Alaska’s Digital Archives

Contributor Manual


 Contents

Planning and Self-assessment 7

1. Project Assessment 7
2. Budget Considerations 11
3. Personnel Considerations 12
4. Collection Development 12
A. Selection Guidelines 12
Photographs 12
Oral History 13
Maps 13
Video 13
B. Copyright Issues When Digitizing Collections 13
Protected by Copyright or Public Domain:
published or unpublished 13
How to determine if a photograph was
published or unpublished 14
Copyright issues for interviews digitized as audio clips 14
Copyright issues for films to be digitized 15

Other Contributor Considerations 16

1. Copyright statements 16
2. Data Protection 16
Photographs 16
Movie clips 17
Audio interviews 17
Maps and large-format items: 17
3. Access to Collections 17
CONTENTdm Overview 17


Technical and Administrative Standards 18
1. Imaging and Multimedia Standards 18
A. Digitizing Images 18
Software requirements 18
Hardware requirements 18
File size requirements 18
Scanning Recommendations 19
Computer preparation 20
B. Digitizing Audio 21
Software requirements 21
Hardware requirements 21
C. Moving Image Documents 22
Videos 22
2. Metadata Standards 23

Managing Workflow: Building Collections 34

1. Acquisition Station 34
2. Building Your First Collection 34
3. Getting Images to Alaska’s Digital Archives Server 36



Introduction

T his guidebook was developed as a blueprint for libraries and museums who
wish to consider digitizing and housing materials within Alaska’s Digital
Archives. Our centralized, searchable website was undertaken as a collaborative
effort by the Alaska State Library in Juneau, UAA’s Consortium Library and
UAF’s Rasmuson Library. Contributors now also include the University of Alaska
Museum of the North, the Anchorage Museum of History and Art and the Seward
Community Library Association. Funding has been provided by congressional
awards, contributions of the institutions involved and additional support of the
Rasmuson Foundation.
As of September, 2005, Alaska’s Digital Archives, established in 2002, contained
over 14,000 items. Formats include photographs, oral histories, text documents,
maps, moving images and museum objects. The site has attracted thousands of
visitors and feedback is consistently positive. Clearly, citizens throughout the state
value the opportunity to use Internet technology in accessing Alaska’s unique
historical treasures.
Over the two previous phases leading to development of this manual, our
committees have been actively involved in a number of activities, including
standards identification, content selection, web development, software training, and
myriad other tasks associated with a complex digitization initiative. During this
time, we sought best practices where possible, but often simply learned on our own.
We now wish to share the experience we’ve gained over these past three years
with other institutions in Alaska. With that in mind, we’ve attempted to organize our
collective thoughts, conduct an internal “debriefing,” refine the enormous amounts
of information, systems, and procedures we’ve collected or developed, and create a
guidebook we hope will serve as a comprehensive tool for new contributors.
We want to share our collections with the public by creating a one-stop website
for Alaska related materials. Your participation can make a superior partnership
better.
Best of luck as you begin!

Committee Members of Alaska’s Digital Archive

September, 2005
Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau


 Project Partners

Alaska State Library Historical Collections

Alaska State Library’s Historical Collections is mandated by Alaska Statute to
serve as a reference and research collection for published works as well as primary
resource materials on or related to Alaska’s past, present, and future, and also focuses
particular attention on Southeast Alaska.

Anchorage Museum of History and Art

The Anchorage Museum of History and Art at the Rasmuson Center is a world-class
museum which seeks to preserve, exhibit and interpret the art and history of Alaska
and the circumpolar North.

Seward Community Library Association

The Seward Community Library, the Seward Community Library Association and
the Alaska Humanities Forum has worked together to digitize many of the historic
photos housed in the library archives. The main focus of the project is to create
easier access while limiting physical handling of the original photos.

University of Alaska Anchorage

The Archives and Manuscripts Department collects, preserves, and makes available
for research, records which document the social, political, cultural, and economic
development of Alaska, especially that of Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska.

University of Alaska Fairbanks

The University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Alaska and Polar Regions Collections contain
one of the world’s largest collections of historic photographs, manuscripts, moving
images, rare books, maps, and printed materials pertaining to Alaska and the Polar
regions. Spanning six centuries, the materials document a wide variety of topics
including politics, religion, the Alaska Gold Rush, settlement, Alaska Native history
and culture, and Arctic social, natural, and physical sciences.

University of Alaska Museum of the North

The Museum’s 1.4 million natural and cultural history specimens represent millions
of years of biological diversity and more than 11,000 years of cultural traditions
in the North. These collections provide the foundation for the Museum’s research,
education and exhibition programs.


Planning and Self-assessment

1. Project Assessment

The following section comprises questions to be used as guidelines for determining

strengths and weaknesses of your project.

Please describe your project:

Does the project duplicate other digital collections? If yes, please list:

Is your institution committed to this project?

yes no Have you secured a funding source for this project?

Why digitize?
yes no Is there demand for the content of these materials in digital form?
yes no Are you attempting to decrease the handling of fragile originals?

Who is the audience?

yes no Are the materials of interest to a broad audience? (The agreed-
upon audiences for Alaska’s Digital Archives are: scholars, students
and the general public.)
yes no Does the project contribute to the holdings of materials relating to
the history and culture of Alaska?

Physical characteristics of material:


 yes no Videos?
yes no Photographs and postcards?
yes no Oral interviews?
yes no Large-scale images?
yes no Text?
yes no Three-dimensional objects?
yes no Are there size issues that would require special handling
situations? Describe:

yes no Physical conditions that would require special handling situations?

Describe:

yes no Conditions of quality—resolution issues to be handled? Storage

considerations? Describe:

Equipment needs:
yes no Do you have the equipment needed to digitize formats?
For an explanation of equipment and software needs, refer to the
“Technical and Administrative Standards” (pgs. 13-19) section in
the Guidebook.
yes no Able to scan various formats?
yes no Appropriate storage capacity?
yes no Appropriate Internet connectivity?


Who owns the material or copyright?
yes no The project materials are either in public domain or permission
has been obtained from copyright holder, and other uses protected
by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act have been satisfied.
yes no The materials are free of copyright restrictions or copyright is held
by your institution
yes no If materials are restricted by copyright, can permissions be
obtained?
yes no Have the necessary release forms been signed and kept on file by
institution—if appropriate to situation?
yes no Are there other non-copyright issues to be protected (for example,
intellectual, cultural, or religious)?

Personnel considerations:
To determine whether or not you have the appropriate level of support to perform
the needed functions:
yes no What areas and levels of staff expertise are available to you?
yes no Is there someone who will provide overall project management or
coordination of the project? Describe position:

yes no Is there someone who will act as contact between your project and
the funding institution?

