CAN outreach blog

The Collections Australia Network (CAN) has released a new blog - CAN outreach blog which aims to provide information and events of interest to those working in the digital and online communities.

Initial posts include archiving digital collections, grants and funding directories for museums and galleries, how to post and subscribe to an email discussion list, disaster preparedness for collections, blogs and subscribing to RSS.

Digitisation for Local History Collections part 2

Standards and Guidelines for Digitisation

Standards

Internationally accepted standards will be observed for RHSV digitisation projects. Metadata standards are used for digitisation of images. The standards provide an agreed set of fields in a standard format to aid the accessibility of an image and its associated records by any computer on the Internet. Dublin Core is the metadata standard used by major image digitisation projects in Australia. The fifteen Dublin Core metadata elements are:

Title, Creator, Subject, Description, Publisher, Contributor, Date, Type, Format, Identifier, Source, Language, Relation, Coverage, Rights

Not all elements have to be included as fields in the cataloguing record. The names of fields do not have to be identical to the names of the elements as metadata tags in report forms connect the fields to the metadata element.

However catalogue records for images should contain fields relating to the basic metadata elements especially Title, Creator, Subject, Description, Date.

In initial digitisation projects preference may be given to items with detailed / reliable cataloguing information.

Thesauruses

A thesaurus is used for standardisation of terminology for subject headings

• Victorian Local History Thesaurus – subject terms used for RHSV cataloguing projects – http://www.historyvictoria.org.au/online.htm (Local History Online)
• Australian Pictorial Thesaurus – http://www.picturethesaurus.gov.au/

Authority files

Standard use of names for people, places and organisations used in Subjects field

Project Manual

Detailed manual for the project to be prepared

• Establish guidelines
• Provide works sheets
• Prepare examples

Resolution and size of scanned images

Resolution

• 72 or 75 dpi sufficient when viewing images on computer and Internet
• 300 + dpi for printing on paper - at output size

Size of image

• Normally – size of the original scanned at 300 dpi (if scanning for preservation)
• Normally – size of original scanned at 300 dpi (if scanning for printing on paper) Scanning may be carried out at a higher dpi depending on the quality of print required.
• items such as lantern slides, glass negatives and other slides should be scanned at 600 dpi so that the scan is equivalent to that of an item 20 cm x 25 cm scanned at 300 dpi The image resolution can the be reduced for screen use .
• Fixed size of image on screen (for Internet, largest dimensions no larger than 520 pixels – probably 300 pixels may suffice).
• Ability to enlarge image on screen for computer catalogue (DB/TextWorks) (larger image required)

Issues determining publishing images on the Internet

Size of file should be small to ensure that:

• Users can view image as a reference copy but cannot successfully enlarge image
• Image files download quickly

Therefore items to be

• Scanned at 300 dpi and saved on to CD as Tiff files
• Resaved with resolution of 75 dpi and saved as jpeg for use with computer catalogue
• Resaved after resizing image for Internet – this can be done in a batch using a Thumbnails program (Batch Thumbs http://www.harmware.net/bthumbs.htm or Easy Thumbnails http://www.fookes.com/ezthumbs/ )

Physical resources

Current equipment (2005)

• A4 scanner (purchased 2003)
• A4 fill platen scanner (in Images Room – purchased 1995)
• Attachment for scanning negatives and slides
• Digital camera
• Computer
• Scanning and image software
• CD-ROM writer for initial storage of images
• DB/TextWorks for indexing and accessing images

Further equipment required (2005)

• A3 scanner with attachments for scanning slides etc
• Pigment ink printer A3 size (eg Epsom 2100)
• Computer with sufficient capacity for graphics project
• Lighting for existing camera stand
• Digital camera for taking images of large and / or fragile items
• CD-ROM disks
• Back-up system
• USB pen

Specialised software

• Full version of Adobe Photoshop

Furniture

• Table
• Computer Chairs x 2

Funding

Grant money for

• Equipment and software
• Furniture
• Managing project
• Associated operating costs

Staffing

Roles and responsibilities of the project team

(To be decided)

