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Digital Content Inventory
Introduction
A group of 19 librarians, curators, and archivists met May 20, 2004 at the State Library to create a preliminary inventory of digital library and museum projects and collections in Montana.
Attending
Bridgett Johnson, Lewistown Public Library
Bruce Newell, Montana Library Network/Montana State Library
Darlene Staffeldt, Montana State Library
Donna McCrea, CIM-Mansfield Library, UofM
Harriet Schultz, Butte Archives
Jamie Harmon, Montana State Library
Jennie Stapp, Montana Historical Society
Jim Hill, Montana State Library
Jim Kammerer, Montana State Library
Judy Meadows, State of Montana Law Library
Kevin Cook, State of Montana Law Library
Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson, Legislative Library
Lory Morrow, Montana Historical Society
Patti Borsberry, Montana Dept of Transportation ISD RecMgmt
Rolene Schliesman, Montana State Historic Preservation Office
Sarah McHugh, Montana Library Network/Montana State Library
Steve Jackson, Museum of the Rockies
Sue Sillick, Montana Dept of Transportation
Tamara Miller, MSU-Bozeman Library
We Discussed
- State agencies, libraries and museums engaged in creating digitized content
- Specific digital library and museum content, its nature and scope
- Applications currently used to manage this digital content
- Standards and formats currently used to manage this digital content
- Applicable interoperability standard(s)
We anticipated this might be the first of several meetings. It is our intention to include a larger group of Montana libraries and museums in this inventory project now that we know we are asking (some of) the right questions and we have obtained a preliminary feel for the lay of the land.
Goals
- Gaining a better understanding about who is managing what digital content
- Exploring possible groupings of digital content with an eye toward interoperability
- Getting an idea if there may be tools (applications, portals, ?) to provide users with improved access to digital content
- Identifying some 'low hanging fruit', easy and (from our patrons' perspective) salutary projects to pursue
Further Interests
Attendees expressed interest in:
- Establishing a pipeline for related news
- Creating an equipment inventory, that is, who had what equipment, are they willing to share this equipment and under what terms?
- Training, perhaps at OFFLINE
- Building or linking to a glossary and bibliography
- Hearing more about the State Digital Task Force (Judy Meadows, Charlene Porsild, and Karen Strege are some of the participants)
- Many folks were interested in grant opportunities
- Digital rights management/best practices
- Looking at one-search or federated access to digital resources
- Exploring avenues for cooperation
- Shared standards and applications
- Developing some overarching framework for planning and standards
- Last, and foremost, planning has to be library-, archive-, and museum-user centered
What Happens Next?
Here's what I think, what do YOU think? We probably can't do everything at once...
- Establish e-mail mailing list to facilitate discussion <MLN could do>
- Establish Web page/site to collect and provide access to useful stuff (tools, equipment, expertise, collections, articles, best practice sites, etc.) <MLN could do>
- Spread the word to other digital content 'owners', libraries, archives, museums, records management groups <MLN could help>
- Focus some training and CE on digital repository, digital content management, standards, etc., perhaps at OFFLINE in February, <?>
- Build a page linking to existing Montana digital content management <MLN could do>, add link on our Web pages <all would need to, or could, do>
- Start studying one-search or federated search tools, with an eye toward cooperatively purchasing and implementing <all>
- Start studying applications to handle different kinds of digital content (archives, images, sound files, etc.), <all>
- Begin adopting standards and best practices
I suggested attendees might enjoy reading a really provocative paper titled: Interoperability between Library Information Services and Learning Environments - Bridging the Gaps. McLean and Lynch.
This free must-read white paper discusses interoperability issues between library information environments and e-learning environments. It's a little nerdy and definitely is aimed at big academic libraries, but it seems to me to apply to all types of libraries equally. If you want to imagine how library services will look in 20 years, here's a clue-rich paper. McLean and Lynch are bright and articulate; here they have clearly and succinctly spell out many of the challenges and opportunities we librarians, curators, and archivists have in our future.
According to OCLC's description: "The primary purpose of the paper is to explore potential interactions between information environments and learning environments, with emphasis on work that needs to be done involving standards, architectural modeling or interfaces (as opposed to cultural, organizational or practice questions) in order to permit these two worlds to co-exist and co-evolve more productively."