Do you have staff who can perform the following:

yes no selection and physical evaluation of the materials? Describe
position:

yes no preparation of materials prior to scanning? Describe position:

yes no image capture, quality control, and scanning? Describe position:

yes no indexing and cataloging of image records? Describe position:

yes no determining the best methods of accessing images? Describe

position:


 Digitization Process:
yes no Are you able to perform the digitization in-house? If yes, describe
the operation:

yes no Have you referred to the specifications outlined in the “Technical

and Administrative Standards” (pgs. 13-19) section of the
Guidebook?
yes no If done off-site: is there adequate and secure storage available?
What is the level of resolution (image quality) you hope to obtain?

yes no Are there specific digitization guidelines specified by funding

source? Describe:

yes no What are the limitations of your hardware and software? Describe:

Collection Maintenance:
yes no Do you have a plan to archive digital images? Describe:

yes no Do you have a backup plan in case of hardware/software failure?

Describe:

yes no Do you have funding resources secured for maintenance of the

digitized collection into the future? Describe:

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Reference Services:
yes no How do you plan to answer reference or other questions (such as
permission to use requests) about the collection? Will you have a
central mailing or email address for patrons to contact? Describe
your plan:

yes no Will you charge for copies and other services? If yes, please
describe your plan:

yes no If you do not have in-house duplication services, do you have

vendors that will be able to do this work for you?
yes no How will you provide information about your project and services?
Will you create a webpage? Please describe your plan:

2. Budget Considerations

Because your project’s budget will depend on your unique situation, we have
provided specifications for personnel, equipment and software, needed to perform
the functions. There will be ongoing costs for hosting items on the Alaska’s Digital
Archive’s server, and may be additional charges depending on project needs. Please
contact the Project Manager for any assistance.

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 3. Personnel Considerations

There are specific tasks that must be performed in order for a digitization project to
be successfully implemented. While there are any number of position descriptions
you could implement, see other projects for examples, we want to focus on the
description of tasks that are necessary.
Tasks are:
• selection of material
• creation of metadata records
• digitization: scanning images, digitizing audio and video
• server administration: This is provided by original partner members
• proofing and editing
• collection level administration.

4. Collection Development
A. Selection Guidelines

Some factors to consider when selecting items for digitization:

• Uniqueness of materials: either to your collection or not yet digitized by other
project participants.
• Relevance of material to the themes developed in the Project.
• Suitability for digitization: Does metadata exist? Special handling issues?
Special equipment needs due to quality of images? Are there lower cost
alternatives to digitization?
• Copyright status

Photographs
• Capitalize on the strengths of the collection and fulfill grant requirements: For
the first phase of Alaska’s Digital Archives, we were committed to the themes
“state development” and “Native culture and history.”
• Complement partner institutions’ collections
• Highlight lesser known materials
• Preservation needs: sometimes the best preservation method is to make material
available so the original can be put away and protected from further damage.
• Image quality: the condition of the physical item impacts costs associated with
digitization.
• Information associated with image is available
• Appeal to multiple audiences: most difficult to gauge. Try to include material
that covers themes that are frequently requested, and images that are
aesthetically pleasing.
• Copyright: Partners need to publish their own copyright standards and a link
should be placed in each record. (See section B for copyright guidelines.)
• Biggest challenge: choosing which images to omit

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Oral History
• Capitalize on the strengths of the collection and fulfill grant requirements:
Select interviews that appeal to a wide audience.
• Interview should have good audio quality throughout. For best quality, the
interview must be recorded properly.
• Copyright: (See Appendix for APR’s “Oral History Gift and Release
Agreement”)
• Because audio digitization is a time-consuming process, choose carefully!
• Do transcripts or abstracts exist?

Maps
• Capitalize on the strengths of the collection and fulfill grant requirements.
• Due to their size, digitizing most maps will require specialized hardware and
software. Consult a partner institution for support and advice.

Video
• Capitalize on the visual and content strengths of the collection and fulfill grant
requirements: select film clips that appeal to a wide audience.
• Ease of manipulation: a 30 second clip may represent 10 minutes of original
film and one hour of manipulation.
• Do transcripts or abstracts exist?

B. Copyright Issues When Digitizing Collections

Permission to use collection items is always an issue when digitizing collections.

Here are copyright guidelines to keep in mind:

Protected by Copyright or Public Domain: published or unpublished

Published:

• 1922 or earlier; author dead or alive: public domain

• Without copyright notice before 1978: public domain
• Without copyright notice before 1989: probably in public domain
• Copyright notice between 1923-1963 and renewed: protected by copyright
until 95 years after date of publication. Get permission from current copyright
owner.
• Copyright notice between 1964 and 1977: protected by copyright until 95
years after date of publication. Get permission from current copyright owner.
• Copyright notice between 1923-1935 and NOT renewed: public domain
• 1978-present; author dead or alive: protected by copyright until 70 years after
the death of the author, or for a corporate author, the shorter of 95 years from
publication or 120 years from creation. Get permission from current copyright
owner.
Unpublished:
• Created in 1977 or earlier; author died prior to 1933: public domain.
• Created in 1977 or earlier; author died after 1933: protected by copyright until

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 70 years after the death of the author. Get permission from current copyright
owner.
• Created in 1977 or earlier; author alive: protected by copyright until 70 years
after death of the author. Get permission from current copyright owner.
• Created in 1978 or later; author dead or alive: protected by copyright until 70
years after the death of the author.
The above information was prepared to assist Alaska’s Digital Archives contributors
in projects involving digitization of U.S. materials for access through the World Wide
Web. The above is limited to U.S. copyright law and does not address digitization
of non-U.S. materials, nor does it address non-digital duplication by libraries or the
digitization of materials for in-house, non-Web use. For further information about
copyright issues, see the Appendix to this guidebook.

How to determine if a photograph was published or unpublished

Published:

• photographer’s name
• photo title
• photo number or date written on the surface of a print as part of the image
Unpublished:
• images developed on postcard stock

Copyright issues for interviews digitized as audio clips

Interviews accepted into Alaska’s Digital Archives database must be available for
public use. We cannot accept recordings where:
• The narrator or other body must be consulted prior to each use of the
interview. Such a restriction severely reduces the usefulness of the tape and
makes long term management impossible.
• Individuals and/or members of particular groups are forbidden to use the
interview. The institutions included in this project are firmly committed
to the principles of intellectual freedom and will not accept any form of
discrimination.
• The interviewer and/or narrator prohibits making copies of interviews and/or
insists upon retaining the right to sell copies. You need to be able to make
copies of interviews for circulation, preservation, transcription purposes and
for the narrators and their families.

