Friday, December 17, 2010
Field Trip #3 - Anderson Library
The adventure to Anderson Library started when we decided to meet on campus and drive as a group (it seemed the most logical as Sonja has no driver's license, and Becky is a bit handicapped). We all quickly learned that it was Graduation on campus and getting there, let alone finding places to park was somewhat of a challenge. But we met up and went on our way to the Library....or so we thought. We got a little lost, but we did see people plowing out TCF Stadium, Dinky town, both sides of the river, the back doors to the caverns, Wilson Library, etc. Basically we took an unexpected tour of the U. But after much searching we made our way over snow drifts to Anderson Library. From there we started the project of building an enclosure. Becky and I worked together on this as she had only the use of one and half hands. It went really well to be honest. We decided to use the heavier card stock as the book we were working on was an older hardcover book. Actually it worked out really well, as bending the heavy card stock was somewhat difficult. But in the end we claimed victory and got a very tight fitting enclosure. After that we went on our tour of the caverns and the building. I couldn't believe how big the caverns were! Especially when Tim said that there was room for 17 of them! It actually really reminded me of the FargoDome (where I worked for 6 years) which also has that poured concrete base to it that the caverns had. I did find it somewhat surprising that the humidity was so high in the caverns. I guess I had not thought about how the river and groundwater in that area would increase the humidity. I suppose that environmental control systems really become important when you go to less common environments such as 90 ft. under the surface. I thought the library was really interesting, I especially liked the displays, you can tell that people put a lot of effort into creating and displaying the objects. I found it funny that a lot of the reading rooms had been converted into other areas, generally storage for a specific collection. It gave the impression that space was becoming a problem, which made sense when Tim explained that down in the caverns they out-grew their space in 10 years. Overall I really liked the tour, even with the whole getting lost thing that started it!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Game: Finished!
This last week I finished The Game project. Or at least I finished my groups part of the project. I am very interested to see how the Admins will format everything. I wonder if they will send a final copy out to the class, hopefully they will. Overall I felt that the Game was a very interesting project for the class to work on. I did think that organizing such a large project was much more difficult than it seemed it would be. I had thought that the Game would turn out a bit differently than it has, but I like that it developed the way it did. I think it would be really interesting to see how other classes have developed their version of this. In general I felt that my group worked extremely well together. I must say that Becky was really helpful to getting us motivated and moving. She really found a lot of the research that helped us to get a basis for what we would then need in the future, which was amazing. I also felt that using Google Docs was great. We all chose various colors to write in so we cold see what everyone else had done, and the chat option was fantastic! It made it really easy to have everyone be online at the same time, which gave us the opportunity to have discussions where we could easily see what everyone was doing. It was a little hard with 6 people to find times to meet, but in general I felt that everyone in Tech Services did their homework and pulled their weight. I also worked extensively on the budget for the creation of the Repair Area. I liked working on it, but there were definitely some communication issues between the department heads. Looking back it may have been helpful for all of us to have had more than 1 meeting with just the Department Heads.
---Update: I was asked to look over the final document as well. I said that I have time before class on Dec 9th, so I figured I should help....so now I get to look at formatting and such. 47 pages, this should be interesting!
---Update: I was asked to look over the final document as well. I said that I have time before class on Dec 9th, so I figured I should help....so now I get to look at formatting and such. 47 pages, this should be interesting!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Class - Dec 2nd, Readings - Ch. 6 & 17
Class this week was discussing digital preservation which was very interesting as there are so many form of digital items. I really was not surprised, but interested, when I realized that so much of digital preservation had to do with Metadata. I am currently taking Metadata, and working on cataloging a digital collection with some of my classmates, and I can totally see how it connects to Preservation and Conservation. I found it interesting that when you start looking at cataloging digital items one of the main things you need to think about is access. I knew (somewhere in the back of my mind) that other countries, like China, had restrictions on what people could see as far as digital information, but I had not thought about how you catalog something you can also influence people's access to information. It was also interesting as the two types of digital items influence the issues with digital media. If something is born digital I believe that it is easier to preserve it. That is not to say that an item would be in danger of losing some of its integrity if you migrate it to another digital medium; however, it is more likely that this problem would be prominent if the item you wish to migrate was made into a digital item from a CD, or something.