Current staffing

• Volunteers will require training
• Names of volunteers who may be involved in project

Physical space required in Images Room

• Scanner attached to computer
• Additional table and computer chairs

Storage of digital images

• Master copy of CD-ROM should be held separately
• More than one copy of CD-ROM should be made
• Copy of CD-ROM (not master) used to view images
• One copy of CD-ROM should be stored off-site
• Awareness of advances in technology to ensure that images can be accessed on equipment or migrated to new system

Steps for possible digitisation projects

This is a long term project that needs to be divided into a series of short term projects or stages. Below are suggestions for tackling possible projects with steps involved:

Steps related to digitising photographs

Start with Collection Treasures or themes such as Architecture or Personalities in Victorian History

• Revise entries in database
• Scan image at 300 dpi, save as Tiff files and store image on CD-ROM
• Resave image at 72 dpi, save as jpeg file and store image on CD-ROM
• Link image to catalogue record
• Resize batch of images for use on the Internet
• Link image to database entry

Steps related to digitising postcards

• Revise entries in database
• Scan image at 300 dpi, save as Tiff files and store image on CD-ROM
• Resave image at 72 dpi, save as jpeg file and store image on CD-ROM
• Link image to catalogue record
• Resize batch of images for use on the Internet
• Link image to database entry

Steps related to glass slides

• Revise entries in database
• Scan image at 600 dpi, save as Tiff files and store image on CD-ROM
• Resave image at 72 dpi, save as jpeg file and store image on CD-ROM
• Link image to catalogue record
• Resize batch of images for use on the Internet
• Link image to database entry

Other outcomes of Digitisation Project

The above information refers primarily to digitisation of images.

Other outcomes of the digitisation project will include:

1. Scanning of documents / manuscripts and pages from other book material to save as image files or use OCR software to convert to text files.
2. Scanning of documents to save pages as image files and store on CD-ROM for indexers to use for indexing projects.
3. Scanning fragile collections such as the lantern slides and making the slides available as slide shows either on computers in the library or on the Internet.
4. Expansion of service to affiliated societies by extending cataloguing assistance already provided to societies to include:

• Providing guidelines specifically for digitisation projects in historical societies
• Digitisation workshops for societies
• Promoting standards for digitisation projects

References

Image digitisation of local history collections Victorian Public Libraries

http://www.libraries.vic.gov.au/downloads/Victorias_Virtual_Library_Digital_Collection/manual.htm

Capture your collections: small museums version

http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/sector_info_item/10

National Library of Australia: digitisation policy

http://www.nla.gov.au/policy/digitisation.html

Dublin Core Metadata http://dublincore.org/documents/dces

Digitisation Plan for Local History Collections

This digitisation plan was produced when planning the digitisation of RHSV collections in 2005.

The information in this digitisation plan was used as part of a Digitisation Workshop held at the Royal Historical Society in 2008.

The information in this digitisation plan is published as a guide for historical societies planning to undertake digitisation projects and writing a digitisation plan for their society.

The first section looks at reasons for digitisation collections.

The second section looks at standards and guidelines for digitisation projects.

Digitisation Plan for RHSV Collections

The Royal Historical Society of Victoria has collected material relating to the history of Victoria since the inception of the Society in 1909, resulting in a rich and diverse collection covering social, economic, political, legal and cultural aspects of Victoria’s history. The collection, consisting primarily of printed material, manuscripts and images, is used by researchers, post-graduate students, authors and commercial enterprises.

Advances in information technology including the Internet provide greater accessibility to information resources by researchers. The Society recognises the opportunity provided by new developments in information technology to improve access to the collection, promote the collection and aid in the preservation of collection items.