We do allow some limited restrictions to be placed on certain interviews

under the following circumstances
• Interviews to be used in a book or other publication project can be restricted
from public use for no more than two years. At the end of two years, the tapes

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 will be made available to the public regardless of whether or not anything has
been published.
• Officials can restrict public access to their own interviews until they leave
public office provided that they will be leaving office in two years or less.
At the end of two years, the tape will be available to the public regardless of
whether or not they have left office.
• Radio programs typically retain rebroadcast right to interviews that they have
produced unless they choose to relinquish that right to the UAF Oral History
Program.

The following guidelines should be followed:

• A release form outlining transfer agreements between interviewee and
institution should be kept on file. Contact your partner liaison.
• Interviews cannot be restricted beyond the life span of the A/V medium. For
example, it is pointless to restrict a tape for 100 years if the recording only has
a shelf life of 10 years.
• Make clear that collections to be considered for this project will be available to
the public.

Copyright issues for films to be digitized

• Collections donated without restriction by the producers, or their heirs.
Donations must include all rights of ownership.
• Excerpts from finished films that were produced or contracted by government
and public institutions and clearly used public funds.

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 Other Contributor Considerations

1. Copyright statements

Provided are the links to the copyright statements of contributing institutions:

Alaska State Library:

http://library.state.ak.us/vilda_rights.html

Anchorage Museum of History and Art:

http://www.anchoragemuseum.org/aboutus_copyright.asp

Seward Community Library:

http://www.cityofseward.net/library/Historic%20Photos.htm

University of Alaska Anchorage:

http://www.lib.uaa.alaska.edu/vilda/

University of Alaska Fairbanks:

http://www.uaf.edu/library/apr/photo_use_forms.html

University of Alaska Museum of the North:

http://www.uaf.edu/museum/molinet/copyright.html

2. Data Protection
Partner institutions want to ensure against unauthorized reproductions of archival
and museum collections while encouraging wide availability to the collections. A
reasonable level of security has been put into place by current partners:

Photographs
• create an archived uncompressed master digital file used as a copy to send to
researchers, media, or others in the public when they need a detailed image;
• create an easily compressed and viewable file for general use.
This general use file is much smaller in size and easier to download for our dial-
up patrons and good enough quality for viewing over a computer, using with the
LearnAlaska educational tool, or adding to a power-point presentation, computer
background or personal web page.

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Movie clips
• follows photograph format
• shorter length to aid in download
• edited around a specific theme
• low resolution images with institution logo

Audio interviews
• cut into smaller clips to aid in download

Maps and large-format items:

• use of JPEG2000
Please note: Because there are only three licenses for JPEG2000 available to the
Project we suggest that you contact UAF, UAA or the State Library if you want large
format, high detail images added.

3. Access to Collections

CONTENTdm Overview

CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management Software is a flexible, multifunction

software package providing tools for all aspects of digital collection management.
It handles virtually all media types, including newspapers, maps, photographs,
yearbooks, transcribed diaries, rare books, oral histories, audio and video clips,
poster art, and more. CONTENTdm meets the needs of a wide range of users,
including universities, public libraries, museums, commercial and government
entities, and nonprofit organizations.
CONTENTdm is Web compatible, so collections are readily accessible to end
users through standard Web browsers. Alaska’s Digital Archives is accessible at
http://vilda.alaska.edu. For more information about CONTENTdm, go to
http://www.contentdm.com.

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 Technical and Administrative Standards

1. Imaging and Multimedia Standards

A. Digitizing Images

In this section we are providing standards that should be adopted when scanning
images and uploading items to the Alaska’s Digital Archives database.

Software requirements
• Image manipulation software (such as Photoshop)
• Software extension (such as JPEG 2000) for adding large-scale items, such as
artwork and maps.
Note: JPEG 2000 was purchased for use by UAF, UAA, and Alaska State Library,
and its license limits its use to these institutions. If you are interested in this process,
contact your partner liason.

Hardware requirements
• A computer with at least 1 GB of RAM (more if large-scale items will be
digitized) and a reliable broadband internet connection such as DSL or better.
• A scanner or digital camera for digitizing. Our experience has taught us that
high resolution cameras are a better option than flatbed scanners for high-
volume production. They are much faster and more flexible, but they do
require more training to operate.
• Digital camera requirements: digital SLR with a minimum resolution of
about 12 mega pixels (this is the minimum that will produce a file with a
spatial resolution of 4000 pixels across the long dimension).
1. A good macro lens, if the camera does not come with one.
2. Copy stand and lights to be used with camera.
3. A light box and additional lens will enable you to digitize slides and
negatives.
• Flatbed scanner requirements: minimum scanning resolution of 600 ppi for
reflective items or 2500 ppi for transparent items such as slides. Able to scan
various formats such as reflective and transparent. Fast scanner connectivity
such as USB 2.0 or Firewire/IEEE1394 is desirable due to the large file sizes
produced.

File size requirements

Master scans should have a spatial resolution of approximately 4000 pixels across the
longer dimension. The files should be saved in TIFF format and may be saved using
LZW compression. They should minimally be 8 bit grayscale/24 bit RGB, although
16 bit grayscale/48 bit RGB is encouraged if institutions have the equipment to
produce and store the larger files. We recommend including, if possible, in each scan
a small grayscale such as a Kodak Q-13 or a QPCard.
JPGs to be uploaded should be saved as Resolution 72ppi, 720 pixels across the

18
long dimension, with the greatest compression possible while retaining most of the
detail. We use jpeg compression level 4 in Photoshop; testing may be required with
other graphics applications. This is intended to provide the optimal viewing, while
the minimizing file size and download time, and achieving archiving requirements.

Scanning Recommendations
For reflective images up to 14 inches on the long dimension:
Minimum Recommendations for master scan:
• typically scanned at 300-600 dpi.
• file format: TIFF
• bit depth:
8 bit grayscale
24 bit RGB color
• spatial resolution: approx. 4,000 pixels across the long dimension

For reflective images greater than 14 inches on the long dimension:

Minimum Recommendations for master scan:
• typically scanned at 300 dpi.
• file format: TIFF
• bit depth:
8 bit grayscale
24 bit RGB color
• spatial resolution: 4,000+ pixels across the long dimension

For slides, 35mm negatives, and other small formats:

Minimum Recommendations: typically scanned at 2000 dpi.
• typically scanned at 2000 dpi.
• file format: TIFF
• bit depth:
8 bit grayscale
24 bit RGB color
• spatial resolution: 4,000 + pixels across the long dimension

For text documents:

Minimum Recommendations for archival purposes:
• typically scanned at 200 ppi

For maps:

• Spatial resolution from approx. 6,000-14,000 pixels across the long dimension.
Size of smallest details in map may be helpful in deciding an input resolution.
• Increase input resolution to enhance artistic details: pen strokes, gilding,
mineral and vegetable colorizations.

