The Plan: 2016-2017

Diagram and Overview

Metadata & Digital Services will support the academic mission of the university through provision of research collections and services.

Digitizing special collections materials for online delivery, including development of metadata.

Measurements:

• Monthly counts of progress will be collected.
• Remaining Corolla yearbooks and UA Reel to Reel collection will be digitized and placed online.
• If possible, web delivery for restricted content will be supported and implemented.
• If supported by the administration, videos and/or films will be digitized or outsourced for digitization, metadata created, and derivatives placed online.
• If authorized, a grant proposal will be developed to support expanded digitization.

Progress:

• Updates are shared by email monthly and posted online.
• Separate Requests for Information were developed and shared with AD in preparation for outsourcing digitization of Corollas and 16mm films.
• Workflow overviews were designed for outsourcing digitization.

Assisting faculty in Digital Humanities efforts

Measurements:

• Mills Marginalia data fields mapping will be completed and uploaded.
• Guidance will be provided for the Hobo News Digital Archive.
• Guidance will be provided for the American Fashions and Fabrics project.
• At least one graduate class will be taught.
• Implementation of FOAF (Friend of a Friend) encoding for DH project will be completed and demonstrated.

Progress:

Developing A/V workflows and procedures

Measurements:

• The A/V inventory of videos and films will be completed.
• A detailed workflow for outsourcing A/V materials and managing their intake will be established.
• A tracking database for the content will be designed and implemented.
• Methods for VHS conversion will be researched and a proposal developed.

Progress:

• Microfilm for Crimson White has been identified for the portions not yet digitized; status obtained; specifications undergoing research now and Request for Information draft is completed.
• The A/V inventory of videos and films has been completed, including noting content for which the owning collection cannot be identified.
• An overview overview of the format-agnostic outsourcing workflow has been developed to inform the database development and detailed workflows and assignments/roles.
• Design for a tracking database has begun, based on the proposed workflow.

Implementing an Institutional Repository

Measurements:

• Mapping and transformation of ETD metadata will be completed, with uploads to new repository.
• Supplemental materials will be added, and persistent URL support developed if possible.
• New policies and procedures will be developed for incoming ETDs and supplemental material.
• Guidance will be developed for input guidelines, quality control for new content.
• Rights metadata will be selected as appropriate.
• Policies and procedures will be developed to support data management as needed.

Progress::

• Initial mapping of ETD MODS to DSpace DC has been completed.
• Transformation XSLT is being developed to implement.
• Rights investigation is underway.
• Software has been developed to transform legacy content into the groupings and form needed for batch uploads to separate communities in DSpace.
• Method had been devised to track assignments of handles in DSpace, so that we can update Persistent URLs (PURLs) to point to the new locations.
• Initial plans are under development to test viability of PDFs for preservation and document findings.

Metadata & Digital Services will support the University’s call to pursue economies and efficiencies which will enable internal reallocation of resources and lead to quality improvements by...

Continuing to regularly evaluate all workflows to seek methods of improvement.

Measurements:

• At least two workflow improvements will be identified and implemented within the coming year.
• Software will be developed to enable subjects and names to be updated both in Acumen and the databases simultaneously.
• Software will be updated as needed to support ArchivesSpace EAD finding aids.

Progress:

• Staff are engaged in developing software that will interact directly with the database, for tracking collections through the pipeline; this will enable us to dispose of two major spreadsheets and a lot of duplication of information and effort.
• Software is under development for subject updates in databases and Acumen
• EAD linking software has been adapted for latest idiosyncracies of ArchivesSpace EAD output.

Identifying appropriate digital intake procedures and developing appropriate guidelines and workflows.

Measurement: Digital Content Survey will be implemented, results analyzed, and based on findings and research, our wiki documentation and policies will be updated and expanded, and appropriate workflows implemented.

Progress:

• Wiki documentation has been reviewed and updated.
• Digital Content Survey has been completed, and results are under analysis.
• Presentation has been developed and report is under development.

