Half Year Report

July's work includes completion of a half-year report summarizing accomplishments to date and work still ahead. For a copy of the report, email karan@oldfilm.org. It comes with an optional 26 pages of attachments, details of the cataloging system documented in screen shots (and so forth).

Intellectual Access Progress
We have created original finding aids for film collections in CollectiveAccess open source Web-enabled software, using the DACS content standard to complete 25 of 50 collections. These 25+ collection descriptions are on Northeast Historic Film’s server here.

Collaboration on a shared Web-enabled system allows for easy review of works in progress. The ability to upload and download images using CollectiveAccess is a pleasure and enhances the appeal of the finding aid. We look forward to adding digital video clips in the future. The user interface with live Genre, Subject, and Place links is useful and reviewers have said they appreciate the “i” information rollover explanation for each field.

Our goal by the end of the project (Dec. 31, 2010) is to complete the remaining 25 finding aids and publish them all to Northeast Historic Film’s Website, www.oldfilm.org. Public search and browse functionality will begin with that integration. We will export the records in Encoded Archival Description to other utilities as appropriate.

What's Next
In the second half of the year we will complete the item level cataloging in the PBCore data structure for moving images, describing individual works (reels of film) and their instantiations. The 50 collections comprise approximately 1,200 reels, with collection size ranging from one reel to 123 reels. We are cataloging at the rate of approximately 60 items per week to finish the remaining items. Visit the PBCore records as they are being written here. Raymond Cotton home movies, Hiram Historical Society Collection.