1. Scaling Down to Scale Up:
Streamlining Metadata Production for Mass Digitization Efforts
Jen Wolfe Upper Midwest CONTENTdm User Group Annual Meeting Oct. 30, 2009

3. Scaling Down to Scale Up…
Agenda
Background
Shift to mass digitization
Tips & tricks

5. Boutique digitization model
archival collection
select
digitize
user

6. Boutique digitization model
Metadata cataloging
in-house (a.k.a. within Digital Library Services)
“hand-crafted” metadata records (a.k.a. detailed, item-level)
digitize

7. Mass digitization modelX
archival collection
select
digitize
user
“disintermediation”

8. Mass digitization model
Metadata cataloging
mainstreamed (a.k.a. integrated into Tech. Svcs. workflow)
digitize

9. -- Kurth, Martin. “Found in Translation: Four Characteristics of Metadata Practice.” Metadata and Digital Collections: A Festschrift in Honor of Thomas P. Turner. (Cornell University Library, 2009).

10. Ambiguity intolerance:
Ambiguity tolerance:
“the ability to perceive ambiguity in information and behavior in a neutral and open way”
Ambiguity intolerance:
“a ‘tendency to perceive or interpret information marked by vague, incomplete, fragmented, multiple, probable, unstructured, uncertain, inconsistent, contrary, contradictory, or unclear meanings as actual or potential sources of psychological discomfort or threat’”
-- "Ambiguity tolerance." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 11 Apr 2009, 20:06 UTC. 21 Oct 2009 <

11. Ambiguity intolerance:
Ambiguity tolerance:
“the ability to perceive ambiguity in information and behavior in a neutral and open way”
Ambiguity intolerance:
“a ‘tendency to perceive or interpret information marked by vague, incomplete, fragmented, multiple, probable, unstructured, uncertain, inconsistent, contrary, contradictory, or unclear meanings as actual or potential sources of psychological discomfort or threat’”
-- "Ambiguity tolerance." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 11 Apr 2009, 20:06 UTC. 21 Oct 2009 <

12. Mass digitization model
Metadata cataloging
mainstreamed (a.k.a. integrated into Tech. Svcs. workflow)
less “hand-crafted”, more streamlined
digitize

13. Streamlining metadata production
Batch cataloging

19. Streamlining metadata production
Batch cataloging
Folder-level description

24. Shifting Up: Gearing Up to Get Into the Flow
Access vs. preservation—Access wins!
Selection has already been done
Do it ONCE (then iterate)
Programs not projects
Describing special collections: Take a page from archivists
Quality vs. quantity—Quantity wins!
Discovery happens elsewhere
Brother can you spare a dime?
--Erway & Schnaffner.

25. Shifting Up: Gearing Up to Get Into the Flow
Access vs. preservation—Access wins!
Selection has already been done
Do it ONCE (then iterate)
Programs not projects
Describing special collections: Take a page from archivists
Quality vs. quantity—Quantity wins!
Discovery happens elsewhere
Brother can you spare a dime?
--Erway & Schnaffner.

26. Describing special collections…
Stop obsessing about items
Focus on relationship between materials
Rethink presentation with user needs in mind
--Erway & Schnaffner.

28. Streamlining metadata production
Batch cataloging
Folder-level description
Full-text search

31. Streamlining metadata production
Batch cataloging
Folder-level description
Full-text search
User-generated metadata

36. Streamlining metadata production
Batch cataloging
Folder-level description
Full-text search
User-generated metadata

37. Questions?