western writers series
DESCRIPTION
Presentation at Online NW 2009TRANSCRIPT
Wrangling a Digital Collection into Existence: The Boise State
Western Writers Series Digital Editions
Rick Stoddart
I am not..
A digital collections guru
A Special Collections Librarian
I am only a librarian
Warm-Up
Match the Moo Cards to the Covers
Answer the questions
First group to Finish = Prize Basket!
Br – O – N – C O
What we did is what we did
There is the right way
Then there is what we did
It all started with a…
Cost
23 titles @ 50 pages = cheap
If it is that cheap, why involve the library?
Cataloging – gets these in OPACS
“Natural Fit”
Library has the technology to create and support
Shared cost – Common interest
Prestige
WIN – WIN - WIN
Got the Okay
< Smile >
Get a MOU!
What’s a Mou?
To OCR or not to OCR that is the question!
Copyright, right?
Decide on format (PDF)
Take to Print Shop
< breathe >
Hold your horses!CHANGE FORMAT
(ARCHIVE PDF)
New Hire in Special Collections
Enter Content-DM wearing a white hat
Meanwhile back on the ranch…
Catalogers help with OCLC records
<breathe>
EXCEPT!!!!ContentDM upgrade changes
URLS
Catalogers Freak!
Meanwhile back on the ranch…Splash Page – Too many cooks
What does WEST mean?
Which begs the question…
Nobody likes the Splash Page
Flaming arrows of promotion
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everybody freaks out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Circle the Wagons!
Launch?
On campus?
FOOD?
Cost?
Enter THE CABIN (stage right)
< breathe >
All done right?
It disappeared into the dust-cloud of the web!
After launch…
Why bother?
THIS IS LIBRARIANSHIP
Website is up & in ContentDM
Launch was a success on many levels
Lessons• Never enough communication
– Don’t be the only conduit
• Planning is fine but expect things to change.– Don’t lock yourself in
• Put the collection before perfection– It won’t be perfect – accessibility should be your
goal
• It is a process – it really never ends
• Celebrate your victories
It might be helpful to think of the project like this:
Instead of this: website+digitization=WWS
Digitization
Wikipedia Website
LaunchParty
CatalogRecords
WWS
Don’t let it die on the virtual shelf!
• Upcoming– Wikipedia links– More digitized volumes possibly coming
• Move to Scholar Works?
http://guides.boisestate.edu/digital
Links to standards, collections, & resources for Digital Collections
It all started with a…