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 • May be scanned in multiple parts, which can be stitched together digitally.
Note: This process can be extremely time-consuming.
• Maximum resolution dependent on quality of equipment. Consider sending
material to commercial company or digital archives partner institution with
appropriate equipment for high-resolution, large-format scanning.

Computer preparation
You will need to set up a number of folders on your hard drive or network.
Image files: You will want some sort of filing system for the image files you create.
If you create both tiffs and jpegs you will need to separate the two types of image
files. We generally name our folders after the collection name to make it easier to
find later.
File names should be based on “Logical identifiers” which will reflect the position
of the physical object in the archival collection. Each institution has a three or four
letter code which is the first element of the file name. Subsequent elements are
Collections number, box, series, or folder number, if any, and item number.
Examples:
UAF-2003-109-152
UAA-hmc-0364-series5-3-7
ASL-P87-2606
These filenames will become the Identifiers for these images, creating a logical link
between the physical collections and the digital surrogates.
Alaska’s Digital Archives Upload file: You can find more explanation of the use
of this folder in the Acquisition Station and SSH sections of the manual. Locate this
folder someplace it will be easy to find. If you would like to maintain local back-up
copies of the metadata and the image as it is presented online, you will also need to
create a folder or folders for those backups.
Saving master: Once you scan an item, you have a master scan which should
never be altered! The master scan is your archived copy of the process. The original
scan, including grayscale, should be saved in tiff format without alteration.
Make a copy of the original scan (working tiff) and perform any necessary
corrections, such as crop grayscale and any extraneous elements. (See photo
manipulation software documentation for more complete procedures.) This altered
copy is saved as a jpeg and is this image that will be added to the database. The
working tiff can be deleted once the jpeg has been uploaded.
Consult the photo manipulation software documentation for more complete
procedures. Digital archives partner institutions may also be able to provide local
procedures, provided they are using the same image manipulation software.

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 B. Digitizing Audio
Software requirements
• SoundForge: used to capture and record audio with a PC. Mac suggestions:
Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) is a cross platform program that
will enable you to record and edit your audio. Sound Studio
(http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/audio/soundstudio.html)

Hardware requirements
• digital recorder, or
• Edirol: audio capture device used with a computer. For analog audio
recordings (tapes or reel-to-reel).
http://www.edirol.com/products/info/archive/ua3.html
• headphones
• playback equipment
Connect the audio out (or headphones) jack of the tape recorder (or other device
such as a reel-to-reel player or a VCR) to the Edirol, (input or audio-in) using red
and white audio cables. The Edirol uses a USB cable to connect to your computer
enabling the computer to get a digital copy of the audio. The head phones will be
plugged into the Edirol and then while playing the audio from the tape player, adjust
the sound levels on the computer, the Edirol and the player until the sound is good.
Now, open the software program and press the record button. Then press the
play button on your player device. Note: It will take the same amount of time to
digitize an audio recording as it does to listen to it and the computer will not be able
to do anything else while it is digitizing (i.e. a 45min interview will take 45 min to
digitize).
When the tape has been recorded into the computer, interviews should be
saved as a high quality uncompressed .wav file for archiving. The original should
always be saved on a back-up device such as a CD. Then each interview is cut into
4-7 min. clips, to keep the file size down and enable a user to listen to specific
sections of an interview based on a key word list created by the audio technician or
metadata cataloger. After the audio track is cut into smaller pieces and keyworded,
it is converted into MP3 format for entry into the Digital Archives. The goal is to
hold file size to about 1-2Mb so that people with 56k dial-up connections can still
download the files in a reasonable length of time. The MP3 format was chosen
because of the greater compression and the format has a widely readable codec.
And finally, everything should be backed up!!!
• Audio editing software may be able to boost the volume and/or edit out some
of the more annoying sound “artifacts” (hisses, pops, background noise,
long pauses, etc.), but it’s not a magic wand. If the interview wasn’t recorded
properly to begin with, the result is going to be a very low quality product.

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 C. Moving Image Documents
Videos
Software requirements:

• QuickTime, RealMedia, MPEG. We suggest using Mpeg4 and QuickTime.

• Final Cut Pro

Hardware requirements:

• Sony J-3 Series Compact Beta Player

• Apple G-4 computer
• Media players
• Medium DSL recording rate: based on quality and size of the images. This
recording rate produces files that are less than half the size of those recorded at
High DSL or LAN setting.
Film clips that are assembled for Alaska’s Digital Archives represent only a small
portion of the content held in the original film reel. Each clip is assembled to identify
specific locations and/or activities and serve as a representative sample of the
original.
Each film clip is treated as an individual moving image document.
There are 3 main elements in each moving image document:

1. Opening slate containing :

• Title based on content
• Origin
• Date or range date
2. Moving images
3. A lower third superimposed over the moving images reading:
• Alaska Film Archives
• University of Alaska; Fairbanks

Minimum File Size and Resolution Recommendation

• Video documents are intended for access only and are compressed.
• Target length for each video document is 30–60 seconds.
• Videos are recorded in both Mpeg4 and QuickTime using a medium DSL
recording rate.
• MPEG4; Frame rate 15 fps; Pixel Dimensions 320 w x 240 h; Bit Rate 36–40
kbits/sec.
• QuickTime; Frame rate 15fps; Dimensions 320 w x 240 h; Bit Rate 36–40
kbits/sec.
• Target file size for each video document is not to exceed 2 MB.
• 30 second clips average 750K–1 MB; 60 seconds approximately 1.5MB–2 MB.

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Download times for a 1MB file range between:

• 2:29 minutes for with 56K modem connection

• 13 seconds with 640 K DSL connection
• 5 seconds with 1.4 M T-1 connection
It is possible to create records in much smaller files for use by the low-speed modem
access users. However, these results are unsatisfactory because:
• screen size is very small; expanding size causes loss of resolution and clarity
• distortion of graphics; pixilation of moving images
• low resolution images will require deletion or replacement at a future date.

Methodology
Following preliminary identification, moving images to be included in Alaska’s
Digital Archives are transferred from Beta SP or DigiBeta master videotape, edited
and saved as Mpeg4 and QuickTime files using:
• Sony J-3 Series Compact Beta Player
• Apple G-4 Computer
• Final Cut Pro software
This system allows the J-3 Player to be remotely operated by the Final Cut Pro
software to download raw footage from the Beta SP videotape.
In Final Cut Pro film clips can be cropped, contrast, brightness, color adjusted,
edited, and the slate and lower third created and added. The finished video
document is then digitally rendered into Mpeg4 and QuickTime and transferred to
the shared server for inclusion in Alaska’s Digital Archives.
Time required to create a single clip from identifying images to be included in the
document through loading the final documents on the shared server takes between
30 and 90 minutes depending on the number of edits required.

