I Revise and iPhoto

After a few discussions with archivists, the audio guidelines are complete at the Archives level. Next step-setting up meetings with the people in the library who will support the development of technology needed for this project.

The Archives just bought a new digital camera to take photos of exhibits, presentations, etc., so I spent some time with Library IT (computers are admin only privileges) who tried to get the software loaded on the virtual PC (it was PC-only) on my Mac to try and make things easier for my co-workers who aren't used to Macs.

After trying to get the virtual PC to recognize the camera, trying to get it the software to recognize the camera as an import location, trying to load the photos correctly (and many times of turning the camera on and off), he got it to work. We decided that the process will be much too confusing for anyone to easily learn (if I'm not around to load the photos), and decided iPhoto is a much better option. You plug in the camera, turn it on, iPhoto loads automatically, imports the photos where you want, and then you do whatever you want with them. Maybe these problems are Parallels-related, but if I've learned anything from working with Macs and PCs, it's that Macs do it better, and with fewer headaches!

I'm teaching the staff how to use iPhoto at next week's staff meeting.

Back to the Grind...

I'm back at work after a week of being snowbound! I'm trying to get back to all my researchers with requests, and trying to finish up this audio policy which I'm now calling "guidelines and procedures" because that seems a bit more accurate. The good news is that I'll have a lot of time to finish my projects today because Metro is doing what they do best--failing--and I might be stuck here a while after the work day is done. I just love DC.

Audio Progress

I made some progress (with the HUGE help of the Music Library Tech) today. He was able to re-wire the audio visual area for me, and hook up the reel to reel player again (it has not been hooked up since I received my new Mac). I can't wait to mess around with iLogic Express and the player next week.

The next step is getting an analog to digital converter and mixing board so I can have multiple media plugged in at once (the tech also recommended some of those for me)!

I was also able to finish the first draft of the audio preservation guidelines I'm writing and get some feedback on some edits.

I also heard back from the Library website manager and I have a test site for my audio visual webpage! We made some edits today so it should hopefully be online next week!

And in addition to all of this, I had some photo requests!

I'm just so glad that I made so much progress today because it's a short week--no work tomorrow on account of DC Snowpocolypse (part deux)!

Policy Pondering

I've hit another mental block with this audio policy. I know what best practice standards have been established for digital long-term storage. I know what will be best for the Archives.

I'm having problems justifying using hard drives other than: we already have them, we know how to use them so we won't have to re-train staff, they're becoming less expensive so we can order more, and they provide random access so we should be able to search for individual files.

I'm also having difficulties conceptualizing and writing about a long-term storage and preservation plan. When will we back-up? When should we migrate? How often will we evaluate the system? When will we add additional memory? Who will be involved? Should I get more people involved? When will Robin C. Pike hit her mental capacity?

Does anyone have a current policy for audio preservation at their archive/library/instituion? Are you allowed to share it (because I haven't found any posted online)? Can you send it to me? How many people are involved in audio archiving at your institution? Can anyone give me answers?

In related news, I am looking for a mentorship in audio archiving in the DC area, and have been (unsuccessfully) for a little while. If anyone wants to train me, please let me know.

ARSC, and My Reason For Going To ARSC

It's official! I'm going to ARSC! I just booked my hotel, will be booking my flight soon (go Southwest!), and have nearly finalized my travel grant application (just some last-minute reviewing for the perfectionist in me that always finds one more thing to change).

In between working with my student assistant and my practicum student, I was also able to work on (and pretty much finish) one more section of the Archive's new audio policy. I briefly discussed this policy with my boss and co-workers, and once I have this done (maybe by the end of the week?), I'm also going to approach the Library Director and the Library IT for memory recommendations, and maybe to develop a hard drive memory acquisitions plan. I've recently used a huge amount of memory (as stated in a previous post) transferring digital photos from one campus office, and if we go forward with this audio digitization plan, we need to make sure I don't come that close to maxing out memory.

Friday Productivity!

I started my second practicum student today, who was really excited about the photo collection (which made me super excited). I had her reading background information on Fred J. Maroon, and had her look over his 1990 CUA photo book, as well as browse the collection to visualize series. We discussed this afterwards, and unlike I and the rest of the staff thought, most of the vintage CUA prints are not from his time as a student, but apparently he did for-hire work for the Hartke Players on tour in the 1950s and 1960s, including some of their USO tours! I also covered photographic material handling. I'm going to start her on preventative preservation next Friday, and EAD the following week. She was really enjoying the gorgeous prints!

I guess all the excitement and positive vibes today shocked my brain into action because I was actually able to make sense of my technical information today, and wrote two sections of the Archives Procedural Manual for Audio Preservation today! I also took notes to include in the following three sections. I'm so glad I was able to make progress this week because I hit a wall last week. After I write this procedure, I need to present it to the supervisors, to see of the technical recommendations for the storage are achievable by CUA, and for their approval for implementation. I'm definitely pushing the barrier for the Archives.
(And to think, on Wednesday I was just happy that I was able to get the rogue reels transferred to the Archives...)

I Hate To Show My Age But...

I hate to show my age, but writing a long policy determining the procedures and standards for in-house audio digitization and digital preservation pretty much sucks.

I had a brain-crash around 3:30 today. It's kind of like an HD crash, but for you.

Okay, I'm done.

In all seriousness, though, this is what IASA and the team who wrote Sound Directions have done, and I'm trying to par down both of those essential resources into terms and procedures that my assistant or another archivist could understand. I'm only using those two resources instead of the entire list because, well, all of that list overwhelms me. I wrote something similar for a grad school practicum (a preservation and cataloging manual for a small cultural society), that ended up being about 40 pages (single-spaced), plus appendices.

At this point, I'm ready to adopt everything without modification and call it a day. But I know I can't. I don't have a team of 25. Does anyone want to help?