SCOPA Grant Final Report

Creating a Resource for Information on Contemporary Book Artists:  Digitization of Ephemera in the Arts of the Book Collection

 

Participants:  Karen Reardon, Jennifer Weintraub, Jae Rossman

 

Goals of the Project:

  1. Increase accessibility to the ephemera stored in AOB flat files
  2. Create a resource for research on contemporary book artists
  3. Explore the use of Beinecke Digital Library database as a model for small image database creation
  4. Explore the challenges of effectively and efficiently scanning unusual materials

 

Summary of Activities:

The first steps for the project were to make the major theoretical decisions that would affect the implementation of the database and its contents.  We considered fields to be included in the database and how to select materials to be scanned.  Next, the database was created and materials selected.  A student was hired to scan the selected items and made derivative images from the scans.  The student also entered simple information into the database, such as title, author and size. 

 

Budget:

We were awarded $895 for the project.  We spent $88 on archival CD-ROMs.  We spent $670 on student labor totaling $758 of our budget.

 

Results:

While we started off on track, we were not able to stick to the original timeline.  Then we encountered delays in hiring a student, which delayed the scanning of the materials.  Despite these setbacks, we managed to make all major set-up decisions, create the database, scan all materials and make derivative images, and enter the majority of the cataloging information during calendar year 2002.  Remaining tasks include: finish entering cataloging information, quality control checks, and mounting the database on the web. We will have a database available by April, in time for the SCOPA forum.  We will send an update to this report at that time.

 

While we have not yet completed this particular project, the process has already been invaluable by imparting skills and knowledge that will be applied to future projects.  The process to efficiently scan irregularly sized materials was improved, as well as ways to help student workers be more effective.  Important theoretical issues over access to and research value of materials in the Arts of the Book Collection were explored.  The viability of using the current Beinecke database model for other library projects was tested.  Thanks to SCOPA for creating the opportunity for librarians to pursue ideas that might otherwise go untried.