Local History Interest Group Meeting, Wednesday, March 21

10:00-12:00 at PLSHQ

Status of previous projects

Second round of microfilm digitization completed

Priorities going forward

Training

Set up hands on training workshop on scanning projects and metadata creation

Small DIY projects

DIY Digitization Lab

PLS (Lindsay) has created a digitization lab, containing a flat bed scanner, laptop, and camera set up (digital camera, tripod, background, lights) that libraries can use for digitization projects. The equipment can be borrowed and used at their library, or at PLS in the former computer/training lab (this is being refitted as an equipment lab/make space).

• We have 4 large scrapbooks of clippings - how do we preserve these?
  • The camera set up is a good choice for scrapbooks that are too big and too lumpy for a scanner. The tripod can be set up to hold the camera parallel to the scrapbook, and each page photographed
  • Graham Tedesco-Blair at Newark used the camera to capture a Newark scrapbook, and says the process is easy. He set his station up in a public area of the library, which generated a lot of patron interest in his project

• We have some oral history on cassette tapes? How can we preserve them when this technology become outmoded (almost is)?
  • RRLC also has digitization equipment to lend - https://rrlc.org/digitization/digitization-equipment/
  • Following discussion, there are a couple libraries with cassettes they would like to digitize
  • Lindsay has reached out to RRLC to inquire about borrowing the cassette converter; they have a new staff person managing their digitization services, who will be reaching out to Lindsay soon
  • NY Heritage - Oral History Release Form
  • NY Heritage - Recording Oral Histories

Member Library Projects?

Collaborating with Historical Societies]

Topics submitted

LOCKSS - Lots of Copies Keeps Stuff Safe

The following questions raised some good discussion, which boils down to save copies of files in many places! Whatever you scan, keep copies of the files on a flash drive or external hard drive, keep copies in a cloud storage service (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) You can also send copies to Lindsay (by flash drive) who will copy them to a PLS network drive for storage (and then return your flash drive).

You should also consider uploading digitized content to New York Heritage, particularly if it is historic.

• Should we be scanning loose photos and saving to Google Drive or a flash drive? We will be putting them in archival photo pages.
  • Yes! Both!

Vertical files

Vertical files are tricky - they have a lot of content, which means a LOT of time and effort to manage them. It really depends on how valuable your clippings collections are to you, and how much time, money, and effort you can expend on those collections. Minimally, a solid finding aide (which can also be shared digitally, in a specialized finding aide repository) and catalog record can start the process of making sure the collection is findable and useable.

• Should we copy newspaper clippings onto archival paper or also be scanning them?
  • This really depends. It may be sufficient to buffer the clippings between acid free/archival paper and keep them in archival folders. These would both help extend the life span of the clippings.
  • Scanning takes a while, and is only really useful if the scan is processed and saved so that the contents can be searched

Hoffman Essays in the catalog

• And how should we approach getting an accurate record for our Hoffman essays in Owwl?
  • Hoffman Essay Records List

Tour of Wayne Co. Historian's office

• Are Wayne Libraries interested in going to take a tour of Wayne County Historian's new office?

Archives policies - deeds of gift, collection development, etc.

ArchivesResources page created - links to workshop handouts and other documents that explain key archive management concepts, most with examples