2. Metadata Standards
What is metadata? This is the term we use to describe the information we know
about each individual image in the database. It is comprised of two types of data:
data about what is depicted in the image, and data about the image itself. Not
all of the fields listed will be shown in the final record as it appears in the web
database because not all will be of interest to the end user. Each field listed below is
accompanied with a description and standards for the field, information about how
it appears in the web view, and explanations for what the field is and what purpose it
serves. If you have any questions about terms, usage, formatting, etc., please contact
your liaison at your partner institution.
Other general notes about entering metadata:
• Do not use semi-colons except to act as a break between elements of the
metadata. ContentDM basically treats a semi-colon as a hard return. It is used
to divide multiple terms in many of the fields.
• When using semicolons to divide terms in fields, be sure to place a blank space
after each semicolon. If you fail to do so, ContentDM treats the first letter in

23
 the following word as a blank space and it will no longer be searchable nor
appear correctly online.
• Double spacing should not be used in controlled vocabulary fields. In general,
double spacing will not appear in the online view.
• Acquisition Station does not accept the general keyboard shortcuts for
entering accent marks such as may be used in languages other than English,
but will accept them if copied and pasted into the field.
Fields
The Partners made decisions on what fields would be used, the field titles and
formatting. Our decisions were based on “Western States Dublin Core Metadata Best
Practices”:
• Western States Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices
http://www.cdpheritage.org/resource/metadata/wsdcmbp/
• Dublin Core Metadata Element Set
http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/

Filename
• Derived from the Identifier and may be up to 80 characters (not limited to 8.3)
• Use lower case. Use underscores or dashes to separate elements of the filename
e.g. asl_p306_063.jpg or uaa-hmc-0029-series7-2.
• May contain words.
• This field must be the first field in order for the file name to be automatically
captured with Acquisition Station when doing a Batch Add.
Not controlled vocabulary, not searchable, hidden to end user, and mapped to
Dublin Core element: Identifier.
Explanation: This item is the file name you have assigned to the image file. See
Identifier Field for naming conventions. While you're not technically required to
match the file name and the identifier, it may be useful if you receive a reference
request from the Alaska’s Digital Archives site so you can find the image file
using the identifier that the researcher provides rather than having to go into the
collection administration from the web to see the hidden file name in order to
find the appropriate master scan. The filename will be added automatically to the
record when the image file is loaded into Acquisition Station: it does not require
manipulation by the indexer.
Collection Name
• Name of archival collection which is the source of the item.
• Contents of field should be explicit so that users can use the information to
identify and order an object.
• Example: Caroline Jensen. Photographs, 1948-1972. ASL-PCA 417
This is a controlled vocabulary item. It is searchable to the end user and visible to the
end user. It is mapped to Dublin Core element: Source.
Explanation: Most archives do not treat their photographs as individual items.
Usually the photographs will be part of a larger collection that may contain other
materials. The collection name provides information to the end user about the

24
context for the photograph. The end user may also find other elements of the
collection relevant to their research topic, so the context of the collection becomes
useful for that.
Other notes: When viewed online, the collection name appears as a searchable
string: i.e. if you click on the collection name, you're given search results of all
photographs that use exactly the same collection name. Avoid using quotation marks
in this field. ContentDM doesn't always recognize quotation marks and may eat
them during the upload/approval process. Also the quotation marks may break up
the name string into several parts, canceling the ability to search the full collection
name as a single string and adding some difficulties in the upload approval process.
Identifier
• A unique identifier.
• Prefix of three to five initials of holding institution (upper case); accession
number.
For example:
ASL-P306-063 or UAF-1967-17-42
• This is a controlled vocabulary field so that we can maintain the identifier
string as a whole for searchability needs.
• The CV of each collection will contain only the Identifiers actually contained
in that collection.
This is a controlled vocabulary field, it is searchable and visible to the end user, and is
mapped to the Dublin Core element: Identifier.
Explanation: The identifier is a unique string assigned to each photograph. For
repositories that catalog photographs individually, it will frequently be the accession
number of the photograph. For those repositories that do not individually catalog
photographs, a process for assigning unique identifiers will have to be devised.
Unlike the file name, the identifier does not have the .jpg (or similar) extension.
Title
• Name given to the resource by the creator or publisher; may also be
identifying phrase or name of the object supplied by the holding institution**.
• Use Western States rules. (see http://www.cdpheritage.org/resource/metadata/
wsdcmbp/dc_wsdsg.html)
This is not a controlled vocabulary field, it is searchable and visible to the end user,
and is mapped to the Dublin Core element: Title.
Explanation: The title appears above the photograph as well as in the list of fields
below the photograph. It should be descriptive, but not too lengthy.
Usage notes: ContentDM does not handle quotation marks well in this field
either. Avoid them. If the title is a quote, indicate it as such in the description field.
The Alaska’s Digital Archives metadata indexers and content selectors have generally
tried to use the captions or similar as sources for titles with one major exception:
when the caption may be offensive to end users, the indexer will create a new title
that is not. The offensive caption will be retained and be stated in the description
field, as this is not as prominent as the title.

25
 Description
• Describe the image in a narrative format if not sufficiently described by the
Title
• Use ASL Metadata Style Sheet as advice for data entry order of the elements
and form (see attached documentation)
• Describe the contents of the image and what it is about.
• Use Western States rules
This is not a controlled vocabulary field, it is searchable and visible to the end user
and is is mapped to the Dublin Core element: Description. Individual words (other
than stop words such as "a" or "the") are clickable and will take the end user to a
search results screen of other photographs in the database that use the same term.
Explanation: The description is one of the few fields that allows the indexer to
mix both types of metadata: information about the photograph and information
about the contents of the photograph. It allows for a more extensive prose
description of the photograph and provides a place for descriptive elements that
do not fit in the other fields. It may include original photograph dimensions,
photographic processes, explanation of context for the photograph (e.g. in a portrait
this may be an opportunity to the indexer to explain more about the individual
portrayed.) Extensive interpretation of the image should be avoided. This field may
also include the date the photograph was taken.
Usage notes: A style sheet has been created to allow all institutions to standardize
the order of elements within the description field. It accompanies this document.
The style sheet should be looked upon as a guideline, not as a required format.
For use in describing photos with Native Alaskan themes, in consultation with
the Native Advisory Board, a list of acceptable singular and plural terms for various
native groups has been agreed upon. That list is as follows:
• Alutiiq: Sugpiaq (sg), Sugpiat (pl).
• Central Yup'ik: Yup'ik (sg), Yupiit (pl).
• Siberian Yupik: Yupik (sg), Yupiget (pl).
• Inupiaq: Inupiaq (sg), Inupiat (pl).
• Aleut, Eastern dialect: Unangax^ (sg), Unangan (pl).
• Aleut, Western dialect: Unangax^ (sg), Unangas (pl).
• For Tsimshian, Haida, Tlingit, and Eyak, it is probably best just to add an s to
form the plural or use the term as an adjective (e.g. Tsimshian people.)

