An important thing to keep in mind in any digitization effort is that however convenient it is to incorporate an object ID into the filename, the filename is the ID for the FILE, not the object. You can name your files anything you want, just as long as the system is consistent. Incorporating an accession number or item ID or box number into the filename is fine, but the filename should not be slavishly dependent on its relationship to the object-specific identification information. The problem you describe here is a cataloging issue, not a file naming problem, and it strikes me that attempting to use the object location ID's is going to get you into trouble. Hopefully these items have an accession number, which you might incorporate into the filename for the sake of convenience, but these accession numbers undoubtedly refer to multiple items. In that case you can individually point number the image files with the understanding that these are FILE names and not the item level ID's for the objects in the images. Whatever you do, you should include Object ID information, such as it is in the file's metadata and not be dependent on the filename, which someone is going to change at some point on some derivative in any case. The linkage of the file to the catalog record is another issue and, in your case, a dynamic one. Having a modest DAMS to keep track of the images and, especially, their metadata, would probably be very helpful here.
Cheers, Chuck On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 8:48 AM, Sarah Clark < sclark at historicrichmondtown.org> wrote: > What if you aren't confident that the box and folder locations will remain > constant? We've been trying to make sure that digitized items are > processed > to the item level, but have struggled with how to assign catalog numbers > for > specific items within a larger collection (not all the items will be > digitized; only those where an image has been requested). And often there > is a pressing need to digitize something that's in a collection which has > not yet been properly arranged or described, so any box/folder numbers that > exist are probably temporary. > I'm very interested in this topic and would appreciate any other > suggestions > or caveats. Our images are managed through our PastPerfect collections > management system. > > Thanks, > Sarah > > Sarah Clark > Curator > Staten Island Historical Society > Staten Island, NY > 718-351-1611, ext. 272 > www.historicrichmondtown.org > > Explore our collections at: http://historicrichmondtown.org/collections > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:04:59 -0500 > From: lauren boegen <lauren.boegen at gmail.com> > To: mcn-l at mcn.edu > Subject: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives > Message-ID: > < > CABO5MUYtyERdGL86c19dmSpatqgLGY2JoGw31st6ZmTWVm01pw at mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Hi everyone, > > I'm wondering if anyone would be able and willing to share their > experiences with file naming when digitizing an archive. We are struggling > to find an efficient yet informative/functional way to assign file names to > items in the collection that aren't individually identified at the item > level. For example, we have several letters from John Doe to Jane Doe > grouped in a folder and IDed as such in the finding aid, but we don't > identify each individual letter by an accession number. > > The archive in question contains the business and family papers of an > American astronomer and telescope maker and include mostly letters, > invoices, and business materials related to telescope delivery. The best > we've been able to come up with is a file name combining some sort of > descriptor about what the image actually is (ie. > letter_fromjohndoe_tojanedoe) and location (Clark_Series1_Box6_Folder2), > but this seems unwieldy. I know someone out there's got to have figured out > a better way, and any insight would be appreciated. Thanks! > > Lauren > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Lauren Boegen > Digital Collections Manager > Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy > The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum > phone: 312.542.2618 > lboegen at adlerplanetarium.org > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:19:54 +0000 > From: Cathy Herr <cherr at glenbow.org> > To: 'Museum Computer Network Listserv' <mcn-l at mcn.edu> > Subject: Re: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives > Message-ID: > <1ACEB49A3941B84EB553C01A63A64C7704E38E at EXCELSIOR.glenbow.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Posted on behalf of one of our Archivists ... > > When we plan to digitize unnumbered items in an archival file, we first > number the entire contents of the file. We then add the item number to the > end of the call number which we use for identification purposes. For > example, in the call number M-1234-5-6, M-1234 represents the manuscript > portion of the Smith family fonds; 5 represents the 5th folder in the Smith > papers, and 6 represents the 6th page within the 5th folder. Boring > perhaps, > but the call number will always lead us back to the exact document from > which the digital file was made. > > We do not try to describe the actual item in the file title, as this > information can be found in the finding aid. > > Susan Kooyman > Archivist > Glenbow Museum > > 130 - 9 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB. T2G 0P3 > P: 403.268.4227 > F: 403.262.6569 > E: skooyman at glenbow.org > > -----Original Message----- > From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu] On Behalf Of > lauren boegen > Sent: March-20-13 3:05 PM > To: mcn-l at mcn.edu > Subject: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives > > Hi everyone, > > I'm wondering if anyone would be able and willing to share their > experiences > with file naming when digitizing an archive. We are struggling to find an > efficient yet informative/functional way to assign file names to items in > the collection that aren't individually identified at the item level. For > example, we have several letters from John Doe to Jane Doe grouped in a > folder and IDed as such in the finding aid, but we don't identify each > individual letter by an accession number. > > The archive in question contains the business and family papers of an > American astronomer and telescope maker and include mostly letters, > invoices, and business materials related to telescope delivery. The best > we've been able to come up with is a file name combining some sort of > descriptor about what the image actually is (ie. > letter_fromjohndoe_tojanedoe) and location (Clark_Series1_Box6_Folder2), > but > this seems unwieldy. I know someone out there's got to have figured out a > better way, and any insight would be appreciated. Thanks! > > Lauren > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Lauren Boegen > Digital Collections Manager > Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy The Adler Planetarium and > Astronomy Museum > phone: 312.542.2618 > lboegen at adlerplanetarium.org > > > ------------------------------ > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 7 > Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:21:18 +0000 > From: Jonathan Benoit <Jonathan.Benoit at dartmouth.edu> > To: Museum Computer Network Listserv <mcn-l at mcn.edu> > Subject: Re: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives > Message-ID: <B135BC04-F0D9-4573-B8B8-FCBA98C82D80 at dartmouth.edu> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Hi, > > When I worked at the American Antiquarian Society, I used a convention like > this: > > BibID-Box#-Folder#_sequential#.tif .. if there aren't any boxes, go > straight to folder. > > 101234-b03-f33_0035.tif > > When creating a naming convention, you obviously need to take into account > everything that is and could be. For instance how many total boxes for a > family papers could exist? I tend to think 99 would do it, but maybe this > isn't that case. LOC may have more. > > Jonathan > > > On Mar 20, 2013, at 6:19 PM, Cathy Herr <cherr at glenbow.org> wrote: > > > Posted on behalf of one of our Archivists ... > > > > When we plan to digitize unnumbered items in an archival file, we first > number the entire contents of the file. We then add the item number to the > end of the call number which we use for identification purposes. For > example, in the call number M-1234-5-6, M-1234 represents the manuscript > portion of the Smith family fonds; 5 represents the 5th folder in the Smith > papers, and 6 represents the 6th page within the 5th folder. Boring > perhaps, > but the call number will always lead us back to the exact document from > which the digital file was made. > > > > We do not try to describe the actual item in the file title, as this > information can be found in the finding aid. > > > > Susan Kooyman > > Archivist > > Glenbow Museum > > > > 130 - 9 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB. T2G 0P3 > > P: 403.268.4227 > > F: 403.262.6569 > > E: skooyman at glenbow.org > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu] On Behalf > > Of > lauren boegen > > Sent: March-20-13 3:05 PM > > To: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > Subject: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > I'm wondering if anyone would be able and willing to share their > experiences with file naming when digitizing an archive. We are struggling > to find an efficient yet informative/functional way to assign file names to > items in the collection that aren't individually identified at the item > level. For example, we have several letters from John Doe to Jane Doe > grouped in a folder and IDed as such in the finding aid, but we don't > identify each individual letter by an accession number. > > > > The archive in question contains the business and family papers of an > American astronomer and telescope maker and include mostly letters, > invoices, and business materials related to telescope delivery. The best > we've been able to come up with is a file name combining some sort of > descriptor about what the image actually is (ie. > > letter_fromjohndoe_tojanedoe) and location (Clark_Series1_Box6_Folder2), > but this seems unwieldy. I know someone out there's got to have figured out > a better way, and any insight would be appreciated. Thanks! > > > > Lauren > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Lauren Boegen > > Digital Collections Manager > > Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy The Adler Planetarium and > Astronomy Museum > > phone: 312.542.2618 > > lboegen at adlerplanetarium.org > > _______________________________________________ > > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum > Computer > Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > > http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > > > The MCN-L archives can be found at: > > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/pipermail/mcn-l/ > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 8 > Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:57:12 -0400 > From: "Allen-Greil, Dana" <D-Allen-Greil at NGA.GOV> > To: <mcn-l at mcn.edu> > Subject: [MCN-L] Call for papers on new media and exhibitions - > deadline for proposals 4/12 > Message-ID: > <7027356ECFB5434FBDCC37EA94633A03032F282A at SV-MAIL-TDP.NGA.GOV> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Call for Papers for Fall 2013 Exhibitionist, the journal of the National > Association for Museum Exhibition. > DATELINE: March 20, 2013 > > View back issues of Exhibitionist on the Exhibitionist section of this > website. > > Issue Theme: Museums and New Media: What?s Disappearing? What?s Evolving? > What?s to Come? > > In this issue we hope to examine the impact of new media on museums, with a > particular focus on exhibitions. > > How are new digital technology and media affecting the care and management > of collections? living or non-living?on which exhibitions are based? Are > once standard practices and procedures for collections care and management, > for exhibition development and interpretation disappearing?no longer valued > or needed? What is the impact of this development? > > How are new media shaping the ways in which exhibitions are conceived, > designed and developed, interpreted, accessed, or assessed? What about the > impact on visitors and their participation and engagement with exhibition? > > What?s way out there on the cutting edge for exhibitions in the future? > > Proposals need not be limited to just these issues, and can include > research, essays, and case studies that analyze/comment on/critique the > impact of new technology and media on museums of all types and disciplines, > and the exhibitions they produce. As much as possible, if a case study or > research project is submitted, the article should not focus on a single > project or museum without raising questions or throwing light on larger > issues that are widely applicable. Proposals from colleagues around the > world are welcome. > > Deadlines > Proposal deadline: April 12, 2013. 250 word maximum. Briefly describe your > article; how it relates to issue theme; your background/qualifications for > writing the article. Proposals will be vetted by our editorial advisory > board, and you will be notified of acceptance or non-acceptance within > several weeks. A style sheet will be sent to you when your proposal is > accepted. > First draft deadline: June 21, 2013. 2000 word maximum. Your article > will be returned by early-mid July with comments and edits by editorial > advisors and editor. > Final article deadline: August 9, 2013. Final article due with four or > five > images, credits, and captions. > > Gretchen Jennings > Editor, Exhibitionist, the journal of the National Association for Museum > Exhibition (NAME) > gretchenjennings at rcn.com > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > mcn-l mailing list > mcn-l at mcn.edu > http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > > End of mcn-l Digest, Vol 91, Issue 15 > ************************************* > > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer > Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > The MCN-L archives can be found at: > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/pipermail/mcn-l/ > -- Chuck Patch Museum Information Management Consulting 403 Edgevale Rd Baltimore MD 21210 410-929-4571 443-327-3983 (F)