My group also met briefly to discuss the game. We mostly went over what little we needed to finish, when it needed to be done so I could do the final editing as well as how we were going to be doing the editing section of the work. I also updated my group on the budget proposal that I had been working on for not only the Tech Services department, but 2 others as well. I had been spending the last week compiling information on the creation of the repair area and putting together a budget for it. It was actually more difficult than I thought it would be. Mostly the hard part was making sure that we weren't doubling-up on items between departments. There ended up being a lot more items than I thought there would be. Plus I had to research what we could use to create the space that would be reasonable in cost, durable, and have plenty of storage. It was interesting to say the least.
Chapter 6: Issues in Digital Archiving
In this chapter one line really stood out to me, "...professional librarians are uniquely qualified to take up the technological challenge. But if we do not, we will contribute to the stagnation of our own profession as well as fail in our responsibility to civilization. (p. 99)" This was especially important to me as I can see that lacking in keeping up with technology could create a self-damaging cycle for librarians and libraries. If you do not have the newest form of technology at your disposal, then how do you keep patrons interested? However, how to you keep materials in a useful form if the newest digital technology is not compatible or feasible? Users may wish their library had iPads to check out, but is that really the best way for a library to use its resources? Still as librarians we need to look at the long-term affects technology will be and is having on the environment we work in.
Chapter 17: Digitization for Preservation and Access
This chapter was somewhat repetitive, but its basic concepts were laid out very clearly. I can understand that microfilm is a great product for many libraries. We had already learned that if stored and taken care of correctly it has an extremely long life, but for many patrons, microfilm is not a good source for information. Personally, I would much rather look at a PDF rather than microfilm. It was interesting to me that there are not really standards or guidelines for digital media. I would have thought that the ALA or IFLA or someone would have started to come up with a general set of digital guidelines, as digitization of objects is really becoming a priority for libraries/librarians. Of course that also falls into the sad fact that most digital media is not thought of in the long-term. It reminds me of the new version of planet of the apes. In that there is a library, with a digital custodian (or librarian, if you will). the books have crumbled away and the custodians program is starting to fall apart. At that point I always wonder, didn't they have a backup plan? Of course it doesn't come to this, but if your digital collection is gone, and you have no physical collection anymore, then what precautions did you take to insure you had materials for the future?
My group also met briefly to discuss the game. We mostly went over what little we needed to finish, when it needed to be done so I could do the final editing as well as how we were going to be doing the editing section of the work. I also updated my group on the budget proposal that I had been working on for not only the Tech Services department, but 2 others as well. I had been spending the last week compiling information on the creation of the repair area and putting together a budget for it. It was actually more difficult than I thought it would be. Mostly the hard part was making sure that we weren't doubling-up on items between departments. There ended up being a lot more items than I thought there would be. Plus I had to research what we could use to create the space that would be reasonable in cost, durable, and have plenty of storage. It was interesting to say the least.
Chapter 6: Issues in Digital Archiving
In this chapter one line really stood out to me, "...professional librarians are uniquely qualified to take up the technological challenge. But if we do not, we will contribute to the stagnation of our own profession as well as fail in our responsibility to civilization. (p. 99)" This was especially important to me as I can see that lacking in keeping up with technology could create a self-damaging cycle for librarians and libraries. If you do not have the newest form of technology at your disposal, then how do you keep patrons interested? However, how to you keep materials in a useful form if the newest digital technology is not compatible or feasible? Users may wish their library had iPads to check out, but is that really the best way for a library to use its resources? Still as librarians we need to look at the long-term affects technology will be and is having on the environment we work in.