Creator
• Use Western States rules
• Use MARC relator list to identify the role of the creator when needed.
http://www.loc.gov/marc/relators/relaterm.html For example: (Photographer)
• Use (Photographer) for Photography Studios
This is a controlled vocabulary field, is searchable and visible to the end user, and is
mapped to Dublin Core element: Creator.
Usage notes: Should be left blank if photographer is not known. As a personal
name or corporate name field, LC name authorities are the first source to be used
for the name entry. If the name is not in the LC name authority files, for alternate

26
verification indexers may wish to check Candy Waugaman's list of photographers
and studios active in Alaska (contact your partner liaison for a copy), Alaska
library catalogs, or entries used by other partners in Alaska’s Digital Archives. If
both the photography studio and the individual photographer is listed with the
photograph, the studio should be used in the Creator field and the photographer in
the Contributor field. While many of the extant images in Alaska’s Digital Archives
do not have the relator indicated parenthetically, this practice should be instituted as
the database is now expanding to media types other than photographs.
Contributors
• Use Western States rules
• Use MARC relator list to identify the role of the creator when needed.
http://www.loc.gov/marc/relators/relaterm.html For example: (Photographer)
• Use (Photographer) for Photography Studios
This is a controlled vocabulary field, is searchable and visible to the end user, and is
mapped to Dublin Core element: Contributor.
Explanation: This field may be renamed due to the potential confusion between
“contributor to creation of photograph” with “contributor of a collection to an
archival repository.”
Usage notes: The same naming rules apply as are listed in the Creator field. Like
the photographer field, while many of the extant images in Alaska’s Digital Archives
do not have the relator indicated, this practice should instituted in this field as well.
Subject.TGM
• Select terms from Library of Congress Thesaurus for Graphic Materials I:
Subject Terms (an older version is pre-loaded into Acquisition Station but the
current is available online at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/tgm1/)
• Separate terms with semicolon and a space (in that order)
• When assigning subject terms, TGM is the primary source
This is a controlled vocabulary field (TGM), is searchable and visible to the end user,
and maps to Dublin Core element: Subject.
Explanation: This is one of three thesauri used for "subject cataloging." The
Thesaurus for Graphic Materials was specifically designed to be used in the
description of photographs and other visual artwork, as it allows the indexer to use
terms specifically oriented to elements that may be depicted in a visual manner such
as Buildings, Cabins, People, Students, etc. Some TGM terms may seem to be easily
overused (such as People), but indexers should keep in mind that the more complete
the indexing, the easier the search mechanisms on the Alaska’s Digital Archives site
will function.
There are three subject fields, each based on a separate thesaurus. ContentDM does
not currently allow us to associate each specific term with its source thesaurus and
having a separate field for each specific thesaurus used is our "work-around." This
allows indexers to determine the source thesauri and may become important if the
contents of the database were to be exported to another catalog. At this point we're not
able to alter the web view to join the three fields together as simply "Subject."

27
 Subject.LCSH
• Use LCSH if a needed term is not found in TGM
• OK to separate floating subdivision from term itself e.g. Law and Legislation
-- Alaska
• Separate terms with semicolon, to facilitate line separation in ContentDM.
• Note: Terms are to be added to controlled vocabulary of institutional
collections as required by indexers. Periodical validation and unification of
terms will be the responsibility of the Cataloging Committee. The committee
will submit the unified list of terms to the System Administrator to be entered
into the Subject.LCSH field of each collection.
This is a controlled vocabulary field (LCSH), is searchable and visible to the end user,
and is mapped to the Dublin Core element: Subject.
Explanation: LCSH is used as a secondary vocabulary to TGM. If a term is
available through both, use the TGM term first. While LCSH isn't quite as useful for
describing photographs as it is for other types of materials, occasionally the subject-
oriented nature of LCSH can become useful. For example, a photograph of an army
encampment at Adak in 1943. None of the other fields (possibly excepting the
Description) provide an opportunity to connect this photograph to the War effort.
LCSH, with the term World War, 1939-1945, provides a level of subject description
not available in other thesauri and fields and will be acceptable terms if contents of
the database are exported to WorldCat at some point.
Usage notes: Generally follow headings as already entered into the Alaska’s
Digital Archives database to standardize terms as much as possible.
Subject.Local
• Subject.Local terms will be created by the Cataloging Committee as required.
• See attached documentation for the current vocabulary for this field.
This is a controlled vocabulary field (maintained by the joint Alaska’s Digital
Archives metadata group), is searchable and visible to the end user, and is mapped to
Dublin Core element: Subject.
Explanation: The indexers, usually because of the shortcomings of published
thesauri especially in reference to Alaska topics, have found it necessary to create a
vocabulary with agreed-upon spellings and terms for common descriptive elements.
For example, all of the specific terms for Alaska Natives can be found within the
Subject.Local vocabulary, as well as other terms such as Roadhouses or Kuspuks (an
agreed-upon spelling for the Native Alaskan clothing article.) New terms may be
proposed for inclusion but the metadata group will have to concur on their usage
before they are added to the controlled vocabulary for this field.
Personal name
• The name of the person or persons depicted in the object. For example, the
name of a person portrayed in a photograph.
• Form: use Lastname, Firstname, birthdate; deathdate e.g. Moorhouse, J.
(James), 1826-1915
• Consult LC (http://authorities.loc.gov) and local catalogs UAF, UAA, CCL for
Personal Name Authorities.

