Partying on a Budget: The Cost of Digital Commemoration

Partying on a Budget:The Cost of Digital Commemoration

Sara Allain, Special Collections LibrarianUniversity of Toronto Scarborough Library

[email protected] / @archivalistic

Kelli Babcock, Digital Initiatives LibrarianUniversity of Toronto Libraries

[email protected] / @kelllib

May 29, 2014 – 1:00 – 2:30AAO 2014 ConferenceUOIT, room UA1220

Background

Libraries cite “funding of [digitization] activity was their greatest sustainability concern… Aggregate figures show the cost of ongoing support for all digitized special collections is just a fraction of the amount spent in any one year to create new ones, and the raw figures often represent small fractions of someone’s time. This suggests a scenario where digitized collections, once created, are intended to essentially run without much active management, a situation that could ultimately hamper the ability of these institutions to sustain their projects and achieve the impact they desire.”

– Maron, Nancy L., and Sarah Pickle. Appraising Our Digital Investment: Sustainability of Digitized Special Collections in ARL Libraries. Washington, D.C.: Association of Research Libraries and Ithaka S+R, 2013, p. 2

AbstractFor the past decade, digital commemoration projects have become more and more common in our

libraries and archives. In planning these projects, the cost of digitization is often underestimated - costs associated with digitization projects are also often not something that all archives can afford. In a post-

NADP environment, how can we “party on a budget” and continue to pursue digital commemoration projects while working within our library or archive budgets?

In this session, University of Toronto Digital Initiatives Librarian, Kelli Babcock, will outline common

costs in digitization projects and offer tips and tricks to save your pennies in planning and implementing digitization projects. UTSC Special Collections Librarian, Sara Allain, will discuss the practical

implementation of a commemorative digitization project by discussing the Doris McCarthy fonds digitization project. She will also discuss the value in commemorative digitization projects as they build stakeholder support - linking the initial investment of costs when implementing digital commemoration

projects to an eventual growth in stakeholder investment.

Survey!

How many people budget the cost of processing a collection, from appraisal through description, before accepting a

donation?

Survey!

How many people budget the cost of digitization after appraising and describing the collection?

Survey!

How many people budget the cost of digitization before appraising and describing the collection?

“Digital-first” work flow

● Appraisal

● Processing

● Description / Finding Aid

“Digital-first” work flow

● Appraisal > evaluate digitization costs

● Processing

● Description / Finding Aid

“Digital-first” work flow

● Appraisal > evaluate digitization costs

● Processing > concurrent with digitization selection

● Description / Finding Aid

“Digital-first” work flow

● Appraisal > evaluate digitization costs

● Processing > concurrent with digitization selection

● Description / Finding Aid > using structured data (EAD ; HTML ; DC)

Appraisal

http://bit.ly/1nwPXRF - Collections Cost Worksheet (blank)http://bit.ly/1tqcH2S - Collections Cost Worksheet (example)

Appraisal

http://bit.ly/1nwPXRF - Collections Cost Worksheet (blank)http://bit.ly/1tqcH2S - Collections Cost Worksheet (example)

Processing

Description

Description

Excel Dublin Core template: http://bit.ly/1nwWY4Y Excel to XML Dublin Core Converter download (java application): http://bit.ly/1kq7Iie

Examples

http://collections.library.utoronto.ca

Examples

http://collections.library.utoronto.ca

Examples

Open-source culture

● Well-established, widespread adoption throughout the university

● Some platforms:○ Publishing: Open Journal System, Open Conference System○ Library website: Drupal○ Repositories: DSpace, Islandora, Omeka

Why F/OSS?

● Free and/or Open Source Software works for us because:

○ Licenses for Photoshop + Illustrator + Dreamweaver = $1700○ Dissemination of workspaces/freedom of movement○ Formats are open and malleable (and therefore easier to preserve!)

ImageMagick(Photoshop replacement)

● Free and open source● Suite of command-line image manipulation tools● Converts, resizes, reformats, crops, adjusts colours…● Can be used in the command line or through a user interface

ImageMagick(Photoshop replacement)

GNU Image Manipulation Program(Photoshop replacement)

● Free and open source● Creates non-proprietary image formats (no more .psd files!)● Supports layers, vectors, and other advanced formatting● Also supports actions

Inkscape(Illustrator replacement)

● Free and open source● Creates non-proprietary image formats (no more .ai files!)● Supports layers, vectors, and other advanced formatting● Also supports actions

Sublime Text or Github Atom(Dreamweaver replacement)

● Both free, and Atom is open source● Used to author XML, Dublin Core, MODS, python, etc...● Supports snippets, macros, and other helpful automating features● Extensions and plug-ins developed by the community enhance functionality

Best Practices

● Free and open source software:○ Supports agile workflows○ Allows all staff members to have all the tools they need, wherever they

are○ Prevents version concerns - upgrades are free○ Uses non-proprietary software that’s easier to migrate in the future○ Build strong user communities, which means there are strong support

systems

Discussion

Sara [email protected] / @archivalistic

Kelli [email protected] / @kelllib