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DISCLAIMER

DISCLAIMER. All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of Fold3 (Ancestry.com), the National Archives (NARA), or the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS). Outline. Overview of a Mass Digitization Project War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records

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  1. DISCLAIMER All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of Fold3 (Ancestry.com), the National Archives (NARA), or the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS).

  2. Outline Overview of a Mass Digitization Project War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records Camera Operators Make Archival Decisions

  3. Digitization of War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records • Fold3 - NARA partnership begins (2007) • Federation of Genealogical Societies starts $3.7 million campaign (April 2011) • 180,000 Pension Records, 7.2 million pages, 3,619 Hollinger boxes (1,800 ft³) • Cost of digitization: $0.45 a page (estimated by FGS)

  4. Website:http://go.fold3.com/1812pensions/

  5. The Workspace

  6. Project Specifications: Two Types of Planetary Cameras Canon EOS 5D Mark II (21.1 megapixel) Remote Scan Manager (Proprietary Software) 1-2 MB file size Allows Capture of 18.5 in X 12.25 in6,000 images/week 275,000 images/year PhaseOne IQ 180 (80 megapixel) Capture One Software 25-30 MB file size Allows Capture of 25 in X 34 in 4,500 images/week 230,000 images/year * Project reached 28% completion by July 2013

  7. The Records • War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records NARA Record Group 15: • Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs • Arranged alphabetically by name of soldier • Date span: 1808-1968 • Bulk dates: 1855-1900 • Languages: English, German, French, Latin, Spanish, Native American languages, Hebrew

  8. NARA’s Digitization Strategy • Digitization for online access (primary) and for preservation (secondary) • Partners must digitize entire series • Public access is free within NARA research rooms

  9. Fold3-NARA Agreement • Fold3 produces images at 300 ppi (grayscale) for microfilm and at least 300 ppi (color) for paper • Fold3 donates copy of digitized material to NARA • Five years after digitization, NARA obtains “full and unrestricted rights to use the Digitized Materials on websites operated by or for NARA” • Technical and functional metadata created according to NARA standards

  10. Fold3-NARA Cost Sharing

  11. Fold3 Camera Operators Make Archival Decisions at the Item Level Accessioning Appraisal Arrangement Description Preservation (Conservation) Quality Control Advocacy

  12. Accessioning • Fold3 Operators create digital records (surrogates of NARA materials) • The act of clicking the camera shutter initiates a process of electronic records accessioning • Fold3’s Administrative Metadata captures: • Time that Image was Created • Name or ID of Camera Operator • File size

  13. Appraisal Fold3 Operators appraise NARA records at the item level: Archival misfiles and orphans “Intentionally drawn” information

  14. Example of Intentional Markings

  15. Arrangement • Arranging each box (.5 ft³) takes an hour • Impose an item-level order based on physical size and readability • Jackets, Wrappers, Survivor’s and Widow’s Briefs, • Claims, and other correspondence • Perfect the alphabetical “original order” given by U.S. Pension Office

  16. Example of “Natural Reading Order”

  17. Description • Fold3 Camera Operators create descriptive metadata for about 11% of all pension application files • Operators write paper “Target Sheets” that contain Name of Soldier, Name of Pension Applicant, Regiment and Rank • Operators utilize NARA’s finding aids: • Index to War of 1812 Pension Application Files • Index to the CMSR for the Volunteer Soldiers who Served During the War of 1812

  18. Example of a Target Sheet

  19. Conservation • Trained by NARA conservators, Fold3 Camera Operators handle paper records carefully, use drapery weights and apply imaging slugs • Fold3 Camera Operators analyze records that require conservation treatment (about 5%) • Conduct minor conservation, including fastener removal (w/microspatula) and polyester sleeves

  20. Example of Conservation Appraisal

  21. Example of Imaging Slug

  22. Preservation Fold3 Camera Operators manage and preserve electronic files of the digital surrogates that they create Operators keep digital files 3-4 months before certification process is complete

  23. Quality Control Fold3 Camera Operators prepare a set of digital images (approx. 700-800 images each week) to be manually checked by NARA staff for completeness and visual clarity After Fold3 headquarters in Utah uses an automated crop and de-skew software program, images are checked for technical quality

  24. Advocacy Camera operators select files for use in NARA exhibits and museum to commemorate the War of 1812 Locate records or photographs that include documentation of U.S. Presidents, Native Americans, and other significant historical figures. Write short 500-word descriptions of selected pension files for blogs on Fold3 website to increase web traffic

  25. Conclusions Collaboration between Fold3 and NARA is a model for other archival organizations considering mass digitization projects Camera operators should be better integrated into archival community Respect for the professionalism of camera operators, digitizers, or scanners should grow along with the increasing demands for the mass digitization of archives

  26. Contact For copies of this powerpoint, contact EricStoykovich@gmail.com I would like to thank Michelle Wilson (Fold3) and Jessica Hartman (Fold3) for assistance with this powerpoint.

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