Cynefin: A Sense of Place

@CynefinProject

@glenrobson

National Library of Wales

Background to the project

• 3 year project to digitize 1,000 Tithe Maps“Tithe maps were produced between 1838 and 1947 following the Tithe Commutation Act of 1836 as a part of the

process to ensure that all tithes were paid with money rather than produce. They are the most detailed maps of

their period and there are over a thousand of them covering more than 95% of Wales.”• Geo-reference

– Link old map to modern map

• Transcribe Apportionments– Transcribe hand written text of who owned what and how much they

paid

• Linking Apportionments to Maps– Rows in apportionment to field on Map

• Community Projects

• Funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and Welsh Government

Background to the Partners

• Archives Record Council Wales (ARCW)• 13 Local government archive services

• 5 university archives services

• 4 national institutions

– Engage the public in the use of Archives

• The National Library of Wales– Managing the project

– Copies of the Maps

– History of digitistation

•Based in Switzerland• Developed Georeferencer• Old Maps Online• Works with organizations like the British Library, NLS and others• http://www.klokantech.com/cultural-heritage/

Conservation

Digitisation

Apportionments

• Supplied by the National Archives

– 36,000 jp2s

– 1k + Documents

Layout in Fedora (3.3)

Map Apportionment

Map ObjectMETS

DCRELS-EXT

Map PageMETS

DCRELS-EXT

Jp2Archive Link

Apportionment ObjectMETS

DCRELS-EXT

Apportionment PageMETS

DCRELS-EXT

Jp2Archive Link

Apportionment PageMETS

DCRELS-EXT

Jp2Archive Link

Apportionment PageMETS

DCRELS-EXT

Jp2Archive Link

IIIF

• After a meeting in February re-wrote tender documents to mandate IIIF

• Share images and metadata (Presentation API)

Layout in Fedora with IIIF

Map Apportionment

Map Object

Map Page

Apportionment Object

Apportionment PageApportionment

PageApportionment Page

Manifest

Canvas

Manifest

Canvas

Image API Image API

Collection• Counties• Parish• Pointers to Map & Apportionment

Benefits of IIIF

• No transfer of images

• Changes can be made straight away.

• No loss of control of images

• Presentation API means no custom connector

• Can display items in our own Resource Discovery Solutions

Map in Welcome Viewer

What to do with the data?

• Geo-located Maps– Coordinates on Map– Warping?

• Transcribed Apportionments– Coordinates of words– Grouped by columns

• Link between Map and Apportionment Row• How do we make it sustainable?

– Open Standards– Do we need a map server?

Engagement of Volunteers

• Steady rather than spectacular

• No worries about the Maps

• Quite start while bugs are ironed out

• Expert groups sign off Maps

• Motivation Systems

Context in the Library

• Digitising for over 10 years

• 800K+ Digitised Wills

• 1 Million pages of Newspapers

• 1 Million pages of Journals

• WW1 Site – Archives, Photographs and Manuscripts

Aims of the NLW Research Programme

UNDERSTANDING USE

Understand use of existing digital content

ENHANCING CONTENT

Identify ways of making existing digital content more useful for

research, teaching or community

engagement

DEVELOPING NEW DIGITAL CONTENT

develop new digital content that addresses

specific research or education needs, in

partnership with academics and other

key stakeholders

Bringing Digital Humanities to the Digital Library

Activities: NLW Research Programme in Digital Collections

PhD students developed in partnership with HEIs and based at NLW

Funded projects and activities with national and international collaborators

New projects in development, and funding applications

National and international networks

Programme of workshop, publications and activities around digital collections and research

Future

CynefinMaps

1838 to 1947

Newspapers1804 to 1919

Cymru 19141914 to 1918

General Digitisation

Shipping Records1856 to 1914

Crime and Punishment

Database1730 to 1830

Welsh Bibliography0 to 1970

Future

CynefinMaps

1838 to 1947

Newspapers1804 to 1919

Cymru 19141914 to 1918

General Digitisation

Shipping Records1856 to 1914

Crime and Punishment

Database1730 to 1830

Welsh Bibliography0 to 1970

Future

CynefinMaps

1838 to 1947

Newspapers1804 to 1919

Cymru 19141914 to 1918

General Digitisation

Shipping Records1856 to 1914

Crime and Punishment

Database1730 to 1830

Welsh Bibliography0 to 1970

www.walesatwar.org

Funded by

Summary

• Engaging users and using the crowd to enhance content

• Sharing data using IIIF

• Telling stories though linked data

• http://cynefin.archiveswales.org.uk/

• http://cymru1914.org/en

• http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk