cheap, quick, and pretty: mass digitization of large manuscript collections jody l. deridder...
TRANSCRIPT
Cheap, Quick, and Pretty:Mass Digitization of Large Manuscript
Collections
Jody L. DeRidder
University of Alabama Libraries
Outline
• How difficult is it? • What does it look like? • How long does it take? • What does it cost? • How effective is it?• What’s missing?
How difficult is it?
And sequence: 1, 2, 3 …
Each file name includes:
What does it
look like?(item)
What does it
look like?(EAD)
What does it
look like?(item
outsideAcumen)
How long does it take?
Old method: 8.25 min. / scan
New method: 4.34 min. / scan
Processing: reduced.
QC: reduced.
Metadata time: none.
47% LESS TIME!
What does it cost?
Old method: $2.47 / scan
New method: $0.80 /scan
Processing: reduced.
QC: reduced.
Metadata costs: none.
68% CHEAPER!!
How effective is it?
•Experienced researchers prefer it!
•Those new to digital collections found it easier!
42% less time27% fewer clicks12% more success•Foreign students found
the terminology difficult.
We still need…
Improved usability of EAD interface:•Terminology•Search in page•Navigation links
Then: Establish learnability
Summary
•Easy: put info in file names; run scripts
•Looks: pretty darn good!
•Time: 4.34 min. / page
•Cost: 79.5 cents / page
•Effectiveness: great for scholars;
surprisingly good for novices
•Need: improved usability of EAD interface
For More Information:
Upcoming American Archivist article??
•Jody L. DeRidder, “Leveraging EAD for Low-Cost Access to Digitized Collections at the University of Alabama Libraries,” Journal of Library Innovation, 2:1 (2011), http://www.libraryinnovation.org/article/view/69
•University of Alabama Libraries, “Septimus D. Cabaniss Papers Digitization Project.” Project Site: http://www.lib.ua.edu/libraries/hoole/cabaniss Wiki: http://www.lib.ua.edu/wiki/digcoll/index.php/CabanissDisplay: http://acumen.lib.ua.edu/u0003_0000252
•University of Alabama Libraries, “Acumen Digital Library Software.” http://sourceforge.net/projects/acumendls/
Experienced researchers prefer the finding aid interface:•Tim West, Kirill Fesenko, and Laura Clark Brown, “Extending the Reach of Southern Sources: Proceeding to Large-Scale Digitization of Manuscript Collections,” Final Grant Report for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Southern Historical Collection, University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, June 2009, http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/archivalmassdigitization/download/extending_the_reach.pdf
•Cory Nimer and J. Gordon Daines III, “What Do You Mean It Doesn’t Make Sense? Redesigning Finding Aids from the User’s Perspective,” Journal of Archival Organization 6, no. 4 (2008), http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15332740802533214
Novice users experience a learning curve:•Wendy Scheir, “First Entry: Report on a Qualitative Exploratory Study of Novice User Experience with Online Finding Aids,” Journal of Archival Organization 3, no. 4 (2006), http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J201v03n04_04
•Joyce Celeste Chapman, “Observing Users: An Empirical Analysis of User Interaction with Online Finding Aids,” Journal of Archival Organization 8, no. 1 (2010) http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15332748.2010.484361
References