Chapter 17: Digitization for Preservation and Access
This chapter was somewhat repetitive, but its basic concepts were laid out very clearly. I can understand that microfilm is a great product for many libraries. We had already learned that if stored and taken care of correctly it has an extremely long life, but for many patrons, microfilm is not a good source for information. Personally, I would much rather look at a PDF rather than microfilm. It was interesting to me that there are not really standards or guidelines for digital media. I would have thought that the ALA or IFLA or someone would have started to come up with a general set of digital guidelines, as digitization of objects is really becoming a priority for libraries/librarians. Of course that also falls into the sad fact that most digital media is not thought of in the long-term. It reminds me of the new version of planet of the apes. In that there is a library, with a digital custodian (or librarian, if you will). the books have crumbled away and the custodians program is starting to fall apart. At that point I always wonder, didn't they have a backup plan? Of course it doesn't come to this, but if your digital collection is gone, and you have no physical collection anymore, then what precautions did you take to insure you had materials for the future?
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Class- Nov 18th, Readings - Ch. 18
This class was spent talking about Photographs, which was a very interesting genre for preservation for me. I found the idea of working on photographs to be a very interesting one as it is something that everyone deals with, regardless of age or generation. However I liked how we discussed how Photographs and other non-paper formats of items have different preservation strategies, especially when you start talking about Preservation of digital items. However, I had not really realized how many different forms of non-paper items there were. We discussed Transparencies, something I remember from my elementary school days, as well as Art and clay tablets. These types of item seem to me like more of a museum piece, however I can see how special libraries, such as a presidential library would catalog these types of items along with the other items. Look a the FDR Presidential Library where the library is part of a historical complex comprising multiple buildings!
Most of this class period we discussed various aspects of The Game. My group went over each of the points in our section of the checklist. I also posted our rough draft for the Admins on the Wiki. Beyond this, I realized that the best way to show how our work is developing is to post various updates of our work to the wiki as well. I had not realized that using a Google Doc (which I feel is working very well) would make it difficult for the Admins or the Prof to see what we have been doing. I think its important to look at the work in process, not just the final project. I have also been working on the budget to set up the area in Tech Services, which has become more of a project than I had first thought it would be. I have really only gotten one departments supply list, which is somewhat frustrating. However, I do know other Department Heads are looking at the budget stuff, so hopefully I get more info soon (Of course, its Thanksgiving break, so I can't really expect that much). I do need to look at how the physical space needs to be set up. I am thinking that using Kitchen counters from IKEA would work the best at this point. I like these items because they are durable, and they have a lot of free-standing items so they would be movable, and it would be easy to get. Also, I think the Kitchen counter stuff would be practical for this type of project because in general it is already organized for various sized items and the counter-tops are made to withstand use. So I am going to look into this as it seems to be my decision now.
Chapter 18: Preservation of Information in Nonpaper Formats
I found it very interesting that some of the drawback to non-paper formats was that a lot of them deteriorate more rapidly than paper and a lot of them are machine dependent. I had not realized that things like photos would not last as long as book, but it makes sense. Photos, for example, are so acidic that they would take a very special environment to keep them in good condition. I would expect that this would have very different humidity and temperature controls than that of books. I would expect both would need to be lower in fact. Also, I had not realized that copying materials is really how preservation of nonpaper formats is how you preserve it! I mean, its strange to think that sometimes the best we can do is make a copy of something. What if all you can do is continuously make copies in formats? Eventually you lose the integrity of the original. it like making copies of copies of a letter on a copy machine.
Most of this class period we discussed various aspects of The Game. My group went over each of the points in our section of the checklist. I also posted our rough draft for the Admins on the Wiki. Beyond this, I realized that the best way to show how our work is developing is to post various updates of our work to the wiki as well. I had not realized that using a Google Doc (which I feel is working very well) would make it difficult for the Admins or the Prof to see what we have been doing. I think its important to look at the work in process, not just the final project. I have also been working on the budget to set up the area in Tech Services, which has become more of a project than I had first thought it would be. I have really only gotten one departments supply list, which is somewhat frustrating. However, I do know other Department Heads are looking at the budget stuff, so hopefully I get more info soon (Of course, its Thanksgiving break, so I can't really expect that much). I do need to look at how the physical space needs to be set up. I am thinking that using Kitchen counters from IKEA would work the best at this point. I like these items because they are durable, and they have a lot of free-standing items so they would be movable, and it would be easy to get. Also, I think the Kitchen counter stuff would be practical for this type of project because in general it is already organized for various sized items and the counter-tops are made to withstand use. So I am going to look into this as it seems to be my decision now.
