Minutes for 03/15/2016

Digital Archive Committee

3/15/2016
1:00 - 2:30

Minutes

Request for Minutes - Alysa took minutes

Video Recordings to Meetings - Jordan is now recording all of our meetings so that you can go back and view them.  They are listed on our project website alongside the Agenda and Minutes for each meeting.

Islandora Update  - Mark, Jordan and Pascal attended the Code4Lib conference and were well received.  They also picked up information on how to enhance our linked data and they hope to implement some of the ideas they gathered over the next month or so.

In an effort to get more Marmot members involved Jordan reports that anyone who is interested in adding oral histories could add to the digital archive right now.  Jordan will be offering a training after next month’s meeting on how to add oral histories. Jordan would also like feedback on whether the one-on-one trainings where she talks us through the process of adding data to Islandora are more effective, or if the demos after our monthly meetings are enough.

Eagle’s data has now been fully migrated into the repository and Mark and Jordan have figured out how to add periodicals for the Bud Werner collection. Gunnison has started training on adding entities.

Lastly Jordan demonstrated how to add a link to outside data to an object.  Links might be to Wikipedia, Find A Grave, Marmot Genealogy, Pika, Who’s on First and GeoNames.  For Pika the link could be to the actual work like in the example of Three Wire Winter magazine where Bud Werner has all of the physical copies, or to a book/audio/video etc., that is related to the object that you know would enhance the display.  The purpose of these links is to drive the related content that we see in the Explore More sidebar.

1. Pika update - In an effort to get ready for Code4Lib Mark has been working on the Explore More carousel to have it display a collection surrounding a topic, items from the catalog, and icons that drive users back to our physical collections or entities related to the subject search.  Go to http://evld2.marmot.org/ and do a search for World War II to see an example of this.

Mark also demonstrated how if we add external links to entities as talked about in Jordan’s Islandora Update (see above) we can pull in the Wikipedia data, geo data, etc. without having to re-enter this data ourselves. Take a look at this Camp Hale place entity as an example. All of the information with the exception of the image was pulled from outside resources.

A number of members commented on the display and how to get certain bits of data to show up that they have entered into Islandora.  Both Mark and Jordan report that what we are seeing is still very much a work in progress and that there is much left to do. Mark will continue to tackle display and searching issues as well as work on pulling in more related content over the next month.

1. Collaborative Project Ideas - Jordan asked the group if next year we might consider creating a collection around a common theme as opposed to asking member libraries if they would contribute a stand-alone collection of their own.  This would possibly:

   • Enable us to pull in smaller libraries that do not have a comprehensive collection to contribute, but might have one or two objects to add to a larger collection.

   • Ease the burden of metadata entry because we would be sharing common terms and entities

   • Allow us to really flush out the power of linked data

If we choose this route it would be done methodically: discover a topic, identify the objects and their format, create an implementation plan, and apply for a grant either nationally or locally to help folks get these items into Islandora.

Overall members felt it was a good idea and several expressed that they are still knee-deep in their first projects and that another in the second year felt a bit daunting.  Since there was not an overwhelming consensus on whether we wanted to move forward with this idea, Mark suggested that we send out a Survey Monkey asking members if they would be interested in participating in a group project. This way we can determine if there are groups interested in this approach.  Everyone agreed this was a good strategy.  Jordan will send out a survey and report back next month.

1. Round Robin Project Discussion

   • Adams State - Half way through digitizing their theses.

   • Bud Werner - Jordan trained BW on how to add periodicals.  Overall it looks great.  Still working out kinks before they start training staff on adding this content to Islandora.

   • CCU - not present

   • EVLD - Cleaned up duplicates for people and places. Working on getting volunteers for data entry. Also cleaning up existing records by adding thumbnails, links, etc.

   • Fort Lewis - Now that the Eagle’s migration is done, Ft. Lewis’ migration will start next week and then the following week Marmot will start training them on Islandora.

   • Garfield - Amy & Jordan have been working with an artist in Carbondale to create a map for the town which will be done in May.  Once done they will digitize it at Mesa.   Everything else on the project has been completed and is ready for Islandora.

   • Gunnison - They have had trainings with Jordan and more are planned.  They are waiting on computers and scanners to get installed before they start training staff.

   • Mesa County - Working on their wildlife photo collection and a biologist is helping them match up images with the Parks & Wildlife database. Exploring how to work with the content that stems from their Production Studio that is open to the public. Their artists in residence will start this spring so they are looking into how to involve their work. Discussing art digitization and using Garfield as a model as to what they might do in Grand Junction.

   • Pine River - Still working on what they would like to add to the repository.

   • Salida - Jordan has been training them on the test collections.  They have a lot of existing digital collections that they may or may not migrate.  Right now they are busy playing with Islandora.

   • Vail - Met with Alysa to figure out how to get transcriptions.

   • Western State - Working on metadata cleanup on their existing collection.