Digitisation goals

By digitising collections the Society will:

• Improve access to the RHSV Collection by enabling researchers, regardless of location, to access digitised materials
• Promote an understanding of the history of Victoria through provision of digitised items
• Increase access to and help preserve fragile items in the collection by provision of digital copies
• Promote standards and guidelines to affiliated societies undertaking local history digitisation projects
• Provide digital copies of items to users in a variety of formats

Reasons for digitising collections

Access – Improve access to collection items by making digital copies available to a wide range of users

• Via computer catalogue for researchers at RHSV
• Via the Internet – providing access to anyone in the world at a time convenient to them
• Make images in fragile items such as glass slides and glass negatives available to researchers through creation of digital images

Preservation/Conservation

• Preserve rare and fragile items by providing digital copies
• Protect the collection from potential damage due to over-handling of items
• Digitising of items forms part of the RHSV’s preservation copying program

Promotion of the RHSV collection

• Extent of collection
• Treasures of the collection
• Encourage use of the collection by a wide range of users

Publication of digital materials of items from the collection

• Inclusion of digital images of items in in-house publications
• Inclusion of digital images of items / digital materials in online resources:
  

- Website

- Online exhibitions

Provision of digital images as required for users in a range of formats

Potential users of digitised items

• Researchers using the catalogue / databases at the RHSV
• Researchers accessing RHSV databases via the Internet
• RHSV staff and members requiring digital images for publications, displays etc
• Users requiring images for publication and other uses
• Viewers of online resources
• Users requiring scanned text converted using OCR

Digitised materials will be used as:

• Images attached to records in the library catalogue
• Images attached to records on a database on the Internet
• Images stored on CD-ROM to be accessed if digital copies of images are required
• Specific images made available on

- CD-ROM

- Floppy disks

- Email

- Other formats (constantly changing)

• Images or documents in websites, online exhibitions and other forms of online publication
• Printed on paper (surrogate copies)

Issues to be considered concerning digitisation of collection materials:

• Developing copyright / access right and moral rights policy / procedure
• Determining potential items or categories of items for digitisation
• Prioritising potential items or categories of items for digitisation
• Checking copyright status of potential items for digitisation
• Ensuring that copyright status of new material is determined when brought into the collection
• Ensuring whether or not permission for possible reformatting of the item is granted is noted and signed by donor on the Donor Form
• Developing Policy on Preservation Copying of Collection Materials
• Revising information in database entries in line with meta data standards for publishing digital images online
• Determining specifications for digitising images for RHSV digitisation projects
• Determining specifications for publishing digital images on the Internet
• Determining conditions under which digital material will be made available to the public for private and corporate use
• Formulating charging structure for provision of digital material for purchase by users
• Revising agreement on use of RHSV materials purchased by users to include the use of digital material

Potential items and collections of items for digitisation

• Items not in copyright
• Items for which RHSV holds copyright or has permission from copyright owner to copy

Formats

• Photographs
• Postcards – Several books of postcards have already been scanned as a pilot digitisation project
• Glass slides / glass negatives
• Maps
• Artworks
• Large and / or fragile photographs
• Albums of photographs
• Manuscripts, scrapbooks, ephemera and other publications

Categories

• Collection treasures
• Themes

About Podcasting - Online Resources

The internet contains extensive information on podcasting. A selection of sites is provided:

For a number of years Dr Joanna Cobley presented podcasts as the Museum Dectective – the links to the podcasts were in a blog which also included a number of articles on podcasting including notes for a paper she presented at the Museums Australia conference in Canberra in May 2007. The Museum Detective website has now disappeared from the web but an article entitled Beyond the audio tour on the Te Ara website provides information about podcasting.

Podcast – Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast

About.com – Podcasting – a useful site to subscribe to if interested in this topic http://podcasting.about.com/

How to create your own podcast – a step-by-step tutorial http://radio.about.com/od/podcastin1/a/aa030805a.htm

How to podcast tutorial
http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/index.htm

Create your own podcast:
http://www.cnet.com.au/software/music/0,239025669,240055727,00.htm
(CNET.com)

Another podcasting site is Only Podcasting – http://www.onlypodcasting.com/

Recording a live presentation for podcasting
http://kay.zombiecoder.com/index.php/archives/recording-a-live-presentation-for-podcasting

Podcasting: the devastating lows, the dizzying highs, the creeeeeeeamy middles
http://www.westciv.com/style_master/house/good_oil/podcasting/index.html
Article on using RSS by Maxine Sherrin

Audacity – One of the programs used for recording and editing audio files is the open source program – http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Audacity tutorial
http://www.guidesandtutorials.com/audacity-tutorial.html

RSS
Type the phrase – What is RSS – or – RSS definition – into Google and you will locate a range of articles and topics on the subject. A small selection is provided below.

