Digitisation Workshop

He mihi nui tenei ki a koutou!

Quick DigiQuiz

Multi-valued multiple choice: select one or more responses to the quiz questions

Quiz

1. The information about taonga needs to be retrievable by:

A: the whanau / hapu / iwi organisation

B: individuals within the organisation

C: stakeholders / community near and far

Quiz

2. The information should be readily useful for:

A: answering individual inquiries

B: proof of ownership

C: identifying any taonga in the collection D: enhancing the collection management capabilities of the organisation

E: managing catering for cocktail events

Quiz3. We have limited funding to digitise taonga, and limited resource for researching and implementing a collection management system. We hold a planning session in which:

A: we set our goals and steps we might take to reach them

B: we argue about what colours our website should incorporate

C: we give clear direction to the staff/volunteers about their role in the process

D: we decide that it is beyond our expertise and resources to make informed decisions about CMS purchase at this point, and resolve to gather more expertise/resource

Quiz4. We decide to go ahead and research CMS products in plenty of time for inclusion in next year’s budget. An early step in this process is to:

A: ask the Manager’s son/daughter/husband/cousin/friend to create a CMS for us (to be paid for under the table)

B: contact National Services Te Paerangi for any information they may have regarding CMS products

C: write a Requirements Specification listing the functions we require

D: talk to other iwi / cultural centres / museums about the software they’ve used or looked into

E: gather prices and information on locally available CMS products

Quiz

5. Our Requirements Specification has been sent to CMS vendors for comment. We get widely varying responses, and there is $20,000 difference between the highest quote and the lowest quote tendered. We then:

A: follow up on the Reference sites given by the various vendors, asking for the client’s honest opinions of the software and service supplied by the vendor

B: evaluate the tendered solutions against clear criteria, and ask the 3 shortlisted vendors to provide a programme of work for implementing their CMS solution

C: purchase the lowest priced system and redirect the rest of the budgeted amount to other areas

Quiz

6. Cataloguers and other users have been trained in the digitisation process, and the cataloguers are ready to enter data. We direct the cataloguers to:

A: start entering data as quickly as possible

B: enter data in an efficient, consistent way – we give them a Data Dictionary of the fields to use, with examples, and decide how to audit (check) their data entry

C: wait until the Curator comes back from overseas – after all, the Curator knows more about the collection than anybody!

Quiz7. We have 30,000 - 40,000 taonga to digitise (we think), and we find that one cataloguer can describe 200 taonga a day (that’s a thousand a week!!). We have funding for a cataloguer for eighteen months (that’s 38 extra weeks!!!), so we decide that we will:

A: create a basic record (with a consistent set of fields) for every taonga in the collection and then, as time allows, revisit these records and add more detail

B: decide to spend more time on the inventory, matching existing paper documentation to the electronic data, resolving mysteries and gathering korero about the taonga

C: get the cataloguer to make scones and work on the website

Quiz Answers

1: a, b, and c2: a, b, c, d, not e3: a, c, d, not b4: b, c, d, e, not a5: a, b, not c6: b, not a or c7: a, b, not c

Why should we digitise and why do we digitise?

● To improve access to collections● To improve searchability● To help preserve at risk items● To enhance knowledge about collections● To facilitate collections management tasks

(acquisitions, relocations, exhibitions, etc.)

● Because other organisations have done it● Because we'll get funding for it

Digitisation and Improved Access

● Direct / indirect access● Web Access – compliance with accessibility

standards ● Searchability is the key● Harness accessibility to drive content creation● Access flows both ways (if allowed) e.g. – web 2.0 social tagging● Limiting factors: cost, time, technology…

Searchability

● Imaging limitations: those “red, round things”● Indexing issues● Storage space – esp. for images● Line speed● Searching paradigms: Card catalogues >

databases > the web

Digisation for preservation

● Creating surrogates for display / use● Avoiding double-handling● Transparency: the real thing itself● Metadata● Digital Preservation – National Library

Can Digitisation Make you Sexy?

● Harnessing Access arguments for digital content creation

● Libraries and Archives● Professionalisation● Reality check

Time for a Cuppa!

Collections Management Systems

● Accession Registers● Card Catalogues● Cataloguing Worksheets● Loans Forms● Finding Aids● Databases● Collection Management Software● Online Catalogues

Collections Management Systems

Data is the largest, most expensive component of any CMS system. Plan accordingly...

Software types

● Spreadsheets● Databases● Bespoke (custom-made) solutions● Desktop Package Collection Management

Systems● ASP Collection Management Systems● Freeware

Data

● Sources● End uses● Text● Validation● Terminology control

He aha te mea nui? He Tangata

● People are a core component in any CMS implementation

● Encouraging “ownership” ● Networking● Training● Support● Happy, healthy cataloguers● Build a user group

Implementation Matters!

Other ingredients to consider:●Hardware and operating software●Network issues / line speed●Backup●Data migration●Requirements Specification

Now let's specify our requirements...

Create a Requirements Specification

● Start!● Be descriptive not prescriptive● Consult widely, but have a deadline

Group Exercise: keywords

Accessibility terminology control

Re-use of data TimelineTraining export data Functions

Support Reference Sites Data dictionary

Searching system administration

File formats Reporting User manual

Hardware requirements Software demonstration

Evaluation Procedures images & multimedia

Outputs BackupImplementation plan

In Conclusion

● Digitisation is a process - no end in sight!● Digitisation is uneven across/within sectors● Content creation is a pressing issue● Digital content needs context