Examples
Each institution was asked to bring examples of its digital content. The following form was suggested:
- Institution name: Montana State Library/Montana Library Network/Yellowstone Art Museum
- Content name and description: Will James Collection, MARC records and linked jpeg images of artist Will James' paintings and drawings at the YAM
- Applications used to create, manage, and serve content: SiteSearch
- Standards and formats used: Library of Congress Subject Headings, MARC, JPEG
- Interoperability standard(s): Z39.50
We shared this information by posting, literally thumb tacking, these cards up on a cork board. We hoped to organize them into logical groupings (grouped by standards, formats, and applications), however lack of time prevented this from occurring. We spent a good deal of time discussing each attendees' content, and expressing interest in one another's projects. It's clear we all have lots of neat content, overlapping needs and interests, and a willingness to work together. I think this is terrific, and it promises big things.
If you find an error or an ommision in the Digital Content Inventory below, or you would like to add additional content to the inventory or update an existing entry with additional information, please send an email to Michael Price. Thanks!
Digital Content Inventory, Version 1.0
| Institution Name | Content name and description | Applications used to create, manage, and serve content | Standards and formats used | Interoperability standard(s) |
| Montana Historical Society Research Center | Oral history records--MARC Records (some) May eventually be linked to streaming audio files; Files currently being transferred from analog to digital audio CD | Star client database; Montana Shared Catalog (coming soon) | Library of Congress Subject Headings; MARC; WAVE files (eventually) | Star is not compliant; MSC is Z39.50 |
| Museum of the Rockies; Montana State University Bozeman | Ron V. Nixon Collection--World Wide Web Accessible SQL database linked GIF thumbnail and JPEG reference images of collection photographs | MySQL database, PHP scripting, Apache Web Server and MAC OS X Server | Dublin Core, Library of Congress Subject Headings, PHP, HTML, PDF, JPEG, GIF | none listed |
| Museum of the Rockies; Montana State University Bozeman | Textiles Collection--World Wide Web accessible SQL database and linked GIF thumbnail and JPEG reference images of collection photographs | Questor Argus, MySQL database, PHP, Apache Web Server, Windows 2000 server, MAC OS X server | Dublin Core, Library of Congress Subject Headings, PHP, HTML, PDF, JPEG, GIF | none listed |
| Museum of the Rockies; Montana State University Bozeman | Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains--World Wide Web accessible SQL database and linked GIF thumbnail and JPEG reference images of collections | MySQL database, PHP scripting, Apache Web Server and Sun SPARC Server | Dublin Core, Library of Congress Subject Headings, PHP, HTML, PDF, JPEG, GIF | none listed |
| Montana State University Libraries | Images of the Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains is a searchable online photograph database created with grant support for the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant Program. | none listed | 150 dpi JPEGs | MySQL database |
| Montana State University Libraries | Fort Assiniboine Telegrams Received, 1881 is a collection of scanned telegram transcriptions during the campaign against Sitting Bull that are linked to a web-based finding aid | none listed | none listed | |
| Montana State University Libraries | Hormay Collection is a collection of scanned manuscripts, photographs, films, and slides representing the pioneering work in range management of Gus Hormay that will be linked to a web-based finding aid. | none listed | none listed | |
| Montana State University Libraries | Haynes Family Photographs, 1866-1969 is a collection of scanned photographs linked to a web-based finding aid and a searchable index. | none listed | 150 dpi JPEGs | MySQL database |
| Montana Historical Society Research Center | Library images, various items such as maps: MARC records (some) will eventually be linked to JPEG images; TIFF images, archival, saved on CD and DVD | Montana Shared Catalog | Library of Congress Subject Headings; MARC; JPEG, TIFF | Z39.50 |
| Montana Historical Society Research Center | Archive Collection Inventories (all collections) | Star client database; 300 inventories in NW Digital Archives by Dec. 04; Considering MARC recrods linked in NWDA and JPEG images through Montana Shared Catalog (we would like Star to go away) | Library of Congress Subject Headings; MARC; JPEG, TIFF | none |
