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Access and Operations
Transforming the University of St Andrews Photographic
Collection
KE EMu European User Group Meeting26 -27 April, 2012
The collectionUpon my arrival in 2008
Compartmentalised – databases– ledgers – website – finance – payment– digital storage – supporting documentation
“The Horror…”
The collectionUpon my arrival in 2008
– inefficient– repetition of data entry– inconsistent data entry– no time for collection– poor institutional
records– institutional memory– staff dependant access– exclusive– low commercial
success– poor access– low public opinion– inability to gain
momentum
• Access as strategic priority• Maximising past investment in
old resources with new technologies• An integrated system which
bridges all aspects of operations– Streamline collection
workflow– Improved statistics reporting
• Closing the books…
Our approach
The collectionThe obvious solutions
Centralising in EMu– Collection records– Acquisition records– Controlled authorities– Storage– Web presence
Specific goals• A public interface which suits the collection and
its users• Providing broad access as the priority
– Quantity over quality ensures access to full scope of collection
– Iterate in response to research trends and user demands
• Maximising the potential for interdisciplinary study
New public interface
Existing resourcesA black hole of documents and assets
Physical text based resources Digital assets
Our solution
Mining existing resources• Linking supporting documents to catalogue
– Even if they’re not perfect…
• Placing dormant resources where it counts– Bring them back to life to fulfil their purpose
• Encouraging users to build on previous research– Building momentum
Managing current research / contribution• Why bother with your hard drive?– DAMS at you fingertips
Our solution
Placing collection knowledge in the system
Managing risk of institutional memory
Reducing user questions and expanding the scope of their resources
Our challengeHardwiring knowledge
Relationship Tab …augmented• Qualifying relationships by
type– Understanding the link without
clicking
• Related records reverse–Why do it twice?!
Context through relationships and links
Our challengeDeveloping a dynamic resource
Our challengeManaging Email and Telephone Enquiries
Our challengeManaging Email and Telephone Enquiries
Our challengeManaging Email and Telephone Enquiries
• Commercial users– Authors, publishers, production companies sharing
groups
• Teaching resource– Professors creating groups in support of curricula– Using online surrogates to plan lectures which engage
originals
• Learning resource– Selecting images for papers, presentations, theses– Engaging with groups for curatorial projects / exhibitions
• Public ownership and engagement– Creating groups for personal interests– Historic societies engaging on a community level– Facilitating dialogue by making it easy to share and view
Sharing the collectionMaking it useful, practical and easy to engage
• Increase income to garner institutional support
• Decrease hands-on client services• Improve client experience to encourage
return business• Streamline order tracking• Streamline multiple payment options• Report on client trends to refine
strategy• Make the computers do the work!
Our challengeEfficient exploitation or rights and permissions
with minimal staff intervention
Our challengeSharing the collection
• Increase income• Decrease hands on client services• Streamline payment• Make the computers do the work
Our challengeRights and permissions
• Increase income• Decrease hands on client services• Streamline payment• Make the computers do the work
Our challengeRights and permissions
• Increase income• Decrease hands on client services• Streamline payment• Make the computers do the work
Our challengeRights and permissions
• Increase income• Decrease hands on client services• Streamline payment• Make the computers do the work
• Increase income• Decrease hands on client services• Streamline payment• Make the computers do the work
Our challengeRights and permissions
• Increase income• Decrease hands on client services• Streamline payment• Make the computers do the work
Our challengeRights and permissions
• Automatic email sent to staff with ID no. of Enquiry in Events Module
• Client record is created in Parties Module and linked to enquiry
• Images are linked to the enquiry within the Events Module
• Financial details, totals, VAT no. are all entered• By summer 2012 client will be directed to online
payment site
Managing Email and Telephone Enquiries
Managing Email and Telephone Enquiries
Managing Email and Telephone Enquiries
Managing Email and Telephone Enquiries
• Greater introduction of technology– iPad / Emu client interface for
direct collection work– Zoomify– Page turning– World map topographic interface– Increase dissemination by
introducing PowerPoint / Keynote export for public
• Web 2.0 user interface– Leveraging external knowledge– Empowering public ownership of
collection
• Cross-departmental image resource– Shared expenses and
infrastructure– Interdisciplinary research– PAD, Art History, Astronomy, etc…
Future plans
Thank you
Marc BoulayPhotographic Archivist
Department of Special CollectionsUniversity of St Andrews Library
[email protected]. 01334 462326
Linked .
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