Using a Web OPAC to deliver digital collections
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520310462545 |
| Published date | 01 February 2003 |
| Date | 01 February 2003 |
| Pages | 28-36 |
| Author | Eileen C. Mathias |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Using a Web OPAC to
deliver digital
collections
Eileen C. Mathias
Project description
In 2000, the Ewell Sale Stewart Library of the
Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia
received a National Leadership grant from the
Institute of Museum and Library Services
(IMLS) to digitise and make accessible to the
public early works of the academy and its
affiliated scientists. The Academy of Natural
Sciences, founded in 1812, is the oldest
continuously operating natural sciences
museum in the USA, and as such published
many of the earliest and most comprehensive
works on the flora and fauna of the New
World. These works contained many of the
original descriptions of plants and animals as
they were first discovered, and served as the
scientific record to both US and European
natural science communities. These
publications are still used today by scientists
around the world in their research. It seemed
logical that making these records accessible
via the World Wide Web would provide a
valuable service to scientists, scholars, and
teachers with curricula that require access to
primary source materials.
One of the stated goals of the project was to
explore ways in which a non-profit library,
with limited resources, could digitise and
make accessible via the Internet an important
body of work. We planned to digitise several
monographs, the academy's Journal, and
collections of manuscripts and original
illustrations and drawings. The academy
already had the digitising equipment, through
generous funding from the Albert M.
Greenfield Foundation of Philadelphia. The
costs for us then would be in digitising,
processing, and providing a means of access
to the images by acquiring software. The
IMLS grant included funding for a part-time
student assistant to capture the images and a
part-time professional to direct the work and
mount the images on the Web. The challenge
was to decide how to provide access to the
images in a cost-effective manner, providing a
model to libraries similar to the academy's,
with a small staff, few resources, and minimal
computer services support.
The author
Eileen C. Mathias is the Information Services Librarian
and Project Manager of digital imaging projects of the
Ewell Sale Stewart Library at the Academy of Natural
Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Keywords
Digital documents, Internet, Natural resources, Libraries,
Image processing
Abstract
The Ewell Sale Stewart Library of the Academy of Natural
Sciences has just completed a major digital imaging
project. This article describes the project, options that
were considered for Web delivery of images and text, and
reasons for choosing Innovative Interfaces, Inc.'s image
management function. The article includes a description
of the data entry process as well as a review of the
Millennium Media management product, which will be
available through Innovative later this year. Evolving
image metadata standards are also discussed.
Electronic access
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is
available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/1468-4527.htm
Refereed article received 19 August 2002
Approved for publication 23 August 2002
Special thanks go to Laurie Davidson of
Innovative Interfaces, who listened carefully and
worked diligently to provide a product that would
meet our needs and helped to bring a major project
to fruition.
28
Online Information Review
Volume 27 .Number 1 .2003 .pp. 28-36
#MCB UP Limited .ISSN 1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/14684520310462545
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