MAIN LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, ST. AUGUSTINE TRINIDAD

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• MAIN LIBRARYTHE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES,
  ST. AUGUSTINETRINIDAD TOBAGO
• DIGITAL INITIATIVE PROJECT
• KATHLEEN HELENESE-PAUL

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INTRODUCTION

• This project involves the establishment of a
  digital initiative at the University of the West
  Indies, St. Augustine Trinidad and Tobago.

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INTRODUCTION

• It will have as its focus the digitization of the
  University Librarys special collections in order
  to provide to the people of the Caribbean region
  and beyond, access to these collections in
  digital format.

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OBJECTIVES

• To preserve the documents
• To improve access
• To increase the awareness
  of the Universitys special collections

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GOALS

• To convert the library's special collections (our
  cultural heritage) from print format to
  electronic format.
• To widen access to a new community of users so
  that more active scholarship is facilitated.

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GOALS

• To promote collaboration in the region with
  institutions which may have similar thematic
  collections and similar plans.

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BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT

• The material acquired over the periods 1983, 1988
  and 1993, and which is housed at the library,
  includes
• Illustrations in Indian ink, poster paint and
  watercolors of the stage sets, scenes and
  costumes, of the Joker of Seville including
  posters and programmes.

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BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT

• A substantial collection of manuscripts of plays,
  poems, sketchbooks, photographs, correspondence,
  music scores, reel to reel tapes, and paintings.
• Drafts and illustrations of his extended poem
  Omeros, 1992.

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BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT

• The collection is inventoried in a seven-page
  typescript prepared by Mrs. Irma Goldstraw, and
  is also entered in a CDS/ISIS database entitled
  DEREK.

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RATIONALE

• In 1999, the University of Toronto acquired Derek
  Walcott material relating to his work from the
  early 1980's to mid 1990's.
• It is therefore timely of our institution to
  begin to prepare for possible institutional
  alliances.

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RATIONALE

• There are similar initiatives in various stages
  in universities in the region, viz. The Virgin
  Islands, Guadeloupe, and the University of
  Technology, Jamaica.

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RATIONALE

• The project therefore advocates that this
  venture, while starting at U.W.I., St. Augustine
  can extend itself in the long term to become a
  cooperative regional-based initiative, involving
  other libraries, museums and archives.

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METHODOLOGY

• Managed and undertaken in-house by the University
  Library to gain the advantage of developing
  digital imaging project experience by "active
  involvement" (project management, familiarity
  with technology, etc.)

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METHODOLOGY

• Capitalize on project experience in order to
  build expertise, systems and services best suited
  to the needs of the institution.

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METHODOLOGY

• Recruit and train relevant personnel for
  selection, document preparation and benchmarking
  for quality control.

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TIME FRAME

• This is a four -year project
• Year 1 Establishment Stage
• Development of policy
• Training

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TIME FRAME

• Year 2- Development stage
• Scanning and indexing of materials
  undergraduates.
• Technical quality control checks - in-house
  staff.
• File management cataloguer.

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TIME FRAME

• Years 3 and 4 Finishing stage
• Networking
• Developing of a web-based product
• Development of workstations leading to user
  access to the digital image, all done by in-house
  staff

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OUTCOME

• This project aims
• To produce a networked deliverable electronic
  product of a substantial portion of Derek
  Walcotts early works, in order to provide a new
  means of scholarship.

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OUTCOME

• To increase national, regional and international
  audiences and further complement the collection
  of his later works held at the University of
  Toronto.

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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MARKETING

• To produce CD-ROMs, and generate thumbnails and
  access images, for example JPEGs and /or GIFs
  from TIFFs, and the development of websites.

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MANAGEMENT

• The Campus Librarian Dr. Margaret Rouse-Jones of
  the U.W.I., St.Augustine Library has been
  recently named as a member of the Regional
  Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean of
  the UNESCO Memory of the World, thereby ensuring
  a committed Management stake in the project.

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MANAGEMENT

• Collaboration between the three agencies mainly
  responsible for the collection and oversight of
  Trinidad and Tobagos documentary heritage

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MANAGEMENT

• The National Archives
• The Heritage Library of the National Library and
  Information Systems Authority (NALIS)
• The University of the West Indies Library, the
  West Indiana and Special Collections Division.

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MANAGEMENT

• Ultimately, it is hoped that not only would the
  project provide the benchmark for similar
  initiatives in the region, but also
• Contribute towards collaborative efforts with
  regard to the rationalization and preservation of
  the nations documentary heritage.

