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
Ryan O’Grady ◦ Digitization Specialist, Wright State University Libraries Digital Services
William McIntire◦ Reference Librarian/Archivist, Dayton Metro Library
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