Chapter 18: Preservation of Information in Nonpaper Formats
I found it very interesting that some of the drawback to non-paper formats was that a lot of them deteriorate more rapidly than paper and a lot of them are machine dependent. I had not realized that things like photos would not last as long as book, but it makes sense. Photos, for example, are so acidic that they would take a very special environment to keep them in good condition. I would expect that this would have very different humidity and temperature controls than that of books. I would expect both would need to be lower in fact. Also, I had not realized that copying materials is really how preservation of nonpaper formats is how you preserve it! I mean, its strange to think that sometimes the best we can do is make a copy of something. What if all you can do is continuously make copies in formats? Eventually you lose the integrity of the original. it like making copies of copies of a letter on a copy machine.
Class- Nov 11th, Readings - Ch. 11 &16
Class today was spent talking about Special Collections and Exhibits. I found it interesting that the class seemed to find it easier to describe what Special Collections aren't, rather than what they are. I hate to be obvious, but I think the easiest way to describe Special Collections is to say that they are a collection of Specialty items, sometimes based on theme, author, or time period. I felt that was a little obvious....I guess it was one of those times when the question seemed like a trick. Anyway, I liked that we went over what exactly the issues with a special collection would be when it comes to repairs. I appreciated that we went over what types of items would be included and how most special collections won't be your generic books. I liked that there were various resources we went over for these items like Minnetech and OCLC.
I also found the discussion and reading on Exhibits to be interesting. I had no idea that there were lengths of time to how long things should be on display. I remember the library I went to growing up had the same things on display constantly....I am happy to say that since then they have built two new buildings and have much better display practices. Maybe they got new librarians as well? Anyway...I also found it interesting that some places have you work on your displays so far in advance! I mean the idea that you think about something you want to display 2 years before you actually do anything! It does make sense that there would be people whose only job was to figure out and coordinate displays from that moment on. I'm sure there are bunches of people working on college campuses all over the world that have that job exactly.
Chapter 11: Exhibition Policy and Preparation
What really stood out to me in this chapter was how the policy really makes the standards for exhibition and for loaning of items. I had not really thought about contracts between libraries, but it makes me think about insurance policies that would need to go with these contracts. In fact this very much reminded me the policies that museums have regarding their items. Of course, there are libraries that have museum-worthy pieces. Look at the MN historical society! They have a lot of items that could go into their various museums (like the James J. Hill House). It was interesting to me that the book comments on how you need to have it in your contract the very specific guidelines that you need them to follow, but you need to pay attention to what is too much. If the requirements are to extravagant, then it is possible that no one will borrow those items from your collection. For some this may be their goal, but it seems rather selfish to me.
Chapter 16: Special Collection Conservation
I appreciated that the book pointed out that a special collection may not contain only textual items. I also liked that the book explained that you need to look at an item as something that a researcher may wish to look at, perhaps for its artifactual value, or perhaps for its content. In class we discussed how some of the serials for Sherlock Holmes were being looked at for the ads in them, not just for the stories. Which makes me think of how important it is the preserve the original item, even if you don't think the entire thing is what is needed at the time. Think of all the cultural information that is in periodicals, that in the future may be exactly what a researcher is looking for!
I also found the discussion and reading on Exhibits to be interesting. I had no idea that there were lengths of time to how long things should be on display. I remember the library I went to growing up had the same things on display constantly....I am happy to say that since then they have built two new buildings and have much better display practices. Maybe they got new librarians as well? Anyway...I also found it interesting that some places have you work on your displays so far in advance! I mean the idea that you think about something you want to display 2 years before you actually do anything! It does make sense that there would be people whose only job was to figure out and coordinate displays from that moment on. I'm sure there are bunches of people working on college campuses all over the world that have that job exactly.