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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

• Scanning at the highest resolution appropriate to
  the informational content of the originals
• Scanning at an appropriate level of quality to
  avoid rescanning and re-handling of the originals
  in the future
• Creating and storing a master image file that can
  be used to produce derivative image files and
  serve a variety of current and future user needs

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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

• Using system components that are non-proprietary
• Using image file formats and compression
  techniques that conform to industry standards
• Creating backup copies of all files on a stable
  medium
• Creating meaningful metadata for image files or
  collections

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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

• Storing media in an appropriate environment
• Monitoring and recopying data as necessary
• Outlining a migration strategy for transferring
  data across generations of technology
• Anticipating and planning for future
  technological developments

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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS HARDWARE

• PC/Macintosh
• Large screen monitor (preferably 21")
• Planetary Scanner
• Digital camera
• CD-recorder
• Back-up drive (DAT, zip or jaz)
• Color/black and white printer

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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS SOFTWARE

• There are three types of software needed for most
  digital imaging projects
• The first is the scanning software that comes
  with the scanner.
• The second type of software is the image editing
  software, normally applied to the image after it
  has been scanned.

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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS SOFTWARE

• Thirdly, Batch-processing software takes a large
  set of files and automatically performs the same
  process on them.

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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS SOFTWARE

• Additionally, for creating bibliographic records
  for the items converted, some kind of database
  management software must also be available to the
  Library. A relational database management system
  is preferred here.

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STORING IMAGES

• Storage media
• Removable hard drives
• CD-ROM
• Tape

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STORING IMAGES

• The issue of access will be covered using the
  most common "model" for digital projects which is
  to store master images offline on CD-ROM, and to
  make accessible thumbnail versions
• Master images may be viewed upon request, in
  person, from the CD-ROM.

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STAFFING

• Project management
• Database development and administration
• Cataloging
• Computer programming
• Web design

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STAFFING

• Subject matter specialists (curators, archivists,
  scholars, librarians, faculty, etc.)
• Knowledge/experience in the preservation of
  materials
• Knowledge/experience in photography

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STAFFING

• Artistic/graphic design
• Interest in fine arts, music, art history,
  humanities, sciences, and history--any subject
  matter that the digitization project may
  encompass.

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WORK PLAN

• Initial conversion starts with quality
  benchmarking and assessing the dimensions of a
  selected document and its significant detail(s).
• Scanning and indexing will include the capture,
  file formatting, compression, metadata creation,
  quality control, and authentication.

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WORK PLAN

• File management will include storage, backup,
  scaling for access, error detection, correction,
  and migration.
• Networking will examine what is needed for
  servers, protocols, authorization, and scalable
  architecture.

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WORK PLAN

• Display of the electronic information will
  include decompression, integration with image
  browser, and magnification.
• Printing the electronic information will include
  decompression, page language interpretation,
  dithering, and scaling.

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WORK PLAN

• A procedure's manual developed for managing a
  digital project will need to reflect the full
  workflow.

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IN-HOUSE RESOURCES

• Digital project coordinator (Librarian)
• Database development and administration skills
• CDS-ISIS database of the Derek Walcott collection
• Printed inventory of the collection
• HP flat bed scanner

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BUDGET EQUIPMENT

• PC/Macintosh USD 2000
• Large screen monitor (preferably 21") USD 1000
• Planetary Scanner USD 30000
• Digital camera USD 1200
• CD-recorder USD 800
• Back-up drive (DAT, zip or jaz) USD 300
• Color/black and white printer USD 1000
• SUB TOTAL- US36,300

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BUDGET SOFTWARE

• Image database software USD 1000
• Web design software USD 200
• Authoring software USD 4000
• OCR software USD 800
• Scanning software USD 200
• Software for writing
• and producing CDs USD 200
• SUBTOTAL- US 6,400

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BUDGETHUMAN RESOURCES

• Consultant (International expert with specific
  experience in a library based digital
  initiative.) USD 5000
• Cataloguer(f/t).. USD1500x 12 mths
  USD18,000
• Text Keyer/Encoder (p/t) USD 450 x 12 mths
  USD 5400
• Imaging Technician (p/t) USD 450 x 12 mths
  USD 5400
• SUBTOTAL- US33,800

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BUDGET STAFF TRAINING

• Imaging, Authoring, Quality Control
  USD 3000
• (one full time staff member and two
  undergraduates)
• GRAND TOTAL US 79,500

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• MAIN LIBRARYTHE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES,
  ST. AUGUSTINETRINIDAD TOBAGO
• DIGITAL INITIATIVE PROJECT
• KATHLEEN HELENESE-PAUL