Vera 11/25/09

After my conversation with Josh (see details below), I decided to return briefly to the physical archives to finish up the inventory there on the file cabinets. After a while of taking rough notes on what was in each drawer I realized that a previous inventory already existed. So instead of re-listing each item I looked at the existing inventory and matched it what i saw in each drawer and simply noted any additions. I decided to take some pictures of the drawers' contents to give you an idea of what I am encountering.

First of all... I want I want! Yes, I was excited to see these posters. I am quite a fan of these guys and the best part is we are from the same town - Chicago. Returning to what I actually came here for though, I was simultaneously unexcited to see these posters. As you can see, they are curling and they catch on the drawer above whenever you pull the drawer out. This means just to look at these posters you have to damage them. :'( Make it stop make it stop! ... wait, thats my job! Ok, I'll figure it out somehow. Anyway, there are also several other mixed items stored under these posters including various press materials, photos, videos, and other posters.

Skipping ahead, here is what I found in the 2007 drawer. A massive mixture of items are overfilled into this drawer and as you can see the manilla folders are brushing up against the drawer above. This was one of those moments where I began to feel a bit frustrated with inventory. Its difficult to decide the best way to approach a situation like this. I mostly have a strong urge to just start taking everything out and redoing everything, yet I realize these materials do not belong to me and I am reluctant to make changes until there is a practical option available that everyone has agreed upon. Ultimately, its this overwhelming lack of efficacy in the moment with the realization of my limits in time, funding, and authority. Ok, just take a deep breath, this is one of those moments where one's skill in deferral of gratification is most crucial.


Moving on, I opened the 2008 drawer and this is exactly as I found it. The way things are stacked in here, gravity will eventually (and has already) take(n) its tole. Basically, these materials will end up like someone who slouches at a computer all day (not me mind you, I have impeccable posture!) for 20 years and takes on a considerable hunchback. This is what made the existing inventory so relieving: I didn't have dig through piles of mixed materials. With this, I concluded my activities for the evening.

Summary:

5:00PM - Phone meeting with Josh

*Scope of Project

-Alix is supposed to be in charge of reorganizing the network drive - not me.

-I will be focusing on the Archives portion of the network drive and communicating with Alix regularly about any ideas I may have.

>for instance, we are considering having older materials on the network drive transfered into the archives.

-Josh suggested that I develop a policy for transferring files into the archives folder.

*Progress Report

-Josh will also be available December 9th

-Rough Outline:

I. Inventory

A. Existing organization

1. Physical Archives

2. Digital Archives

B. Condition of items in physical archives

C. Suggested changes

1. Physical and Digital Arrangement

2. Digitization standards

II. Interviews

A. General Trends

B. Individual staff folder trees / general usage areas (depends on space)

C. Staff suggestions

D. Special finds

III. Database

A. Skype Conference with Kevin from N-Power

ZAPP 11/25/09

Summary:

12:00PM - In The Archives

*Cataloging

-Popery #2, An anthology of comics by various authors

-Open Your Mind, a brief flyer by Max Trafk about socio-political issues of drug activity in Colombia

1:00PM - Meeting with Nora

*Progress: Positive and Negative Aspects of the project

-(positive) Research, for instance what i've learned about digitization standards and storage options. See research.

-(negative) aspects of the inventory such as the immensity of the network drive and realizing that I had conflated the Digital Archives with the entire network drive. When really its just a part of the network drive. Wrapping my head around the digital inventory has been rather daunting.

*Research suggestions

-Check multiple sources for standards on digitization

-Look at information organization standards

>Who handles IT at Vera? - contact these people.

-Apply research for Vera to ZAPP whenever possible

>this can include scanning and metadata standards.

-research the best option for bagging Zines

*Begin coordinating a progress report meeting

-Nora is available Wednesday December 9.

2:00PM - Back In The Archives

*Cataloging

- Steven's Comics, a collection of short comics about a boy who discovers he likes to play with dolls.

-the Unloved Potato Bug #1, a collection of comics by Aerick Mackintosh about dreams, tarot, finding coffee, and a goofy high seas adventure.

ZAPP 11/19/09

This evening it was only Alison and I in the Archives: Heather emailed us earlier today to inform us that she was not feeling well and would not be cataloging this evening. Other than that, it was another usual Thursday night at ZAPP.

Summary:

6:00PM - In the Archives

*Cataloging

- Vincent #7 by Rolan Bougie and Rebecca Dart, a comic about Vincent the Panda, a living life-sized stuffed animal who goes to see a movie in which he held a leading role among other stuffed animals.

