Shifting Gears: Digitizing For Access Dan Santamaria Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University NARA Preservation Conference March 26, 2009.

Shifting Gears: Digitizing For Access

Dan SantamariaSeeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton UniversityNARA Preservation ConferenceMarch 26, 2009

Institutional Context Department of Rare Books and Special

Collections Mudd Library

University Archives Public Policy Papers

Manuscripts Division Literary collections Holdings in Western Americana, New Jerseyana,

Colonial period, faculty papers, and many other subjects

Other Divisions Rare Books, Graphics Arts, Numismatics, etc. Other small collections outside of department

Institutional Context

Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library Public Policy Papers Princeton University Archives Circa 35,000 linear feet in total

Personal Papers, University Records, Photographs, Audiovisual, Beer Cans, Laundry Bags…

Institutional Context Mudd Library

Percentage of holdings described online:

~100%

Institutional Context Mudd Library

Percentage of holdings actually available online:

~.00011%

The Problem User expectations

Why is very little available online or in any electronic form?

Why do they need to travel to the library to conduct research?

Why can't we just email them the photocopies they requested 4 weeks ago instead of making them pay for shipping?

Traditional responses to these questions not satisfying

Initial (and Current) Approach to Digitization

High level committee selects projects for digitization

Projects usually visually interesting or small, but high profile collections (Jefferson Letters)

Initial (and Current) Approach to Digitization

Project committee formed Decisions made about metadata, timelines

Other committees – steering committees, Metadata Committee – also have input.

Material sent to digital studio Metadata completed after the fact

Initial (and Current) Approach to Digitization

Public Interface:

Item-level metadata (typically MODS or VRA) via native XML database

Initial (and Current) Approach to Digitization

Initial Approach

Advantages Provides a level of online access Supposedly great level of control over

display, indexing, etc.

Initial Approach

Disadvantages Almost impossible to provide context to

users Difficult and time consuming navigation

for most types of archival research Lack of integration with other access

tools

Initial Approach

Disadvantages Unsustainable Not suited to archival collections/record

groups Unable to produce more than a few

boutique projects

Interim Solutions

Linking from finding aids to digital library interface

Interim Solutions

Linking from finding aids to digital library interface

Interim Solutions Linking from finding aids to digital library

interface Advantages

Provides access – from our main access tools Finding aids provide context

Interim Solutions Linking from finding aids to digital library

interface Disadvantages

Lack of integration: navigation takes you out of finding aid interface

Still dependent on boutique digitization projects

Interim Solutions PDF linking

The “Low Rent” Approach

Interim Solutions PDF linking

The “Low Rent” Approach

Interim Solutions PDF linking

The “Low Rent” Approach Similar advantages and disadvantages to

current digital library interface, except: Much more scalable

Freed from preservation quality requirements Patron request-based digitization

Conclusions We need access systems that recognize

that Archival descriptive records are dynamic

Can be expanded based on need or when additional resources become available

Records can include data from a variety of sources Staff, including public services, curators, users

Are not limited to traditional archival outputs Can also form the descriptive infrastructure for

digitization/digital library program

Conclusions What systems can do all of these things?

None!

But check out your iPhone or kindle

Archival access systems

A few models:

Archives of American Art Bentley Historical Library -- Polar Bear

Expedition Project Others?

Archival access systems

And a lesser known site: The Municipal Archives of Amsterdam

Patron request-based digitization model

Archival access systems

And a lesser known site: The Municipal Archives of Amsterdam

Patron-request-based digitization model

Conclusions Need to advocate for integration with

library technical infrastructure Support for special collections systems not

traditionally seen as responsibility of library systems (both budget and staff)

Need to view the development of these access systems as a fundamental ethical responsibility Not special projects

Questions?

[email protected]