tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137713.post115141667782904057..comments2024-03-19T16:26:45.863-04:00Comments on Digitization 101: Playing devil's advocate: Are large projects worth it?Jill Hurst-Wahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16355882159165026398noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137713.post-1151525137097406362006-06-28T16:05:00.000-04:002006-06-28T16:05:00.000-04:00Our public library thought it was worth the time. ...Our public library thought it was worth the time. We wrote it up for RUSQ and have it online at:<BR/>http://www.mcmillanlibrary.org/history/rusq2004.pdfAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137713.post-1151423854801664342006-06-27T11:57:00.000-04:002006-06-27T11:57:00.000-04:00Hello, Jill,Kevin Driedger's comment is interestin...Hello, Jill,<BR/><BR/>Kevin Driedger's comment is interesting and, being a Libra, I can probably argue both sides of the question. <BR/><BR/>Before I went into audio tape restoration full-time, I worked on some large-scale digital archive projects in the commercial media sector and they had their share of growing pains. Many of your comments in this series have caused me to nod my head in the affirmative seeing that you've "been there, done that" and know many of the pitfalls of this type of project. The administrative issues are oftentimes larger than the technical issues, and administration issues often impact the technical implementation.<BR/><BR/>Jill, you have hit on one of the two major points--the one that if it doesn't exist on-line, it doesn't exist in some/many people's minds -- and the latest generation (my 6th and 7th graders included) are especially guilty of this.<BR/><BR/>I think the successful projects start out small and then grow. Here is what I think is a good example of a focused small project that is, apparently, getting good usage:<BR/>http://www.umkc.edu/lib/spec-col/ww2/<BR/><BR/>The other crucial point is that in this century, I suspect we'll see the mantra, if it's not digitized, it is not preserved.<BR/><BR/>As you know, preservation can take many forms, but geographic diversity of duplicate originals is a key to long-term survivability of records and documents. That is only effectively possible in the digital domain.<BR/><BR/>I commented on the first post and you've taken some of that and expanded on it with your discussions of contributions from other local archives. <BR/><BR/>Beyond the Web site presence, I see one of the key goals of this type of project is to serve as a model for other regional archives that help preserve in digital form all of the records/documents that are stored in one copy in small libraries and archives within their umbrella region.<BR/><BR/>While many of these organizations do an excellent job in preservation, with only one copy, the risks are high. The museum could be struck by lightning or we could see record-breaking rains like those that the DC area just experienced (too close to Harrisburg and Lancaster -- my Dad's home -- for comfort).<BR/><BR/>I do think dividing the work is feasible. Sharon Owen of the Center for Oral and Public History at Cal State Fullerton mounted a gigantic effort to digitize (to two CD copies as the data storage infrastructure couldn't be created in an appropriate time frame) something over 5,000 reel and cassette tapes of oral history. It was done with all volunteer labour.<BR/><BR/>I am convinced that the long-term preservation capabilities of a project like you are describing are just as important as the access capabilities.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>RichardAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com