CASE STUDY: DIGITIZING BIA LETTERS

AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Steve McCann

Northwest Archivists Western Roundup

Seattle, 2010

Project Overview Mission: Create a researcher’s database of BIA Letters

Model: SWORP Collection (SW Oregon Research Project)○ “SWORP aims to repatriate these materials to the Native American

Tribes.”

http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/findaid/ark:/80444/xv14723

Focus: Native American History of Montana○ Estimated 1 – 2 million documents in BIA letters○ 1st Pass: Blackfeet documents, 1907 – 1939

Typed – possible OCR candidates

Sponsors: Smithsonian, and both the NAS and Mansfield Library at UM

National Archives Digitization Policy

Cameras & scanners allowed, but with ambient light onlyNo Flash

“At their very best, page images can provide an experience that is extremely close to the physical reality of the book.”

Sutherland, Juliet. “A Mass Digitization Primer”. Library Trends. Vol. 57, No. 1.

Summer 2008. pp. 17-23.

Effects of Light on Archival Materials Effects evident depending on material

Anywhere from ~ 100 photo flashes to 108 & up(Schaeffer, 2001)

Best Practice = “No flash photography, it is a distraction to users.” (Miller and Galbraith, 2010)

Designing a Portable Digitization StudioEquipment List: Camera: Canon Rebel XSI Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55 IS Tripod: Manfrotto 055X Pro

with a center post that folds out horizontally

Tripod Head: 484RC2 Mini Ball

Laptop: Dell 131L Carrying Case: Pelican 1300 Bubble level that is attached

to the hot shoe Seagate 500GB external hard

drive Total cost: ~ $1,400

Workflow for Digitizing: v.1Staffing: 2 Researchers

Request Materials

Set up equipment

1 captures & 1 turns pages

Transfer images from camera to PC

FTP images to library server

Workflow for Digitizing: v.2Staffing: 2 Researchers

Request Materials

Set up equipment

1 captures & 1 turns pages

Transfer images from camera to PC

Transfer images from

PC to external hard drive

Capabilities of Digital Cameras

Canon Rebel XSI3.39 Megapixels24 bit RAW15-16 MB~ 2,200 x 1,500 pixels~ 31 x 21 inches

= 72 PPI

~ 120 hours~ 15,000 captures

= 125 captures per hour

Metadata: Passive but Proactive

Processing Materials

Batch conversions: RAW to JPGRAW to TIFF (size ballooned x3)Automatic light levels & Sharpening“Ownership” established with banding once

the images are placed on the web.

Final Product ABBYY FineReader OCR:

Central Classified Files 1907-1939 Blackfeet Agency 054

National Archives and Records Administration

Washington DC

Lb I

A" DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES INDIAN SERVICE Blaokfeot Aeency, Browninc, Montana, January 25, 1916.

/ <l»„\

Co.i'aissloner of Indian Affairs, p* £ g o !

Washin(jton, D. 0. 'J i— 3 ? I

Sir: 5 e * J

X w ^r S

Transmitted herewith is certified stenographic \____/ .

transcript of the proceedings of the meeting of those members of the tribe who were opposed to the delegation headed "by Robert J. Hamilton, which meeting was held at the Agency on January HO, in accordance with Office tele-Tarn of the 12th instant.

Very respectfully.

Superintendent. 1GH7

Presentation of the Project Montana Memory Project

Questions? References:

Cox, Richard J. 2007. Machines in the archives: Technology and the coming transformation of archival reference. First Monday 12, no. 11:.

Miller, Lisa, Galbraith, Steven K., and RLG Partnership Working Group on Streamlining Photography and Scanning. 2010. "Capture and Release": Digital Cameras in the Reading Room. Dublin, OH: OCLC Research.

Rose, Steve, and Evison, Gillian. 2005. The Use of Personal Scanners and Digital Cameras within OULS Reading Rooms: Offering a Customer Focused Service for the 21st Century. Oxford University Library Services.

Schaeffer, Terry T. 2001. Effects of light on materials in collections : data on photoflash and related sources. Los Angeles: Getty Conservation Institute.

Sutherland, Juliet. 2008. A Mass Digitization Primer. Library Trends 57, no. 1:17-23.