any issues?
Scale 1-10, with 1 being heard and 10 being easy: 6
Scale 1-10, with 1 being heard and 10 being easy: 8
Scale 1-10, with 1 being heard and 10 being easy: 7
Was it clear to you as to what kind of information you were looking at?
No Yes Yes
Were the charts easy to read?
Scale 1-10, with 1 being difficult to decipher, hard to read and 10 being legible and easy to read: 2
Scale 1-10, with 1 being difficult to decipher, hard to read and 10 being legible and easy to read: 9
Scale 1-10, with 1 being difficult to decipher, hard to read and 10 being legible and easy to read: 8
Could you see any potential in using the heat map within your archival facility?
Maybe Yes Maybe
Any comments or suggestions for improving the heat map?
Font/page data too small. Variables should be finer and easier to locate
Right now it looks good, but expert could envision using it for a more complex layout - multiple rooms or floors, and expert is not sure how that would change the visualization.
If you're looking to see the current temperature in a location the heat map is useful. Although I cannot see myself checking it every day.
Would you prefer any other types or kinds of visualizations?
Yes No No
If you would prefer other kinds of visualizations, what type would you prefer? Would you like additional data to be displayed?
Heat map over time would be nice.
No response No response
Would you prefer to have raw data displayed on any of the pages?
Maybe Yes Maybe
Would you consider using this system within your own archival facility?
Yes Yes Maybe
If this was a DIY (Do It Yourself) system, what would you change about it? What features would you add or take away?
Expert wouldn't have time to do a DIY system
Given the current technological knowledge of our staff we probably wouldn't make changes. It offers the basics of what we need and it looks good. Expert does like the idea
Expert would probably make data points for each location separate while having the data points for each month of each location stay on the same page. Expert thinks that
DM Tech to Improve Archival Monitoring Systems
69
of being able to funnel the data into a report that outputs the information according to specified parameters.
adding a sidebar versus a drop down menu might potentially make it easier to get to data points.
If you were paying a company to implement a system like this, what additional features would you like to see?
Ease of use and speed of set up.
A flexible reporting module
The potential for alerts when temperatures and relative humidity exit the normal ranges would be helpful although there would need to be a balance when it comes to the amount of alerts someone receives.
If money was not a limiting factor, what additional features would aid you in collecting and interpreting data from data loggers?
An alert for my phone that expert can easily set. The opportunity to add the HVAC system controls of my building over the heat map--so expert can theoretically control a particular area that alarms me.
Same as above. Extremely long battery life!
If money was a limiting factor, what features would take priority within a DIY system?
Being able to be alerted when the numbers go pear shaped.
No response Getting only temperature and relative humidity to a graph would probably be the lowest bar if money was a limiting factor.
Final comments or suggestions on the overall system?
None No response Expert thinks that the system is easy enough to understand with only a couple hiccups. Expert feels that it is a system that one could easily navigate with little instruction. Expert thinks that the system would be an extremely good fit for smaller museums who might be unable to afford some of the systems offered now. It is also great for museums with a limited staff who don't have the time to go back and forth collecting and placing data loggers and manually uploading the data. Expert feels that the system's remote data uploads is the most enticing aspect.
Github repository of web-application code: https://github.com/DragonPower456/EnviroAlert