Digital archives from the ground up
| Date | 14 August 2017 |
| Pages | 253-263 |
| Published date | 14 August 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-07-2016-0019 |
| Author | Debora A. Person,Tawnya K. Plumb |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Records management & preservation,Information repositories |
Digital archives from the
ground up
Debora A. Person and Tawnya K. Plumb
George William Hopper Law Library, University of Wyoming,
Laramie, Wyoming, USA
Abstract
Purpose –For many years, the librariansat University of Wyoming’s George William Hopper Law Library
fielded questions about the history of the law school and alumni. Unfortunately, no one collection of
institutional historicaldocuments was available to search for relevant answers.The result was a decision to
collect historic materials in a digital archiveto make them available to anyone in the law school who might
field such inquiries and to preserve them for future interest. The purpose of this case study is to provide a
blueprintfor building a digital archives from the ground up.
Design/methodology/approach –The digital archive began with print-born historical documents,
scanned as preservation copies and entered into a database of images and files to which searchable
metadata could be added. In addition to historical materials, it was important to collect the material s
that the law school and the law library were producing. Therefore, the project was twofold: collect,
preserve and make searchable the printed historic materials in a digital environment and harvest,
preserve and make searchable print-born and digital-born materials as part of an ongoing process. To
do this, appropriate software had to be identified.
Findings –The followingsteps blueprint the building of an archive on a digital platform:establish the site’s
internet address, title and description; select a look and feel template and personalize the archive; create
collections; identify Dublin Core preferences; add items and files using controlled vocabulary; experiment
with any availableplugins; and promote and provide access to the archive.
Originality/value –The digital archives project initiated by the library has led to other initiatives and
opportunitiesfor service.
Keywords Metadata, Library, Omeka.net, Digital archives, Preservation, Digital-born
Paper type Case study
Introduction
For many years, the librarians at University of Wyoming’s George William Hopper Law
Library fielded questions about the historyof the law school and alumni. Unfortunately,no
one collection of institutional historical documents existed from which to search out the
relevant answers. Aside from a small file of print and photographic materials, student
records and a very handy newsletter that was published for a few years in the early 1960s,
little else was directlyavailable. Questions that should have been fairly easyto answer could
take days to research. Who was the first female graduate? Where did the first black
graduate go on to practice law? What subjectsdid a 1940’s faculty member teach? The result
was a decision to collect historic materials in a digital archive to make them available to
anyone in the law school who might field such inquiries and to preserve them for future
interest. It quickly became apparentthat a focus specifically on seeking historical materials
was overlooking the present production of materials that would soon be historical content.
Therefore, the project became twofold: collect, preserve and make searchable printed
historic materials in a digital environment and harvest, preserve, and make searchable
today’s print anddigital-born materials as part of an ongoing process.
Digital
archives from
the ground up
253
Received 11 July 2016
Revised 9 January 2017
Accepted 10 January 2017
DigitalLibrary Perspectives
Vol.33 No. 3, 2017
pp. 253-263
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2059-5816
DOI 10.1108/DLP-07-2016-0019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2059-5816.htm
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