Wright Brothers Newspaper Digitization Project...This Excel document was very important to keeping...

Wright Brothers Newspaper Digitization ProjectA JOINT PROJECT BY THE DAYTON METRO LIBRARY &

THE WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Origins of the CollaborationBoth Dayton Metro Library and Wright State University Libraries Special Collections & Archives house various runs of these Wright Brothers newspapers:

◦ Dayton Metro Library’s issues were Orville’s personal copies, willed to the library after his death in 1948

◦ Wright State’s issues were those that came with the Wright Brothers Collection deeded to WSU in 1975 by the Wright family, as well as sporadic issues in a few other collections

Approximately 150 issues (about 752 pages) included in the project

Origins of the CollaborationCollaboration originated out of the desire to create an online archive of the most complete run possible of all Wright Brothers Newspapers, available to researchers worldwide

◦ DML had a very complete run of issues but not the resources to digitize from the originals

◦ WSUL had the needed equipment and staff but instances of only half of all available issues in existence

◦ The Greenwood Family, a donor to the WSU Communications Dept., gave $2000 towards the project

Spring 2014: WSUL approached DML to discuss partnership project

July 2014: Partners signed a joint project agreement, detailing the project parameters and each partner’s responsibilities

August 2014: DML’s copies of the WB newspapers delivered to WSUL to begin project◦ Double-checked all issues against inventory promptly upon arrival

History of the Wright Brothers Newspapers

History of the Wright Brothers Newspapers

History of the Wright Brothers Newspapers

The Newspapers at the Dayton Metro Library

2010/11Microfilm Digitization Project

Library Construction and Partnership with Wright State University Libraries

Partnership with Wright State University Libraries

Examination of Each Institution’s Holdings Compared the item-level listings of individual issues in all relevant collection finding aids

Examination of Each Institution’s Holdings Created a complete inventory of all available issues, in Excel documentFirst was issue level; later realized sheet level was neededThis Excel document was very important to keeping track of all the issues:

Initial, issue-level inventory:

More detailed, sheet-level inventory:

Selection Issues to DigitizeOnly the best copy of any duplicate issues would be digitized. Filename and metadata would indicate whose copy it was.

Ryan and Lisa physically compared all duplicate issues to determine the best copy.◦ Considerations: fading, bleed-through, brittleness, crumbling, missing pieces

Preparation of Issues for DigitizationAll issues were encapsulated:

◦ Needed to be un-encapsulated for digitization (preferably)

Developed strategy with Preservation Archivist of a safe way to “package” the un-encapsulated issues:

◦ 20-point oversize folders

◦ 5-7 sheets per folder

◦ Interleaved with oversize permalife paper

◦ Oversize boxes, 5 folders each

Preparation Challenge: Supply SavingsSupply needs: oversize boxes, folders, and interleaving paper

◦ Boxes & folders used frequently, would likely find future use relatively “soon”

◦ Not as much use for 150 sheets of oversize permalife paper cut to a very specific size

Divided the project into 3 batches to minimize amount of supplies we had to purchase: Only 1/3 of the newspapers would need to be

“batch packaged” at any one time

Saved money by re-using the same 2 boxes, 10 folders, and ~50 sheets of paper 3 times “Pennies” by foreverseptember (Flickr)

Preparation of Issues for DigitizationUn-encapsulated by slitting 3 sides of the mylar, then sliding the permalife sheet underneath, then lifted the permalife paper with the issue on top into the folder

Preparation Challenge: Tape ProblemsSome issues had double-sided tape in unfortunate places and could not be removed from the mylar safely

We did not notice/foresee this when selecting, or we might not have selected that copy

Luck: we had more than 1 copy of all issues having this problem

More luck: Ryan scanned these issues through the mylar

A Later Challenge: Re-encapsulationAll items encapsulated, most using the double-sided tape method

Once the sides were slit, there was not enough extra remaining to re-seal

New mylar will be needed to re-encapsulate

Estimates of re-encapsulation cost (~$500) developed & considered during planning stage

Post-digitization, newspapers are temporarily replaced in their old mylar for some degree of protection

Each institution will be responsible for re-encapsulating its own items as it sees fit

This cost considered as part of the in-kind costs of the project partners

Preparation of Issues for DigitizationLabeled each folder with the issues contained, number of sheets, which institution, and the original storage location to which they should be returned:

Preparation of Issues for DigitizationUpdated the Excel spreadsheet with batch and storage information about each issue

◦ Full inventory in date title/date order, with batch/location info & pull/refile date

Preparation of Issues for DigitizationUpdated the Excel spreadsheet with batch and storage information about each issue

◦ Batch list in batch box/folder order, as well as batch totals (pages, sheets, copies by institution)

Preparation of Issues for DigitizationPaper trail in all boxes: where is each issue now, and where does it belong again later?

Batch list in project box

Digitization Process | Indus BookScanner

Foam Core Board

Newspapers | Folders to Indus BookScanner

Sliding Archival Permalife Paper

BookScanner 9000 in Action

Digitization Challenges- Cleaning Glass Platen

Digitization Challenges-Newspaper

Debris/Crumbles

Digitization Challenges- Flipping Newspapers

Digitization Challenges-Encapsulated Newspapers-Glare from mylar under glass platen

Digitization Challenges- Split Newspapers-Aligning split newspapers under glass platen

-Made for a seamless crop during the post editing process

Virtual Library Capture Software

VLCS - Editing Toolbar

VLCS - Settings

Master Folder Creation

Original Master Images/Edited Images- Naming Conventions

Editing Process | Photoshop

Editing Process-Rotating and Aligning

Editing Process-Using Gridlines for an Even Border and More Alignment

Adobe Acrobat-Combining Edited TIFF Images

Adobe Acrobat-Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Final Searchable PDF File

Shooting from Originals vs. Microfilm

Wright Brothers’ Newspapers OnlineWright State’s CORE Scholar managed by Digital Services: http://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/wright_news/

Dayton Metro Library’s Dayton Remembers digital image site: http://content.daytonmetrolibrary.org/

Questions? Thanks!Lisa Rickey

◦ Archivist for Digital Initiatives & Outreach, Wright State University Libraries Special Collections & Archives

◦ lisa.rickey@wright.edu

Ryan O’Grady ◦ Digitization Specialist, Wright State University Libraries Digital Services

◦ ryan.ogrady@wright.edu

William McIntire◦ Reference Librarian/Archivist, Dayton Metro Library

◦ wmcintire@daytonmetrolibrary.org

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