| Montana Historical Society Research Center | Archive Document Images (various collections); MARC records and or EAD inventories; some will eventually be linked to JPEG images; TIFF (archival) images saved to CD/DVD | Montana Shared Catalog | Library of Congress Subject Headings; MARC; EAD | Z39.50 |
| Montana Historical Society Research Center | Photo archives images (various collections); Dublin Core records; some will eventually be linked to JPEG images; TIFF (archival) images saved to CD/DVD | Montana Shared Catalog | Library of Congress Subject Headings; Thesaurus of Graphical Materials; Dublin Core; JPEG; TIFF | Z39.50 |
| Montana Library Network | Newspaper indexes (Missoulian, e.g.) |
MSQL | Library of Congress Subject Headings and local subject headings | none |
| Montana Library Network | SiteSearch/Database Builder | none | none | |
| Montana Shared Catalog | Montana Shared Catalog integrated library system | Sirsi Unicorn | MARC; Library of Congress Subject Headings; AACRII | NCIP; ISO ILL 10160/10161; Z39.50 |
| Mansfield Library, University of Montana | Scanned photographs with complete metadata; future content | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Mansfield Library, University of Montana | Digitization of legacy government documents; future content | none listed | Determined by GPO | none listed |
| Mansfield Library, University of Montana | Progressive Men of Montana, digitized text; in progress | Greenstone Digital Library Software | JPEG, TIFF | none listed |
| Mansfield Library, University of Montana | Online database/index of architectual drawings; in progress | PROCITE | Hosted by MSU | none listed |
| Mansfield Library, University of Montana | Northwest Digital Archives (digitization of archival finding aids); in progress | EAD encoded finding aids | EAD, Library of Congress Subject Headings/Library of Congress Name Authority File /Art and Architecture Thesaurus | none listed |
| Mansfield Library, University of Montana | Scanned historic newspapers with keyword searchability; future | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Lewistown Public Library | Lewistown News Argus/scan or index?; planned | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Lewistown Public Library | Local history, pamphlets, oral histories; planned | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Lewistown Public Library | Central Montana Historical Photographs | MS/Frontpage; Apache; Sirsi Unicorn MSC | MARC; JPEG | Z39.50 |
| Mansfield Library, University of Montana | Dissertation/theses digitization; in progress | UMI/Proquest digital dissertations | PDF, TIFF | none listed |
| Montana Natural Heritage Program, NRIS, MSL | Montana Animal Field Guide: This guide provides information on identification, habitat, ecology, reporduction, range, and distribution of Montana's animal species of concern, along with references and photographs | BIOTICS database, SDE, SQL/Server | NatureServe Data EO Standards | none listed |
| Montana Natural Heritage Program, NRIS, MSL | Montana Species of Concern Plant Field Guide: Provides detailed information on species of concern including those that are at-risk or potentially at-risk due to rarity, restricted distribution, habitat loss, and/or other factors. Includes information on a species' status, general description and identification, habitat, and distribution, along with references, technical illustrations, and photographs. | BIOTICS database, SDE, SQL/Server | NatureServe Data EO Standards | none listed |
| Montana Natural Heritage Program, NRIS, MSL | Montana Species of Concern Information: The Heritage Program is Montana's claeringhouse for information on Montana's native species and habitats, emphasizing those of conservation concern. We collect, validate, and distrubte this informaiton, and assist natural resource managers and others in applying it effectively. Established by the Montana State Legislature in 1983, the program i slocated in the Montana State Library, where it is part of the Natural Resrouce Information System (NRIS). |
BIOTICS database, SDE, SQL/Server, ArcIMS, MOIMS | NatureServe Data EO Standards | none listed |
| Montana Natural Heritage Program, NRIS, MSL | Montana Stewardship GIS Data: NHP began a statewide ownship and management mapping system in 1997 using GIS technology. MSL now has the most up-to-date public ownership and land management data for the state. The information includes: public lnad ownership and management status; including conservation easement data; special land-management designations; and administrative units. |
ESRI ARC/INFO | FGDC Metadata; ESRI GIS Coverage format | none listed |
| Montana Natural Heritage Program, NRIS, MSL | Digital Atlas: Online interactive map based access to MSDI and other digital map data, along with associated attribute data. | ESRI, MS | none listed | none listed |
