Digital Archives and Institutional Repositories A Sabbatical Report

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Digital Archives and Institutional
RepositoriesA Sabbatical Report

• Dorothy Byers
• Engineering Library
• July 20, 2005

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Three purposes

1. Investigate USC Digital Archives and use of
   Documentum, contemplated for use at OhioLINKs
   Digital Resource Commons (DRC)
2. Prepare a pilot engineering repository with
   state-wide potential on DRC
3. Set the story straight on Joseph B. Strauss,
   Chief Engineer of Golden Gate Bridge and UC
   graduate

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1. USC and Documentum

• Worked in metadata group at USC October-December
  2004
• Prepared metadata for photo archives
• Attended meetings of teams working on migration
  from home-grown legacy system to Documentum
• Reported difficulties with the migration to
  OhioLINK

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2. Institutional repositories

• Studied MITs DSpace in depth October 04 and
  February 05
• Visited CalTech and CODA team in December 04
• Prepared proposal for OhioLINKs DRC to house
  tech reports of UCs Electrical and Computer
  Engineering Department
• Now waiting while OhioLINK develops the DRC using
  Fedora in lieu of Documentum
• Will advise DRC during development

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3. Joseph B. Strauss

• Conducted research about Strauss
• Cincinnati Historical Society
• American Jewish Archive
• Stanford Archives
• Berkeley Archives (Water Resources and also
  Environmental Design)
• Began web site about Strauss

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3. Strauss cont.

• Web site about Strauss
• Correct false information recently published (re
  credentials)
• PBS American Experience DVD Golden Gate Bridge
• Case of the missing engineer article
• Shed light on Strauss separate from the Golden
  Gate Bridge

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What was learned?

• Digital archives
• takes VERY sophisticated staff and equipment
• open access software may be worth the effort
• Institutional repositories (IR)
• Simple systems lack
• searching across collections
• ability to manage wide variety of media
• object-to-object relationship definitions
• Harvesting capabilities

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What was learned cont.

• Institutional repositories cont.
• Complex systems
• Require manpower
• Are costly, especially if proprietary
• Open access seems most promising
• Metadata are all-important
• Require some PR
• For departments to participate
• For patrons to benefit

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What was learned cont.

• Joseph B. Strauss web site
• Initial attempt to use Dreamweaver
• How to mount various types of materials
• Tricks of the trade in doing archival research
  and documenting findings
• Facts about Strauss
• Civil Engineering curriculum verified in UC
  course bulletins
• Taught at UC, verified in UC Board minutes
• Was active during time he was reported missing
  from the GGB site

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What next?

• Institutional repository
• Build engineering repository at OhioLINKs DRC
• Encourage engineering colleagues state-wide to
  participate
• Strauss research
• Expand web site
• DREAM get grant to create digital archive of
  primary materials relating to Strauss, requiring
  collaboration among many institutions

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Sites to view

• USC Digital Archive
• http//digarc.usc.edu8089/
• Institutional repositories
• MITs Dspace
• http//libraries.mit.edu/dspace-mit/index.html
• CalTechs CODA
• http//library.caltech.edu/digital/
• OhioLINKs DMC (existing Digital Media Center)
• http//dmc.ohiolink.edu/
• OhioLINKs DRC development pages (expansion of
  the DMC)
• http//drc-dev.ohiolink.edu/wiki

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Sites to view cont

• Fedora, IR open access software
• http//www.fedora.info/
• Strauss web site (under construction)
• http//www.engrlib.uc.edu/strauss/
• My sabbatical blog
• http//dfbdas.blogspot.com/