28
 • When only a first or last name is available, add location as a qualifier e.g. Old
Simon (Eagle).
• Personal names entered into institutional collections will periodically be
compiled and unified by the Cataloging Committee. The resulting list will be
shared across all collections.
This field has a controlled vocabulary, it is searchable and visible to the end user, and
is mapped to Dublin Core element: Subject.
Usage notes: LC name authorities are the primary source for this field and should
be used if available. Only persons depicted in the image should be referenced in
this field. Creators of the image who do not appear in it should be referenced in the
Creator or Contributor field. Other persons related to the image who do not fit in the
Personal name, Creator, or Contributor field, should only be referenced within the
Description field.
Corporate name
• The corporate name of an item depicted in the object. For example, Tanana
Chiefs Conference, Inc.
• Use Authority records from LC or the local library catalogs UAF, UAA, CCL.
• Corporate names entered into institutional collections will periodically be
compiled and unified by the Cataloging Committee. The resulting list will be
shared across all collections.
This field has a controlled vocabulary, is searchable and visible to the end user, and is
mapped to Dublin Core element: Subject.
Notes: LC name authorities are the primary source for this field and should be
used if available. While locally created names can be used, extreme care should be
taken in adding them. Creation of corporate names should follow standard rules
and should be approved by a professional cataloger involved in the Alaska’s Digital
Archives project before being added to the controlled vocabulary. Usually when
creating a corporate name entry, the name entry should be qualified with a place, if
identifiable. For example: Nellie’s Diner (Anchorage, Alaska.)
Location
• Most specific geographic location
• For correct form of name, consult in the following order:
° LC (http://authorities.loc.gov)
° GNIS (available at:
http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form)
° Orth to determine correct form of name (Dictionary of Alaska Place
Names, Donald J. Orth, author, US Geological Survey professional Paper
567)
• If two locations are named in the item, give both names separated by a
semicolon and a space (in that order)
• If there are multiple locations with the same name e.g. Ptarmigan Creek,
qualify the name with the next higher geographic area such as the borough.
If no borough name, use Census Area Name (GNIS). e.g. Ptarmigan Creek
(Kenai Peninsula, Alaska)

29
 • Location names entered into institutional collections will periodically be
compiled and unified by the Cataloging Committee. Resulting list will be
shared across all collections.
This field has a controlled vocabulary, is searchable and visible to the end user, and is
mapped to Dublin Core element: Subject.
Explanation: This field is intended to identify the location depicted in the
photograph as specifically as possible. If not identifiable beyond the broad regions
for the Region field (see below), leave blank. As many locations have already been
entered into the controlled vocabularies, please check the Alaska’s Digital Archives
database before adding new ones; both for existing terms and for how to structure
terms. For those photographs that reference Alaska topics but were not taken
inside Alaska (such as those taken at various native boarding schools or during the
construction of the Alaska highway), the standards remain the same.
Region
• For regional divisions, see
http://www.uaf.edu/Alaska’s Digital Archives/mapsHQ/
• The region in which the object is associated. The regions are:
° Alaska
° Interior Alaska
° Northern Alaska
° Southcentral Alaska
° Southeast Alaska
° Western Alaska and Aleutian Islands
° Outside Alaska
This field has a controlled vocabulary as detailed above, is searchable and visible to
the end user, and is mapped to Dublin Core element: Coverage.spatial.
Description: This field was created to allow general searching within large
geographic areas. Many of the geographic boundaries were created in consultation
with the Native Advisory board so as best to reflect geographic divisions between
native groups. One primary search path on the main page allows the user to click on
an area of the Alaska map divided into these regions in order to view items relevant
to a particular region.
Usage notes: This field should always be filled in. Alaska is used only when
narrower identification (within Alaska) cannot be made. Alternatively, multiple areas
may be entered if the indexer cannot identify a single geographic area. Multiple areas
should be divided by a semicolon and a space.
Time period
• This field contains a time period with which the object is associated. The time
periods are:
° 1741 and before (Early Alaska Native period)
° 1741 to 1867 (Russian period)
° 1867 to 1896 (Early American period)
° 1896 to 1913 (Gold Rush period)
° 1913 to 1939 (Territorial Alaska period)

30
 ° 1939 to 1959 (World War 2 to Statehood)
° 1959 and later (State of Alaska)
This field has a controlled vocabulary as detailed above, is searchable and visible to
the end user, and is mapped to Dublin Core element: Coverage.temporal.
Description: The reason to use the “Time period” field is for end-user searching
and browsing: users will be able to search/browse a specific time period as opposed
to specific years. The time periods described were initially created to represent
important divisions in the period leading up to Alaska’s statehood.
Usage notes: This field should always be filled in. Multiple time frames may be
used if a single one cannot be identified. Multiple terms should be separated by a
semicolon and a space.
Circa
• Individual years separated by semicolons.
• Text field.
• Hidden field to users.
This field is not a controlled vocabulary field, is searchable to the end user, but is
invisible to the end user. It is mapped to Dublin Core element: Date.
Description: The reason to use the “Circa” field is for end-user searching.
CONTENTdm does not support operational logic, therefore the software cannot
determine which year is associated with which Date Original. The Circa field is a
workaround. That is, if you use the time frame of 1941-1945 as the date.original (not
being able to be more specific), ContentDM is not able to recognize that 1942, 1943
and 1944 are contained within that time frame. This field was created to provide a
place for 1942, 1943, and 1944 to be placed so users doing keyword searches on a
specific year would find those photographs that may span that year and years to each
side.
Usage notes: This field is used for years only. Each should be separated by a semi-
colon and a space. Years appearing explicitly in the date.original field do not need to
be entered in this field.
Date.original
• Field is NOT formatted to ISO.
• Leave as text field.
This field is not a controlled vocabulary field, is searchable and visible to the end
user, and is mapped to Dublin Core element: Date.original.
Usage notes: If spans are included, the dates are separated by a hyphen and no
spaces. Some institutions are using full months, others are using the three letter
abbreviation. Keep consistent within your own institution. Generally, specific
dates should be represented as follows: Dec 12, 1943 (or December 12, 1943). If
the indexer is unsure of the date, it is acceptable to write what is known of the date
followed by a question mark.
Date.digital
• Format this field according to ISO.
• DATE.DIGITAL is stored as YYYYMMDD, which is system supplied.

31
 This field is not a controlled vocabulary field, is searchable but not visible to the end
user, and is mapped to Dublin Core element: Date.digital.
Description: This is a field that will be used primarily for administrative
purposes. Date.digital may provide information about the standards under which
the original item was scanned if scanning or file standards change.
Usage notes: This field should always be filled in.
Type
• The type refers to the format of the object. These include:
° Collection
° Dataset
° Event
° Image (Photographs)
° InteractiveResource
° PhysicalObject
° Service
° Software
° Sound
° Text
This field is a controlled vocabulary field, is searchable and visible to the end user
and is mapped to Dublin Core element: Type.
Description: The reason to use this field is for organizational purposes as well
as end-user searching and browsing: users will be able to search/browse a specific
type. The basic controlled vocabulary as noted above comes from Dublin Core. The
Alaska’s Digital Archives metadata group decided to amend those terms slightly to
allow for more specificity especially with Image, resulting in Image followed by a
parenthetical term coming from TGM II (The Thesaurus for Graphic Materials II:
Genre and Physical Characteristic Terms.) For example: Image (Photographs), Image
(Photographic postcards), Image (Group portraits).
Usage notes: Multiple terms may be used in this field, separated by a semicolon
and a space. Use the terms as already defined in the controlled vocabulary. All
additional terms will need to be proposed to the Metadata group for possible
inclusion.
Related Materials
• Relations between objects (e.g., an image related to an audio file; URL of a
finding aid, or related to the catalog.)
This field may be made into a controlled vocabulary field depending on the needs of
the individual institution, is searchable and visible to the end user, and is mapped to
Dublin Core element: Relation.
Description: This field allows indexers to provide broader context for the images.
UAA frequently uses the field to provide a URL for the finding aid to the collection
which is available on the UAA website. Other uses may include linking images with
related audio or video, providing URLs to outside sources of information, to library
catalog records, to online exhibits, or to other related materials within the Alaska’s
Digital Archives database. As of yet, ContentDM requires that URLs be visible in

