Hi Deborah, Thanks for your message, and the earlier one you sent as well. One of the big selling points to the Center in selecting a CIS was that the vendor we chose offered an art collection module, an archives module, and a library module. For the Center, this seemed to be the best match. The hierarchies of archival description that our archivists are familiar with already exist as data entry templates in the new system.
There will be some challenges once the new system is implemented, as our Research Center staff must cut and paste data from existing finding aids into the new archive module templates in the CIS, but once the information is in the system it is will generate XML type reports from the data entered as encoded archival description (EAD) for web access. (not being trained as an archivist, please forgive my semantics, if faulty, but I hope you get the general gist in regard to how cool this will be!) As individual objects from the archives are scanned for publication or special projects and given a unique identifier, they can then be linked to the appropriate authority file in the archive module. We have new challenges now, for instance, creating item level descriptions for archive objects in preparation for scanning and implementing structural metadata, such as for letters, to identify page order in the file names. Developing a file naming protocol for archive objects to be scanned was really challenging this year. We may choose to automate this process in the future. The most exciting part of all this is that once we are ready to open the public portal to the photograph collection and archives through our web site, the ability to do in-depth remote research will be greatly enhanced. Cheers, Dianne Dianne Nilsen Head of Digital Initiatives & Imaging Center for Creative Photography University of Arizona P.O. Box 210103 Tucson, Arizona 85721-0103 Phone 520-307-2829 Fax 520-621-9444 -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-boun...@mcn.edu] On Behalf Of Deborah Wythe Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 5:14 PM To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Subject: Re: [MCN-L] FW: Can a CIS be a DAMS too? All right, I'll jump in here and perhaps send us off in another direction: One of the things (as a lapsed archivist) that I would like to see in a DAMS that is almost never supported in a CIS (and not well in the DAMS that I've seen) is hierarchies and relationships. Digitized archival collections and library materials almost always involve internal relationships that are difficult (or next to impossible) to express in either a DAMS (unless it's built specifically for that kind of material) or a CIS. Think book -- division -- chapter -- section -- page, or collection -- series -- subseries -- folder -- item, realizing there may be individual pages/items within each of those segments, not just at the bottom of the hierarchy. Museum objects may cause fewer hierarchy problems, but can still be challenging (for example: collection -- ensemble -- garment --garment part(s) -- accessories). CIS systems are usually item-based with some ability to establish relationships, but that's not their strong point. If you want to be able to organize and view images in your DAMS in logical groups, and with a logical order within the group, that's something you'll have to think about and configure ahead of time. It would be great if the DAMS (or CIS) would allow you to do this automatically, but you may be faced with setting up a workaround using metadata. Deb Wythe Deborah Wythe Brooklyn Museum Head, Digital Collections and Services 200 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11238 tel: 718 501 6311 fax: 718 501 6125 email: deborahwythe at hotmail.com On Jun 27, 2006, at 3:54 PM, Nilsen, Dianne wrote: > > > > > _____ > > From: Nilsen, Dianne > Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 9:48 AM > To: 'mcn-l at mcn.edu' > Subject: FW: Can a CIS be a DAMS too? > > > > > > This message is being resubmitted to the MCN List, now that it is > up and > running again. If you already received it, please forgive the > redundancy. Thanks in advance to any of you who have the time and > inclination to share your thoughts. Special thanks to Marla Misunas > and > Tim Au Yeung for comments they have sent to me personally. > > > > > > _____ > > From: Nilsen, Dianne > Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 12:01 PM > To: 'mcn-l at mcn.edu' > Subject: Can a CIS be a DAMS too? > > > > Dear All, > > > > I am seeking collective wisdom from this group to help me with a > unique > opportunity here at the Center for Creative Photography. We've > purchased a new collection information system (CIS) and are in the > joint > application development stage with our vendor, Minisis. We selected > their product, MINT, because it integrates three distinctly designed > modules for management of art collections, archival collections and > bibliographic collections. The director and CEO, Christopher Burcsik, > is willing to create new data element fields so that we can capture > technical and preservation metadata relating specifically to digital > objects. I hope to end up with a "hybrid" system that will serve our > needs for collection management and digital assets management for our > holdings of nearly 80,000 photographs and selected archival material. > Hence the question, "Can a CIS be a DAMS too?" > > > > If you are so kind to respond to this long message, please note > that we > have the descriptive and administrative metadata mapping processes > well > underway in preparation for migration. It is the metadata that > relates > specifically to digital objects that I am concerned with here. My > task > is to come up with all the new data elements to use during the > digitization process and to automate the capture of technical and > preservation metadata as much as possible. > > > > One specific concept I've discussed with Minisis and would greatly > appreciate your comments on is customizing the system to parse > technical > metadata that is automatically captured by scanning devices (and > imbedded in the image files), into individual element fields in the > database. I wonder if this innovation might prove useful in the > future, > because it would allow us to export custom, detailed technical reports > with images in XML format for web projects and collaborative digital > initiatives. I also wonder if having technical metadata stored outside > the image files in searchable fields would prove useful for future > migration or for tasks such as documenting format conversions. > Christopher tells me it is possible to parse the data, but before we > take advantage of his time and generosity, I'd like to hear > perspectives > from any of you who may be dealing with similar challenges. > > > > To elaborate a bit, some technical metadata is automatically > captured by > the scanning back we use (BetterLight Super 6K2) and a huge amount of > metadata is captured by our digital SLRs. I have been studying the > NISO > Z39.87 document, Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images, but the > number of fields in that document is over the top in regard to the > Center's needs. The architecture of Minisis, I understand, is such > that > selected key data elements can be clustered together, as might be > handy > when describing differently sized image files representing the same > original object. For example; Master File location; format; image > size; > pixel dimensions; color space; RGB values; calibration target; etc., > might be part of one cluster of data elements for a capture TIFF (some > automated and some batched in). Other clusters might include > individual > data elements for variously sized cropped JPEG versions such as; ZOOM; > Full page; Preview; Thumbnail; or other data elements such as might be > specific to a derivative in JPEG2000 format. > > > > In regard to preservation metadata, I've been looking primarily at the > PREMIS data model and data dictionary. I am struggling with the > question: "How much information is required to sustain our digital > assets over time as technology changes?" Although I admire the > work of > this group, I find this document overwhelming, as well. Have any > of you > come up with a template for implementing preservation metadata > elements > into your digital asset management processes? > > > > I've attached a sample training document for capture of original > photographs here at the Center, just for reference. 95% of the time, > original objects are already fully catalogued before they reach the > imaging studio. I need to add the entry of (non-automated) digital > object metadata to our CIS, within our scanning workflow, most > likely at > the point where the master scans are optimized and the derivatives are > linked to their corresponding records (We also plan to automate the > image optimizing process more in the future, possibly utilizing Adobe > Bridge and JPEG2000 format for all derivatives) > > > > Many thanks in advance for taking time out of busy days to read this > long message, share your comments, expertise and any random > thoughts on > the validity of the ideas above. If any of you have already created > templates for capture of technical or preservation metadata on your > own, > and are willing to share details I will appreciate it greatly. Please > feel free to email me directly. > > > > Dianne > > > > dnilsen at ccp.library.arizona.edu > > > > Dianne Nilsen > > Head of Digital Initiatives & Imaging > > Center for Creative Photography > > University of Arizona > > P.O. Box 210103 > > Tucson, Arizona 85721-0103 > > > > Phone 520-307-2829 > > Fax 520-621-9444 > > > > <mailto:dnilsen at ccp.library.arizona.edu> > > http://www.creativephotography.org <http:// > www.creativephotography.org/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum > Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l
