P1253037182xRLoN

1
Documenting The American South By Don
Chalfant, Ingrid Pohl, and Ying Zhang April 23,
2002
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An Introduction to DocSouth Sponsored by
the Academic Affairs Library at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, DocSouth digitizes
and provides digital access to sources on
Southern history, literature and culture from
colonial period through the first decades of the
20th century. DocSouth now includes 1,140 books
and manuscripts which are organized into the next
six parts

• First person Narratives of the American South
• Library of Southern Literature
• North American Slave Narratives
• The Southern Homefront, 1861-1865
• The Church in the Southern Black Community
• The North Carolina Experience, Beginnings to 1940

3
Users of DocSouth

• Faculty
• Librarians
• Homeschoolers
• Graduate Students
• Undergraduates
• K-12 students
• Retirees
• General Public

4
Who works for DocSouth

• Natalia Smith the Digitization Librarian who
  heads the Digitization Section within the
  Collection Development Department. She supervises
  all the activities in DocSouth, either managerial
  or technical
• Jill the Digital Project Librarian who assists
  Natasha
• Graduate Assistants the stuff who scan pictures,
  encode text, do cataloging and coordinating
  digitization activities for DocSouth. They are
  the encoders, digitizers, catalogers and
  coordinators of DocSouth.

5
Partners of DocSouth

• NCC the abbreviation for North Carolina
  Collection. Books and manuscripts to be digitized
  by DocSouth come from this collection. Graduate
  assistants need to retrieve items from this
  collection before they conduct digitization.
• Outsourcing Companies Key in texts (photocopies)
  into computer and mail the digital format back to
  DocSouth

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Basic Terminologies

• Encoding Digitizing text using XGML schema. It
  is done by an encoder.
• Scanning Either scanning an imprint image into a
  graphic file or OCR text to be ready for
  encoding. The task is done by a digitizer.
• Photographic Cataloging catalog the scanned
  images
• Text Cataloging done by the Davis Library
  catalogers
• In-house the digitization process done within
  DocSouth workshop
• Outsourcing the digitization process outsourced
  to an outside company
• Photocopy photocopies of the original items to
  be sent to outsourcing companies. It is done by a
  digitizer.
• Batch Numbers the number assigned to a stack of
  photocopies to be outsourced

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DocSouth
Is encoding complete? Are there images to be
cataloged? Is a list created for cataloging?
NCC
Is encoding is done so I can take over the
process? What book do I need to get from NCC?
Have I added Pub to the computer file when I
published the item.
Is the schedule for items to be copied and
scanned ready? Are the copies ready for shipping?
Do I need to update status reports?
I need to provide DocSouth the items to be
digitized and make a circulation record
Natasha
Jill
What new titles appear on Book Title List? Go and
get a title from NCC to work on! Have I added my
name on the list when I finished photocopying?
Is there cataloging to do? Go and retrieve the
book form NCC. I need to notify Jill when
cataloging is done!
Coordinator
I need to contact DocSouth for photocopies and
then send the digital forms back to it.
Digitizer
I need to put my initial on the computer file on
I drive I am working on now and add donethe
file name when I finish.
Cataloger
Encoder
Outsourcing Company
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Problems Of The System

• Progress reported in different tracking systems
  book title list, computer files and status report
• No place of central control to keep track of
  items status

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Current Tracking System - Overview

• Tracking procedure is inconsistent across all
  processes.
• 4 main steps photocopying/scanning, encoding,
  publishing, cataloging photographs
• NC Collection all materials returned each day.
• Outsourcing and In house processing

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Current System - Outsource

• Step 1 Photocopying and Scanning/Image
  Manipulation
• Copies are sent to vendor for basic text
  entry/encoding. (rough draft)
• Images are saved in file on I drive for later
  use.
• Tracking system Printed list taped to table.

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Current System (cont.)

• Step 2 - Encoding
• Computer files return from outsource vendor.
• Files are copied to I drive.
• Tracking System - Employees add initials to
  filename.

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Current System (cont.)

