SCOPA Grant Proposal: 2000
A Database Template for the Creation of Bibliographic Targets, Invoicing Data,
and Box Labeling for Preservation Microfilm
BACKGROUND
For the last several years, an increasing demand for preservation microfilm has led the Preservation Department to look for efficiencies in microfilm processing. These efficiencies would allow the department to microfilm more brittle items using existing levels of staffing and resources. It is an unfortunate reality that due an archaic system of microfilm processing, the Preservation Department has had to refuse service to some campus libraries and special collections. These collections have had to find their own solutions to their microfilm needs.
Each year the Preservation Department microfilms hundreds of books, journals, and pamphlets so that researchers can continue to use information that would otherwise be lost due to acidic decay. However, the task of providing access to this information goes beyond capturing pages on film. Information copied from Orbis is used to create bibliographic film targets that describe and index the titles appearing on a reel of film. This same bibliographic information is also used to make labels for film boxes and to track film production invoicing and statistics. Without this information microfilm users would not be able to find a reel of film or know which titles were on it.
CURRENT PRACTICE
With the present system, information from the printed Orbis record is typed into Microsoft Word. Bibliographic targets are printed and sent with the titles to the microfilm vendor. The microfilm vendor films the titles and creates his own list of bibliographic information for invoicing purposes. This invoice, the titles, and the microfilm are then returned to the Preservation Department. After bibliographic and technical inspection, the boxes of new film are labeled. Information from the bibliographic record is again typed into a word processor using a workstation and printer set up to print labels for film boxes. The present system requires three separate procedures in which Preservation department staff and students as well as staff at the microfilm vendor all separately type information off the same Orbis record. In each step from targets to box labels, the bibliographic information is simply discarded and must be retyped by hand. This is a time consuming process. The many hands involved and the occasional complexity of some titles also produces a consistent rate of error.
AN IMPROVED SYSTEM
Funds from a SCOPA Grant will allow the Preservation Department to design, create, and implement a series of database templates for bibliographic data that will facilitate the efficient creation of microfilm targets, invoicing data, and box labels. Separate templates will be created for monographs and serials as each of these require different bibliographic targets. These templates will eliminate potential errors that occur in the present system and significantly reduce the time required to convert brittle titles to microfilm. With the new system, Preservation Department staff will copy and paste information directly from the Orbis record into the fixed fields of a database. The formatting information in each field of the database will be set up to print the appropriate font size for either bibliographic targets, film invoices, or box labels. To avoid recopying the same information into each section of the database set up for targets, invoices, and labels, the program will copy the data to subsequent fields and reformat it as needed. A template will be completed for each title to be filmed. When the bibliographic information has been entered for the number of titles in a shipment, film targets will be printed and bibliographic data for invoicing will be exported from the database to Microsoft Word and copied to a diskette. The books, targets, and the diskette will be shipped to the microfilm vendor. The microfilmer will use the bibliographic information provided on the diskette to add the frame count, cost per frame, and duplication costs for each title. The diskette with this added information will be returned to the Preservation Department with the boxes of new microfilm. With the successful implementation of this new procedure, the microfilm vendor has offered to purchase a copy of the same database program. This would eliminate the need to export database information to Microsoft Word and save additional staff time. The boxes of new film are then labeled. Information from the microfilm invoice could be saved and transported back into the database as a valuable collection of statistical information on microfilm production.
It is hoped that this new system will restructure the way in which titles are routed to the Preservation Department for microfilming. The time and cost savings will allow the Preservation Department to microfilm titles for the campus libraries and special collections now demanding its services. The successful implementation of a database template would allow campus libraries and special collections to record and keep invoicing and production information on a title by title basis, something currently not possible. The database program would also allow information to be manipulated for statistical computation and comparison, providing significant oversight of microfilm production. It is technically possible that further levels of efficiency could be achieved in the future by creating a direct interface between Orbis and the database. This interface would allow bibliographic information to be copied directly from the Orbis record to the database template.
PLAN OF WORK
The database program would be purchased and a Level II Systems student would be hired for the project. Database templates would be created for monographs and serials and formatting information programmed for the bibliographic targets, invoicing, and box labeling sections of the database. Additional database work would be done to create statistical reports on microfilm production for the Preservation Department. These reports would serve as models for reports to be provided to other campus libraries and special collections. Once created, the database templates would be tested on a variety of incoming titles for any design or programming errors. If no problems were found, the templates and database would be used create an actual shipment of microfilm complete with vendor invoice and box labels.
TIMETABLE
The project would begin in January of 2000.
The database program is available through a variety of computer equipment suppliers and could be purchased immediately.
The amount of time actually required to hire a Level II Systems student is an unknown variable.
Experiments with creating sample database programs and consultation with Systems Staff suggest that the programming and set up stage of the project could be completed with 25 hours of Level II Systems student labor.
The creation of an actual microfilm shipment, the vendor turn-around time, invoicing, box labeling, and subsequent evaluation should take a total of four weeks.
The entire project could be completed and ready for full reporting by early spring 2000.
| BUDGET |
|---|
| File Maker Pro 5.01 |
Suggested retail price: |
$250.00 |
| Level II Systems Student |
25 hours at $10.00 per hour: |
$250.00 |
| Total Requested Funds: |
|
$500.00 |
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