-Win Tanes Bra by Stefan Neville and Clayton Noone, a comic about homelessness in New Zealand

-Noisy Desperation by various authors, zine related comics and essays and an essay from Henry David Thoreau about the Economy

-White Buffalo Gazette edited by Larned Justin, includes comics, drawings, and an essay about Imperial Japan.

Vera 11/19/09 - Mapping the Network Drive and Interview with Nick

Today I spent a significant amount of time exploring and mapping out the network drive, which contains the digital archives. I started by going back to Shannon, the managing director, and asking her to show me all the areas she uses within it. I thought this might be a good idea to do with all the staff - I could learn what areas are used most, where the work of various staff members overlaps, and what could be done away with. I also did this with Jeffery, the program coordinator, Tristan, the booking coordinator, and finally Nick, the development director. The latter with whom I also had an interview. By now you must be wondering what I've been learning from the staff interviews. This information is strictly proprietary at the moment. I decided it would be best to collate the individual results and post a comprehensive report all in one place. This report should hopefully be done by the end of the November and will also include my final assessment on the structure of the network drive. However, I will say that I have discovered some rather surprising and very helpful information... so stay tuned.

Summary:

1:30PM - Mapping out the network drive

*Revisit with Shannon

-obtained a list of network drive usage

*Revisit with Jeffery

-obtained a list of network drive usage

2:30PM - Interview with Nick

-details forthcoming

3:ooPM - Mapping out the network drive

*Revisit with Tristan

-obtained a list of network usage

Vera Research Progress Part 3

Iconclass: a classification system designed for art and iconography. It is the most widely accepted scientific tool for the description and retrieval of subjects represented in images (works of art, book illustrations, reproductions, photographs, etc.) and is used by museums and art institutions around the world.

comments: From what it appears, this system is incredibly thorough. I am uncertain how far I should delve into this, since I don't think the materials we are working with will require this much classification. Nevertheless, it is possible perhaps to structure a simpler system based on this one. ...More to come, stay tuned.

Introduction to Art Image Access - Issues, Tools, Standards, Stategies: An online publication exploring issues in image classification available at Getty

It Begins with the Cataloguer: Subject Access to Images and the Cataloguer's Perspective

1.) Primary Search tools: creator/author and subject

- many end-users tend to search for art images using the search criteria who created the work and what is the work of or about.

- comment: I think in Vera's case, for instance, band names would be the primary search for posters rather than the artist or subject - the latter being assumed.

However, I think subject matter for event photos would be crucial for all those instances where staff would need images that depict particular activities, people, or locations.

* Question: Does Vera even keep track of the artists who make the posters? If not, should we start doing this? - The same applies to event photos.

- titles or captions—alone or in combination with the subject matter element and other elements such as date, style, or period—are frequently employed by end-users seeking subject access to visual materials. End-user systems and user interfaces need to take this into account.

2.) Structure in Cataloguing

- Classification must move from a general visual analysis of the work as a whole to a detailed evaluation of its constituent parts.

- Slow down the cataloguer's mental processes in viewing the work of art, to ensure that it is being viewed in its entirety and not selectively

- Analyze the work of art in terms of overall subject matter and select a set of primary descriptive terms or keywords

- Catalogue the main visual elements, using a systematic approach to "reading" the work of art—left to right, right to left, top to bottom

- Determine and catalogue the meanings or symbolism in the subject matter as time, money, and expertise permit

..... to be continued .....

The International Poster Collection at the Colorado State University

comments: Someone plugged this on the Archives Listserv about 8 years ago and it looks like a great resource. It looks like they have most of their posters online and if you click on a thumbnail, a larger version comes up listing all the metadata below. Love it.

Here's a link to the search tool pictured at the left.

I used it and searched by keyword "music" and look at that, result number 13 is a poster for Seattle's very own Blood Brothers.

I contacted these folks to ask about their procedures for storage an digitization here is our email exchange:

Me:

I am working as an archives intern for a non-profit all-ages music venue here in Seattle called The Vera Project. Our collection here needs a lot of work, both physically and digitally, so I've been doing a lot of research into standards and best practices and how existing archives function. Of course as a music venue, our collection consists primarily of show posters and digital photos. So naturally, the International Poster Collection housed at your archives piqued my interest. I would love to know how you both physically store your posters and digitize them for your website. Thanks, I very much look forward to hearing from you.