32
their entirety rather than allowing the field entry to act as a hotlink.
Usage: Since this field may be used for a wide variety of purposes and URLs are
not always self-explanatory, indexers should consider including a brief description
preceding a URL to explain what function the link serves.
Language
• Leave field blank if in English, otherwise use from controlled voc.
• Languages entered into institutional collections will periodically be compiled
and unified by the Cataloging Committee. Resulting list will be shared across
all collections.
This field is a controlled vocabulary field, is searchable and visible to the end user,
and is mapped to Dublin Core element: Language.
Rights
• Each institution will have their own disclaimer
• Link to an external URL
This field is a locally maintained controlled vocabulary field, is not searchable but is
visible to the end user and is mapped to Dublin Core element: Rights.
Description: Detailing reproduction and other rights are essential to a project
such as Alaska’s Digital Archives. Each partner institution should create a disclaimer
or rights statement that persons interested in using the images contained in Alaska’s
Digital Archives may have to guide their use. The simplest way to do this is for the
partner institution to host a local page with information about their policies and
standards regarding the reproduction of images found in Alaska’s Digital Archives.
Each individual institution may decide how specific they need to be.
Holding Institution
• The institution which holds the item.
• Use complete address.
This field has a controlled vocabulary, is not searchable but is visible to the end user
and is mapped to Dublin Core element: Publisher.
Description: Generally institutions are providing their complete mailing address
though they may wish to include email addresses or phone numbers as well. This
allows end users to contact the appropriate repository for information if they have
questions about the image.

33
 Managing Workflow: Building Collections

The CONTENTdm site has updated information, including tutorials, available at

http://contentdm.com/usc. We have provided links to these tutorials throughout this
section.
To access the tutorials, you’ll be asked for the following login information:
email: email@vilda.alaska.edu
password: (see your project administrator for the password)

1. Acquisition Station
This section describes the process of adding the images to CONTENTdm with the
Acquisition Station, the component that allows you to input, annotate, and upload
all the multimedia items and data in your collection.
Before you get started:
• The Acquisition Station must be installed on your desktop computer. See
the Installation Guides at the CONTENTdm site. Or, contact your project’s
administrator.
• Information you will need:
1. User Name: your repository name
2. Company Name: ViLDA
3. URL of server: http://vilda.alaska.edu
4. method for uploading files: upload to shared drive
• You have selected items and are ready to import items into the collection.

2. Building Your First Collection

See the tutorial “Building Your First Collection” at:
http://contentdm.com/USC/tutorials/building-first-collection.pdf
• Contact your project administrator if you have not been assigned a username
and password.
• Follow the instructions in each section. We have added notes for various sections
(see below) where project decisions have been made that differ from the tutorial.
Here are the main headings covered in the tutorial:
Section I: Creating a Project
• url of project server: http://vilda.alaska.edu
Section II: Importing Files
• Importing a Single File
• Importing URL
• Importing Multiple Files

34
 Section III: Entering Metadata
• Using the Media Editor
• Using the Project Spreadsheet
Section IV: Uploading Items
• NOTE: When you get to the “New Project Wizard—Finish New Project
Wizard” screen:
1. Select Upload to Shared Drive
2. Select the folder where your completed project will be held on your
server or drive to transfer to the Alaska’s Digital Archives server via
SSH.
3. See the “Getting Images to the Alaska’s Digital Archives Server” for
further instructions.
Section V: CONTENTdm Administration
• Approving Items
• Building the Text Index
Section VI: Troubleshooting

To Add Repository Name banding to jpg:

This cannot be done afterwards and must be done before you bring your first record
into the Acquisition Station.
On the CONTENTdmAcquisition Station toolbar:
• Edit
• Options
• Image Rights
• Band
• Advanced: Fill in the message field with your repository name as you will be
using it on all of your images.
The partners in the project have agreed to make the bands uniform for all
database entries.
• Choose color: choose the fifth grey option from the left under custom colors
• OK: you will be taken back to the main band screen.
• Height of Band in Pixels: 20
• Choose Font: Arial, Bold, size 12
• OK
• Advance Band Options screen: OK
• Image Rights screen: your name text should now appear in the Band display
text field.
• OK

35
 3. Getting Images to Alaska’s Digital Archives Server

Using ssh:
ssh is a program used to log into another computer over a network, to execute
commands in a remote machine, and to move files from one machine to another. It
provides strong authentication and secure communications over unsecure channels.
It is intended as a replacement for rlogin, rsh, and rcp.
In the ssh program:
• Click on Quick Connect on the toolbar.
• Host name: vilda.alaska.edu
• Username: upload
• Port Number: default to 22
• Accept defaults
• Password: see project administrator
The resulting screen will show you both your local connection and the Alaska’s
Digital Archives server photos. On the left
side, browse until you find your upload folder
and open it to see your pending items: This
will include 3 items for every image plus one
log file for the group. On the right, select your
repository bucket and open it.
Highlight all of the items on the left and
drag them across the center bar to the right.
When you do this, you will see the transfer
happening in front of you at the bottom of the
screen. This may take some time depending
on how many items you are sending.
When transfer is completed, the
section will finish scrolling and all will say
“Completed” under Status. Click on the
button on the toolbar that looks like a monitor with a red slash through it to close
out the session.
You’ve finished uploading your items to the Alaska’s Digital Archives server!
At this point (after you’ve confirmed with your administrator that the items have
been received at the Alaska’s Digital Archives server) it’s an excellent idea to go into
your own files and move the contents of the upload folder to a back-up folder of your
own if you want to keep local copies of the images and the associated metadata, or
delete them if you don’t want local backups. If you leave them in the upload folder,
the next time you use that folder to send new items to Alaska’s Digital Archives,
you’ll resend any items still remaining in this folder. That will require that your
collection administrator go in and delete each one individually so they don’t end up
in the database twice. Refer to “Approving Items” in Section V of the “Building Your
First Collection” tutorial.

36