Chapter 11: Exhibition Policy and Preparation
What really stood out to me in this chapter was how the policy really makes the standards for exhibition and for loaning of items. I had not really thought about contracts between libraries, but it makes me think about insurance policies that would need to go with these contracts. In fact this very much reminded me the policies that museums have regarding their items. Of course, there are libraries that have museum-worthy pieces. Look at the MN historical society! They have a lot of items that could go into their various museums (like the James J. Hill House). It was interesting to me that the book comments on how you need to have it in your contract the very specific guidelines that you need them to follow, but you need to pay attention to what is too much. If the requirements are to extravagant, then it is possible that no one will borrow those items from your collection. For some this may be their goal, but it seems rather selfish to me.
Chapter 16: Special Collection Conservation
I appreciated that the book pointed out that a special collection may not contain only textual items. I also liked that the book explained that you need to look at an item as something that a researcher may wish to look at, perhaps for its artifactual value, or perhaps for its content. In class we discussed how some of the serials for Sherlock Holmes were being looked at for the ads in them, not just for the stories. Which makes me think of how important it is the preserve the original item, even if you don't think the entire thing is what is needed at the time. Think of all the cultural information that is in periodicals, that in the future may be exactly what a researcher is looking for!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Class- Nov 4th, Readings - Ch. 9
The Game has become a very interesting part of my life. I have had various discussions with the admins and have finally come to realize (just this week!) what the heck we are supposed to be doing. I almost wish I wasn't the department head for Tech Services since it is taking so long to get things done, but the people in my groups are great. I actually really like working with very opinionated people as that way you actually get opinions! And my group has had no problem speaking their minds about this project. While I still feel the distribution of some of the work is strange my groups has come to general consensus on how to deal with the work we need to do. We are creating Google Docs that we all can work on and post our general ideas. For me this make group work really easy as then you don't have to constantly be meeting. Yipee! It was somewhat frustrating when the Admins refused to make a decision. I understand they wanted everyones opinions and asked for a vote on things like due dates, but it would have been nice to have some of those decisions made by the end of class.
Lecture was interesting to me...I especially liked the pictures of natural disasters for libraries. I was reminded of my formative undergrad years (ok, ok, so 2 years ago...) at Colorado State University. I would like to take this moment to point out that there is large difference between CU and CSU. Please don't get them mixed up. Anyway, so the natural disaster picture of CSU was interesting as it has been a subject I had heard about since my orientation at CSU. I learned participially about that flood when I took Geology. In that class I learned a few things: the flood was caused by a trailer blocking the only water outlet (which was really small) and all of Fort Collins is in a flood plain. And the library? it was on a low spot in the middle of that flood plain. Since then there has been a new library built....on top of an artificial hill, with a VERY small basement. Still the fact that the library was so damaged that it was destroyed and none of the collection was saved is mind boggling. They don't talk about that on the tour (they do mention how the new building was designed to look like an open book). Still it really makes you think that you need to realize WHERE your library is. If you are at the base of mountains, could you flood? If you are in California, what do you do after an earthquake? I can't imagine what the disaster plan would be for someplace where that are tsunamis, but they have got to have one. I also started to wonder what areas of the country would be the safest place for a library (on that note it would also be the safest place for people too)? Of course every place has its own safety issues, so perhaps isn't not about where you are it just about knowing what the risks really are and knowing how much damage can be caused. After all it is commonly said, "Plan for the worst, hope for the best" and that is really the motto a disaster plan should follow.
Chapter 9: Preservation Management: Emergency Preparedness
I found it funny that the 3rd sentence in this chapter is about Insurance companies, and how emergency preparedness is always something that concerns them, and so should concern you when discussing a Preservation program. The idea that a librarian needs to think about risk management was very interesting to me. Risk management has always been a business term to me, so perhaps this is one way that libraries are being run more like businesses. It makes sense that aspects of running a business should also be used in managing a library, especially when you look at maintaining your product integrity. It makes sense that the Emergency Preparedness plan should match the Collection Management plan. The Collection Management would really be a guide to how materials are taken care of or stored, which will tell you how much damage could possibly be avoided in case of an emergency, and what you should expect would need to be done to correct that damage.