| Montana Natural Heritage Program, NRIS, MSL | TopoFinder II: Onine interactive map based access to USGS DRGs and Orthophotoquads. | ESRI, Adobe SVG, MS | none listed | none listed |
| Montana Natural Heritage Program, NRIS, MSL | Metadata relating to Montana Spatial Data Infrastructure and other GIS data generated by state and federal govt | Various | Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) ISO Metadata Standard 19115.3 | Z39.50 |
| Montana Natural Heritage Program, NRIS, MSL | Montana Geospatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) and other GIS data generated by state and federal government | Commercial: ESRI ARC/INFO, MS SQLServer, .NET -- Homegrown: Digital Atlas, Topofinder I and II, Map Library, Data bundler | ESRI coverage e00, ESRI shapefile, ESRI SDE | Open GIS Consortium (OGC), various standards |
| Shate Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) | Certified local govenernment program, walking tour guides, pamphlets, brochures | none listed | none listed | |
| Shate Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) | National Registry Nominations | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Shate Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) | National Registry of Landmarks, Historical Districts, Historical Sites (some restricted) | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Shate Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) | National Registry of Properties (by County) | Web based | none listed | none listed |
| Montana Department of Transportation | City and County Maps | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Montana Department of Transportation | Roads and construction | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Montana Department of Transportation | Road management | Oracle | none listed | none listed |
| Montana Department of Transportation | Bridge inventory | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Montana Department of Transportation | Geographic information system, township, range, section | none listed | none listed | none listed |
| Montana Library Network | Montana Periodical Index | MSQL | Library of Congress Subject Headings | none listed |
| Montana Library Network & Yellowstone Art Museum | Will James Collection | SiteSearch/Database Builder | Library of Congress Subject Headings | Z39.50 |
| State Law Library of Montana | Montana Court Opinions/Orders |
Xerox DocuShare, MS/Word, Adobe Acrobat, PDF | none listed | none listed |
| State Law Library of Montana | Montana Courts and Judicial Districts/Announcements | Xerox DocuShare, MS/Word, Adobe Acrobat, PDF | none listed | none listed |
| State Law Library of Montana | Legal forms | Xerox DocuShare, MS/Word, Adobe Acrobat, PDF | none listed | none listed |
| State Law Library of Montana | Supreme Court Commissions | Xerox DocuShare, MS/Word, Adobe Acrobat, PDF | none listed | none listed |
| State Law Library of Montana | Order & Montana Rules of Professional Conduct | Xerox DocuShare, MS/Word, Adobe Acrobat, PDF | none listed | none listed |
| State Law Library of Montana | United States Bankruptcy Court District of Montana | Xerox DocuShare, MS/Word, Adobe Acrobat, PDF | none listed | none listed |
| State Law Library of Montana | Montana Federal District Courts | Xerox DocuShare, MS/Word, Adobe Acrobat, PDF | none listed | none listed |
| State Law Library of Montana | Montana Supreme Court Opinions, Orders, and Recently Filed Briefs | Xerox DocuShare, MS/Word, Adobe Acrobat, PDF | none listed | none listed |
| Montana Legislative Library | Laws system--Database containing bill status, text of bills, votes, index, legislator requests, etc. | Oracle with Web interface | none listed | |
| Montana Legislative Library | Montana Code Annotated | none listed | HTML | none listed |
| Montana Legislative Library | Legislative Services Division Committee Reports | Word Perfect, PDF, Access database back end in development | HTML | none listed |
| Montana Legislative Library | Montana Legislative Committee Exhibits, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 | Kodak image software, Canon scanner | TIFF | on CD and LAN at Leg Services |
| Montana Legislative Library | Legislative Services Division Legal/Research memos and reports | Word Perfect, PDF, Access database back end in development | none listed | |
| William P Sherman Library and Archive, Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation | In planning stages--We Proceed On and various other L&C publications out of copyright; digitize all but the current 2-3 years; in cooperation with the Jefference Library in Monticello and L&C College Library in Portland, OR | none listed | none listed | none listed |