Article in Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)

What is RSS? RSS explained
http://www.whatisrss.com/

What is RSS? A basic tutorial
http://rss.softwaregarden.com/aboutrss.html

Podcasting: the devastating lows, the dizzying highs, the creeeeeeeamy middles
http://www.westciv.com/style_master/house/good_oil/podcasting/index.html Article on using RSS by Maxine Sherrin

Compressing audio files

MP3 Tweak
http://mp3tweak.com/

MP3Resizer
http://www.skyshape.com/mp3resizer.html


RSS validation sites
Google search for – RSS validation – or – RSS code editor – may provide links to websites
Feedburner – http://feedburner.org/

Feed For All - http://www.feedforall.com/ - program for creating and editing RSS code [not free]

Feed Validator – http://feedvalidator.org/

Podcasting hosting sites
Search Google for the term – Podcast hosting
How to choose a podcast host - http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-choose-podcast-host-compare.html

How to Podcast – Podcast hosting – http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/21-podcast-hosting.htm

Our media – a non profit community site allowing free storage of media files –
http://www.ourmedia.org/

Lybsyn – Liberated Syndication – [monthly charge] http://www.libsyn.com/

Podcasting basics - terminology

Definitions of some of the terms used when discussing podcasting

Podcast – an audio program or audio file or video file available for download from the Internet via a RSS feed with MP3 audio enclosures.
Making an MP3 file available online without the RSS feed is not podcasting.

RSS – an abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. It is an XML format for syndicating web content. An RSS feed describes content such as a newsfeed, a blog post or a podcast and allows it to be collected by an aggregator. RSS 2.0 is currently the de facto feed format used for podcasting.

MP3 – an audio file encoded using the MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) format. MP3 is the most common format for audio files on the Internet.

Newsfeed – a collection of news stories made available on the Internet in a standard format – usually RSS 2.0. Newsfeeds can be used to publish information about podcasts. Subscribers to podcast newsfeeds use the information provided to find new shows and download them.

Aggregator – software that collects and displays RSS feeds. Aggregators can also be called newsreaders. Some aggregators retrieve and display podcasts.

ATOM – a web feed format that offers an alternative to RSS.

Blog – a weblog

Enclosure – a technique for linking to multimedia files within a RSS 2.0 newsfeed

Stream – the ability to play an audio file over the Internet without waiting for the file to download

XML – eXtensible Markup Language – the scripting language used for RSS. XML allows the creation of custom vocabularies for describing data.

WAV – a standard for storing uncompressed sound files. The large size of WAV files makes it impractical to use these files on the Internet, especially for podcasts.

LAME – acronym for Lame ain’t an MP3 encoder. LAME is an open source program MP3 encoder used for turning WAV or AUD files into MP3s. LAME is required for saving files recorded or edited in Audacity into MP3s and can be downloaded from the Audacity website.

Web Contact Forms

Websites hosted by Vicnet can include a web form on their contact page for people to fill in to contact the society. In the section re free web hosting on the Vicnet site there is a section on forms and formmail - Web Design: Forms and formmail.pl.

To use this function copy the code provided on the page into the section of the html page where you want the web form to appear. In the 'which address should the feedback be sent to' section add the email address to be used.

If the society does not have an email account with Vicnet, it is necessary to contact Vicnet either by using their web form or by email requesting that the email address to be used is added to the Vicnet list of accepted email recipients.

Some internet security packages block the usage of forms for sending messages - Vicnet provides information suggesting how to overcome this problem. It may be useful to include a link to this information on your web page to help people encountering such problems.

More notes on email

About.com contains a section dealing with email - http://email.about.com/ - a useful resource for locating information
A recent post is a list of - 20 most important rules for email