Lecture was interesting to me...I especially liked the pictures of natural disasters for libraries. I was reminded of my formative undergrad years (ok, ok, so 2 years ago...) at Colorado State University. I would like to take this moment to point out that there is large difference between CU and CSU. Please don't get them mixed up. Anyway, so the natural disaster picture of CSU was interesting as it has been a subject I had heard about since my orientation at CSU. I learned participially about that flood when I took Geology. In that class I learned a few things: the flood was caused by a trailer blocking the only water outlet (which was really small) and all of Fort Collins is in a flood plain. And the library? it was on a low spot in the middle of that flood plain. Since then there has been a new library built....on top of an artificial hill, with a VERY small basement. Still the fact that the library was so damaged that it was destroyed and none of the collection was saved is mind boggling. They don't talk about that on the tour (they do mention how the new building was designed to look like an open book). Still it really makes you think that you need to realize WHERE your library is. If you are at the base of mountains, could you flood? If you are in California, what do you do after an earthquake? I can't imagine what the disaster plan would be for someplace where that are tsunamis, but they have got to have one. I also started to wonder what areas of the country would be the safest place for a library (on that note it would also be the safest place for people too)? Of course every place has its own safety issues, so perhaps isn't not about where you are it just about knowing what the risks really are and knowing how much damage can be caused. After all it is commonly said, "Plan for the worst, hope for the best" and that is really the motto a disaster plan should follow.
Chapter 9: Preservation Management: Emergency Preparedness
I found it funny that the 3rd sentence in this chapter is about Insurance companies, and how emergency preparedness is always something that concerns them, and so should concern you when discussing a Preservation program. The idea that a librarian needs to think about risk management was very interesting to me. Risk management has always been a business term to me, so perhaps this is one way that libraries are being run more like businesses. It makes sense that aspects of running a business should also be used in managing a library, especially when you look at maintaining your product integrity. It makes sense that the Emergency Preparedness plan should match the Collection Management plan. The Collection Management would really be a guide to how materials are taken care of or stored, which will tell you how much damage could possibly be avoided in case of an emergency, and what you should expect would need to be done to correct that damage.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Field Trip #2 - Minnesota Historical Society
Our second field trip at the Minnesota Historical Society with Carolyn Ogden was extreemly interesting. I found it interesting that they concentrated on one thing at a time, rather than the whole collection like at the Bindery. But it was also strange since they are in charge of some much. They have preservation responsiblitity for not just the collection at the historical society but also the Hill House, Ramsey House, and Mill City Museum.This made the 4 labs seem very reasonable since they don't work on tons of projects at once. The 4 labs were also really interesting, especially the Flag lab. I found it really strange that in every other lab they constantly washed EVERYTHING, but in the Flag lab they didn't at all! That did make sense when Carolyn explained that half of the historical value of the flag was where it had been flown, so the dirt and blood, and other stuff that make the flag dirty would be important and add value to the flag. I also hadn't realized that soldiers took parts of the flag with them....it makes me wonder if that is still done today.
I was also impressed with the security of the Preservation center. I had not realized that there would be so much. I does make sense that they would need to protect a lot of what the ywrok on as I'm sure some of it is very valuable, especially the things that are rare, like what is in the Mille Lacs Indian Tribe collection. I found it somewhat shocking that to some tribes the use of gloves was actually disrespectful. However I can see how learning about the culture attached to objects is important. It reminded me of Star Trek (yeah I'm gonna bring it up) and the Prime Directive, not to cause damage to another culture or to affect them. That seemed to be what Carolyn was getting at. I was impressed with the amount of work she had done to show other people interested in preservation the differences between modern american culture and the historical culture of Native Americans.
I was also impressed with the security of the Preservation center. I had not realized that there would be so much. I does make sense that they would need to protect a lot of what the ywrok on as I'm sure some of it is very valuable, especially the things that are rare, like what is in the Mille Lacs Indian Tribe collection. I found it somewhat shocking that to some tribes the use of gloves was actually disrespectful. However I can see how learning about the culture attached to objects is important. It reminded me of Star Trek (yeah I'm gonna bring it up) and the Prime Directive, not to cause damage to another culture or to affect them. That seemed to be what Carolyn was getting at. I was impressed with the amount of work she had done to show other people interested in preservation the differences between modern american culture and the historical culture of Native Americans.
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