Anna Neatrour

Automating the Production of Map Interfaces for Digital Collections Using Google APIs

Many digital libraries are interested in taking advantage of the GIS mapping capabilities provided by Google Maps and Google Earth. The Digital Ventures Division of the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library has successfully completed an innovative automated process in which descriptive metadata in the form of place names was used to determine latitude and longitude coordinates for digital collection items. By enhancing digital collection metadata in this fashion, hundreds of records were updated without data entry from project staff. This article will provide an overview of using the Google application programming interface (API) to return geographic coordinate data, the scripting process with XML digital collection data, and the use of online tools and Microsoft Excel to upload digital collection data to Google Earth and Google Maps. The ability to automate metadata changes opens up a variety of possibilities for digital library administrators and collection managers.

The SIMP Tool: Facilitating Digital Library, Metadata, and Preservation Workflow at the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library

This article presents a case study of the Submission Information Metadata Packaging (SIMP) tool developed at the University of Utahs J. Willard Marriott Library. The Library designed this platform-independent tool to facilitate the deposit of descriptive metadata and derivative formats into CONTENTdm, the Librarys current digital asset management system. It also supports the submission of technical metadata and archival content into the Ex Libris Rosetta digital preservation system. The Marriott Library deliberately developed the SIMP tool to accommodate multiple workflows and ingestion processes in a modular fashion, which allows the Library to easily modify the tool to extend its functionality to other digital asset management and preservation systems or enterprise repositories.

Use Existing Data First: Reconcile Metadata before Creating New Controlled Vocabularies

The use of controlled vocabularies is essential in the creation of metadata for digital collections in order to provide consistency and ease of use for patrons and researchers. The University of Utah has been working to clean up metadata for digital collections to ensure that data adheres to best practices with the use of specific, controlled vocabularies. This has included a major data-cleanup project utilizing multiple approaches including a vendors authority control service, data reconciliation in OpenRefine, and the exploration of different tools used for the creation and maintenance of local controlled vocabularies.

A Clean Sweep: The Tools and Processes of a Successful Metadata Migration

ABSTRACT In 2016, the University of Utahs J. Willard Marriott Library migrated digital asset management systems from CONTENTdm, a vendor-provided solution from OCLC, to Solphal, a homegrown system utilizing several open source tools. During the migration, issues with metadata led to a large-scale metadata cleanup and standardization project, enhancing discovery in the new system. This article discusses the method used to determine which system would best meet the librarys needs, methods for metadata migration, issues observed during migration, metadata management capabilities of the new system, and future plans for post-migration metadata cleanup and remediation to ensure that the metadata is consistent with best practices.

Massive Newspaper Migration - Moving 22 Million Records from CONTENTdm to Solphal

Utah Digital Newspapers is a pioneering digital newspapers program at the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library. Recently, a small project team completed a successful migration away from CONTENTdm onto a home-grown system called Solphal, built using open-source applications. The migration process is detailed along with examples of scripts used to prepare and enhance metadata. Transitioning away from a limiting vendor-based solution to a home-grown system has enabled the Utah Digital Newspapers program to be more responsive to user requests as well as realizing greater efficiencies in hardware and software. The platform has opened up new possibilities for the future as the collection continues to grow.