Half my life is spent with art, the other half is spent in Preservation and Digital Programs at the University of Kentucky Libraries.
It was the last place I ever expected to end up, let me tell ya! Preservation reformatting is one of the few gigs you can get with a photo degree and, so, here
I am. I've done a variety of things since I started with UK X years ago.
I'm currently the project manager for
the Library of Congess and NEH funded National Digital Newspaper Program in Kentucky.
The University of Kentucky Libraries is one of 6 original awardees for this 20 year program and
the only awardee to do the process entirely in-house. Our content can be found through the Kentuckiana Digital Library (KDL) or
the Library of Congress' Chronicling America
There are several other projects I've been involved with. The one I'm probably most proud of is the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History's digitization
project. Our goal was to digitize the Center's enormous
oral history interview collection. It's not done (yet) - no surprise.
Others include IMLS funded Beyond The Shelf (my first round with digital projects),
University of Kentucky Board of Trustees meeting minutes, and Lafayette Studios Negatives
(currently being completed by my longtime pal and fab co-worker
Crystal Heis - she refers to herself as Kopana 2.0!).
All of these projects and more can be found through KDL
Last but not least is not exactly a project but rather a group effort called meta|morphosis: University of Kentucky film-to-digital institute
We've hosted this two day workshop twice so far and it's been filled to capacity both times. We get participants from
around the country and Canada - people who are interested in applying for future rounds of NDNP as well as those
interested in general digitization efforts, either in-house or by vendor services. I expect we'll continue this effort until
people are sick to death of us.
To read more about these projects, click anywhere in the box.
(upper right) Preservation and Digital Programs staff, 2006
(bottom) attendees of meta|morphosis: University of Kentucky film-to-digital institute
Kentuckiana Digital Library
Chronicling America
NDNP - Kentucky Edition
Newspaper interface in KDL
National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP)
I'm currently the project manager for what I like to call the 'Kentucky Edition' of the Library of Congess and NEH funded National Digital Newspaper Program. UK Libraries is one of only 6 original awardees for this 20 year program and the only awardee to do the process entirely in-house. Our content can be found through the Kentuckiana Digital Library (KDL) or the Library of Congress' Chronicling America
UK has a long, long history with newspapers. We were an original particpant in the National Newspaper Program that began in the 1970's. We've never stopped microfilming current and historic newspapers! In fact, these newspapers are where I started with UK in 2001; as a microfilming technician. It makes sense that I would parlay that experience into our digital efforts.
Audio Digitization
Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky is perhaps the preeminent oral histroy center in the country. It houses nearly 7000 oral history interviews covering more than 30 years of service. Digitization efforts were first spearheaded in 2005 by then Director Jeffrey Suchanek starting with 300+ World War II veteran interviews included in the Col. Arthur L. Kelly Collection. Since then, more than 1500 interviews have been digitized and the project continues under the direction of Director Dr. Doug A. Boyd, PhD.
The digitization efforts wouldn't be nearly as cool, or as useful, without the impressive interface designed by Kathryn Lybarger, programmer/librarian extraordinaire and current project manager for the Daily Racing Form project in PDP. This interface allows one to do keyword searching and will get within a few lines of the word or phrase in the audio segment! It also allows you to create your own segments for as long or as little as desired.
In 2007, Head of Digital Programs, Eric Weig, Kathryn, and myself published an extensive article on our large scale digitization efforts available at dlib magazine. The piece has already become required reading for some SLIS classes!!!
Lafayette Studio Negative Collection
Lafayette Studio was a Lexington staple for nearly 7 decades. UK Archives was able to retain 17,000 images (portraits not included) before it closed its doors for good in the 1980's. The negatives, mostly acetate but some nitrates, are in various, though advanced, stages of deterioration. Once digitized, this collection will be one of the most comprehensive photo documents of the Bluegrass region including businesses, the University of KY, Transylvania University, the horse industry, architectural and landscape history, and more. Former Archives Director, Lisa Carter, along with Thomas M. House, published a number of the photographs in their 2003 Images of America book Lafayette's Lexington More than 6000 of these images are currently available in KDL.
Beyond The Shelf
IMLS funded Beyond The Shelf was my first go-round with a digital project and gave me real management experience. Under the direction of Head of Preservation, Rebecca Ryder, and Head of what was then called 'Digital Intitiatives', Eric Weig; Peter Hesseldenz, Margie Plarr, and I produced more than 100,000 page images from microfilm of rare and imperiled Kentuckiana books over two years (2002-2004...I think). It turned out to be the precursor to NDNP.
Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes: 1862-2007
In 2005 we set out to digitize from microfilm the UK Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes. No small thing considering the University's long history. Less than 9 months after it started, myself and a small team of students had produced nearly 70,000 page images spanning 144 years of University history.
We continue to collect BOT meeting minutes each year.
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