• King.ae
• Hospital.ae
• Smith-mk.ae
• Bartram-done.ae
• Lawson-pub.ae
• Asylum.ae
• Geography-dc.ae

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Current System (cont.)

• Step 3 Publishing
• Encoded files are given final check.
• Files are published on website.
• Tracking system DocSouth Librarian adds pub
  to file name.

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Current System (cont.)

• Step 4 - Photo cataloging (wildcard)
• Can be done at any stage of operation
• Text file is copied to employees folder on I
  drive.
• Tracking system Verbal. Employee notifies
  Digital Project Librarian when finished.

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Current System (cont.)

• Final Procedure
• Catalogers Davis library
• Status Report

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Information does not flow
Cataloging List --provide a list of images to be
cataloged
Digital Project Librarian --supervise
encoding --create a list of images To be cataloged
Digital texts
Outsourcing Companies --key in texts into
computer --send back the digital file
Book Title List --provide a list of titles to be
outsourced - batch number --requests signature of
stuff concerned --requests progress report of
outsourcing
Image information
Progress
Photographic Cataloger --retrieve item from
NCC --catalog scanned images
Batches of photocopies
Information does not flow
Coordinator --update the status report --schedule
stuff to be digitized --schedule shipping for
outsourcing
Titles
Progress
Librarian at NCC --prepare items to be
digitized --supervise item circulation Between
DocSouth and NCC
Digitizer --retrieve item from NCC --photocopy
--scan images -- retrieve books from
NCC --submit end product
Book or Manuscript
updates
Filled Circulation Forms
Status Report --keep record of the process of
each item
Items to be published
Information does not flow
Encoder --retrieve books from NCC --encode text
using XGML
Progress
Digital Librarian --select titles to be
digitized --prepare encoding computer
files --retrieve items from NCC --publish final
product
Progress report
Titles
Text to be cataloged
Text Cataloger (Davis) --catalog texts
Progress
Computer File I Drive --provide a list of titles
to be encoded --request progress report Of
encoding
Information does not flow
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Proposed System

• Staff know if a book is being used
• Comprehensive tracking system of project
• All staff members can view the status report
• Staff members update their own progress
• Eliminates intermediate tracking steps
• Reduces the number of tracking items

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North Carolinians and the Great War Released and
Upcoming Titles Status Report The production
chart below provides information on the status of
each electronic text in the digitization process.
A solid red block indicates that the phase has
been completed a partial red block indicates
that the work on this phase has begun. The chart
is updated on a continual basis.
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Text Photocopier Image Scanner
DAS Status Report
DAS Progress Update Form
Find next title
Submit image status
Text Photocopier Image Scanner
Submit text status
Book
Image Files
Photocopies
Outsource Company
Image File Folder
North Carolina Collection
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Image Cataloguer
DAS Status Report
Check if book is in use
DAS Progress Update Form
Submit status
Image Cataloguer
Cataloging
Database
Book
North Carolina Collection
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Text Encoder
Text File
Change file name to DONE
Encode text document
Text Encoder
DAS Status Report
Check if book is in use
Submit encoding status and statistics
Book
DAS Progress Update Form
North Carolina Collection
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Web Server
Digitization Librarian
Text File
DONE File
DAS Status Report
Publish to Web
DAS Digitization Librarian
Monitor project status daily
DAS Progress Update Form
Submit WWW status
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Text File
Web Server
Change file name to DONE
Encode text document
DONE File
Publish to Web
DAS Status Report
Text Encoder
Check if book is in use
Monitor project status daily
DAS Digitization Librarian
Submit encoding status
Update Report
Submit WWW status
DAS Progress Update Form
Check if book is in use
Book
Find next title
Submit status
Submit text status
Image Cataloguer
Text Photocopier Image Scanner
Submit image status
Cataloging
DB
Book
Image Files
Photocopies
Book
Outsource Company
Image File Folder
North Carolina Collection
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Conclusions

• Extended status report provides better tracking
  of materials
• Solution will require limited resources to create
• Implementation can be done through training
• Management will need to enforce use of report.

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Suggestions

• Locate files for encoding on status report.
• Fully incorporate cataloging into digitization
  process.