|
Libraries throughout the world have or are in the process of creating
digital libraries. Some of the more prominent examples are the Library
of Congress American Memory
project and the Cornell University/University of Michigan Making
of America. Other, lesser well-known examples come out of smaller
institutions, such as Brigham Young University's Digital
Library.
What many of these digital libraries have in common is the fact that
the digital collection is often built around an existing collection of
material by full time staff devoted to the project. Often, libraries will
receive grants to digitize and make available a particular collection
of materials. As an alternative approach, the Hekman Library decided to
create a Digital Archive infrastructure regardless of the collection.
The HDA system works much in the same way as WebCat, the library's catalog.
Library staff have a piece of client software with which they create catalog
records for digital files. The main difference between the HDA and WebCat
is that HDA records point to items that are actually contained within
the HDA itself, while WebCat records point to items held in different
locations throughout the Library.
Another difference between WebCat and the HDA is the number of Library
staff devoted to entering and maintaining the data. Instead of devoting
library staff time to entering items into the HDA, the Library has instead
set up a system that allows participants to enter images and data. While
there are some obvious dangers at allowing numerous non-librarians to
enter data into a controlled library system, the Library has created a
solution to help keep errors at a minimum: HDAQ.
The system that the Hekman Library purchased for its digital archive
is called Hyperion, a piece of software created to work in conjunction
with the software used for the library's catalog, Unicorn (both created
by Sirsi Inc.). Hyperion and Unicorn are both client-based software, with
the intention that library staff will use the software to maintain the
content of both WebCat and the HDA. However, since the Hekman Library
does not have the capacity to hire librarians who can devote their full
time workload to the HDA, a system was created to allow participants to
help load the material.
The HDAQ is a web-based upload system that participants
can log into, load images to be processed, and enter metadata (in consultation
with the Electronic Services Librarian). After images and metadata have been entered
into HDAQ, library staff are able to check the quality of the files, and
once approved, upload them into the HDA.
|
Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 