Identifying improvements needed in web delivery

Measurement: At least one user/usability study will be implemented, and the results analyzed, resulting in recommendations for web access improvement.

Progress:

• We identified problems with the OCR preventing indexing; researched and tested alternative methods of extraction and cleaning; and implemented a partial solution; software was modified and OCR is now used in indexed retrieval in Acumen.
• We have a proposal in development with the web programmer that will enable us to highlight different collections on the front page of Acumen.
• This goal is on hold, as our web programmer has left.

Increasing capacity

Measurements:

• Additional personnel will be trained in hardware support, and documentation of problem-solving methods will be added to the wiki.
• Additional staff members will be involved in metadata generation from beginning to end.
• Multiple staff members will gain sufficient software development expertise to contribute numerous improvements to our workflows, procedures, and access methodology.
• Staff members will seek out opportunities to gain new expertise, and where appropriate, will share with others.

Progress:

• Multiple staff attended 2-day Lyrasis training on outsourcing video/film digitization.
• We're holding one-on-one bi-weekly training in metadata for all those generating metadata.
• Training of additional person in hardware support is underway.
• Training in Perl and Python continue weekly.
• Two staff are training on item-level processing methods and documentation of necessary finding aid changes.
• Lynda.com tutorials have been identified and shared appropriately

Metadata & Digital Services will increase awareness and knowledge of its collections and e-resources among graduate students and faculty members by...

Developing faceted search capabilities for Acumen.

Measurements:

• MODS metadata containing hierarchicalGeographic tags will be generated from geographic subjects.
• XSL for display and OAI feeds will be modified to support these.
• Genre categories will be implemented and software developed to provide these in the form needed by the web programmer.
• Initial efforts to corral topics for faceting will begin.

Progress:

• Proposed Genre categories have been reviewed and submitted for testing. Modifications of categories are now underway.
• Staff are beginning to generate hierarchicalGeographic tags in metadata.
• This goal is on hold, as our web programmer has left.

Increasing access to digital content

Measurement:

• A set of subject browse pages will be generated and added to site maps.
• Google Analytics results will be analyzed quarterly and recommendations and reports developed. Where feasible, recommendations will be implemented and results reviewed to track improvements.
• Marketing strategies will be devised and where feasible, implemented.
• Software will be developed to support intake and uploads of video and restricted content.
• Legacy metadata records will be updated to minimally acceptable standards.
• Schema.org will be implemented for EAD finding aids.
• Rights metadata will be selected for restricted access content.
• RDA updates will be integrated into MODS workflow.
• FOAF (Friend of a Friend) elements will be incorporated into correspondence metadata to improve web usability in connecting content.

Progress:

• E. A. Smith collection was remediated, hierarchicalGeographic entries created, and repaired MODS put online.
• Marketing strategies have been devised and approved which include monthly digital newsletter, highlighting collections in Acumen, and outreach in coordination with Hoole and Williams outreach personnel.
• Much of this goal is on hold, as our web programmer has left.

Metadata & Digital Services will foster an environment of improved two-way communication and collaboration by...

Providing monthly updates of content in Acumen to Curators, Metadata Unit, and others who request notifications.

Measurement: Monthly updates will occur via email, in either XML or Excel form as requested.

Progress: These reports are occurring regularly.

Sharing information of current policies, procedures and methods on our wiki and with each other.

Measurement: All new and modified policies and procedures will be posted to the M&DS wiki and shared at meetings.

Progress:

• HierarchicalGeographic tagging and instructions were added to the wiki.
• Outsourcing workflows were designed and added to the wiki.
• Incoming digital, and digital preservation policies were expanded and updated.

Participating in committees and meetings on the library and university level.

Measurement: M&DS staff/faculty will attend University and library committee/other meetings as appropriate.

Progress:

• One of us is serving on the library strategic planning committee
• One is serving on the search committee for the new AD of Special Collections
• One of us reviewed applications for the new web programmer position and provided feedback.
• Several of us met with the programmer applicants and assisted with the interview
• Head is participating in department heads/coordinator meetings and OLT manager meetings