----

Patty Rettig, Head Archivist at CSU:

Sounds like you have a challenge ahead of you!

Here, we store our posters flat in map cases. We keep 10 posters per mylar folder, arranged face-to-face, then back-to-back. We put tissue between the face-to-face sides, to help prevent acid migration and discoloration etc. We then keep about 10 folders per drawer.

When possible, we keep the smallest posters separate from the larger posters, so we can be more efficient with the storage space. For the smaller ones, we use half-size folders and can thus get two piles next to each other in the drawer.

When we have posters larger than the drawers, we roll them and wrap the roll in tissue for storage on top of the map cases.

For the digitization of the posters, we have a photographer do digital photography and create tiff images. We create lower resolution derivatives for web access. Though it hasn't been updated recently, this page http://lib.colostate.edu/posters/digitization.html tells more about the photography process.

Good luck with your work! Let me know if we can be of any further assistance.

Vera 11/18/09

Summary:

5:00PM - Meeting with Dustin and Josh

*Research Update

- Colorado International Poster Collection

>Employes a folder and lateral map cabinet method with archival tissue dividers between each poster

>Josh suggested I take a screen shot of the online database in action and take note of the metadata fields and think about which would be most useful for Vera's purposes

*Poster Workflow

-Create a form to be filled out at the creation of a new poster containing metadata fields

-once the poster reaches the Admin Archives Intern it will have all the necessary data attached to it and ready to be entered into the electronic database.

-the form should also include copyright restrictions: there needs to be a clear definition of who has what rights for each poster. *Dustin will look into this.

*Photo Workflow

-create a donation form similar to the form for posters

-Entry into database start with a high level batch catalog of each photo in a series of photos for all the info that is common to each photograph

-after batch catalog go back and add details and tags that are specific to each individual photo

-consider including tags for print quality photos: establish a standard for print quality

*Scope of Research

-Some sources can be very pedantic and heavy with archival jargon

-Focus on Dublin Core metadata and "Content" metadata

-Examine CSU online poster system and other online examples created with Content DM

*Database Debriefing and Planning

-focus on choice of metadata fields and tags

-"Get our house in order" map out and clean up the network drive

ZAPP 11/18/09

I encountered a number of oddities today. The front door to the Hugo House was locked when I arrived and although it was only seconds before the young lady running the front desk came to open it, I found that ZAPP hadn't even been opened either. Once gaining entry and getting myself generally situated, I began looking for the Mark Campos zine collection as it was my duty to finish cataloging these - They weren't in their usual place. Right behind where i was sitting though, was a box coincidentally about the same size as the one I was looking for - if my memory serves me. It had been tagged "Kamili's Do not touch!" with a religious statuette (which looks almost like a smoking pipe) standing on top of it. I chose to ignore this attempt to ward off potential evil doers and opened the box. Sure enough, it was the Mark Campos Colleciton. So I wondered who is Kamili and why has she taken offense to my work?

So finally, after a plethora of technical issues trying to get access to the catalog on the laptop, Nora arrived and explained to me the situation. Apparently, Kamili is another intern who had been assigned to work on the Mark Campos Collection, but was away at school and had not been made privy to its disposition in her absence. It was not until 12:45 that I could actual start cataloging. Phew, what a mess.

I started with the tenth issue of a comic zine called Lovely Ugly Cruel World by Amanda Rehagen. I thought the description on her website says it pretty well its basically "a rambling rumination on death, change, and growing up, told with biting humor and sensitivity." In this issue the main character, Amelia, eventually goes to hang out in a cemetery later met by friend and vague romantic interest Francis, an aspiring writer. It is here that she decides she wants to write a zine. I thought it was a pretty cute moment. I posted an image of it below.

Summary:

12:00PM - In the Archives

*Cataloging

-Lovely Ugly Cruel World #10 by Amanda Rehagen, see description above.

-Double Woodwork by John Bagnall, a slice of life comic from the UK that focuses a lot on education.

-Media Whore by various authors published by Randie Farmelant, a feminist literature review exploring gender, sexuality, and fashion

-Retreads #9 by Steve Willis, a collection of comics about Seattle history, other random subjects, Morty the Dog, and "Willisland" - a fictional idealogy outlawing urban culture and populous cities.

-Draw or Die by Jon Chandler, two goofy comics one about a machine that perfects the creative outputs of its user, and the other about two demons making idle chatter and telling jokes