LIBR 582: Digital Image and Collections WINTER SESSION, 2007-2008, TERM 2 School of Library, Archival and Information Studies The University of British Columbia

COURSE SYLLABUS

Program:  MLIS
Year:  January 2008
Course Schedule:  Thursday, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: FNS 40
Instructor: Edie Rasmussen
Office location: 312, 6190 Agronomy RD (TEF III)
Office phone: (604) 827-5486
Office hours: Monday, 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
E-mail address: edie.rasmussen@ubc.ca

Course Goals: The course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental concepts, terminology, techniques and algorithms used for creating and managing digital collections of images and text The student will acquire knowledge and skills necessary to design and create digital image and/or text collections, from the selection of materials and planning the project through design, implementation, maintenance and evaluation.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course students will

• Understand the issues related to digital access to image and text collections
• Be familiar with digitization hardware & software systems
• Understand digital collection database management and modeling approaches
• Understand how to design and implement digital collections in local/intranet as well as WWW environments
• Be able to make knowledgeable recommendations for the design and management of a digitization project

           
Course Topics:

• Images and Text:  Characteristics and Formats
• Planning and Managing Digitization Projects
• The Digitization Process
• Metadata for Digital Objects
• Content Based Retrieval
• Digital Collections and Database Design
• User Interface Issues
• Issues in Digital Asset Management

Prerequisites: LIBR 500, 501, 502 (co-requisite 503) or permission of SLAIS Graduate Advisor. Limited to graduate students.

Format of the course:  Lectures, Class Discussions, Student Presentations, Guest Speakers, Laboratory Sessions

Required and Recommended Reading:

This list includes both recommended and required readings.  The readings in this list which are required prior to each class as preparation for class discussion (marked F) are identified in the course schedule which follows.  Additional readings may be added as the courses progresses.

• FL.H. Armitage and P.G.B. Enser (1997). Analysis of user need in image archives. Journal of Information Science 23 (4): 287-299.
• FH. Besser and S. Hubbard  (nd).  Introduction to Imaging (Revised edition). The J. Paul Getty Trust.   [For Web version see: http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/introimages/index.html ]
• FY. Choi and E.M. Rasmussen (2002).  Users’ relevance criteria in image retrieval in American history.  Information Processing & Management 38:  695-726.
• FP. Enser (2000). Visual image retrieval: seeking the alliance of concept-based and contact-based paradigms. Journal of Information Science 26 (4): 199-210.
• FAmarnath Gupta and Ramesh Jain (1997). Visual Information Retrieval. Communications of the ACM 40 (5): 70-79.
• FE. Rasmussen (1997).  Indexing Images.  Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) 32: 169-196.
• S. Shatford Layne (1994). Some issues in the indexing of images. Journal of the American Society for Information Science 45 (8): 583-588.
• S. Anderson et al.  (2006).  Digital Images Archiving Study.  Arts and Humanities Data Service.  http://www.ahds.ac.uk/about/projects/archiving-studies/digital-images-archiving-study.pdf
• FCapture Your Collections:  A Guide for Managers Planning and Implementing Digitization Projects.  (2000).  Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.  http://www.chin.gc.ca/English/Digital_Content/Managers_Guide/index.html
• L. Carpenter and C. Milroy (2007).  Digital Images in Education:  Realising the Vision.  London UK: JISC Collections.  http://www.jisc-collections.ac.uk/media/documents/jisc_collections/images_book_final_med.pdf
• FCedars Guide to Digital Collection Management (2002).  Leeds, UK:  The Cedars Project.  http://www.leeds.ac.uk/cedars/guideto/collmanagement/guidetocolman.pdf
• FW. Fulton. (1997-2007).  A Few Scanning Tips. http://www.scantips.com/
• S. Gilheany.  Document Management and Document Imaging.  http://www.archivebuilders.com/whitepapers/index.html
• C. Jorgensen (2003).  Image Retrieval:  Theory and Research.  Lanham, MD: Scarecrow.
• Moving Theory Into Practice:  Digital Imaging Tutorial .  (2000-2003) Cornell University Library FResearch Department.  http://www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/tutorial/
• NISO Framework Advisory Group (2004).  A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections.  http://www.niso.org/framework/framework2.html
• FS.E. Ostrow (1998).  Digitizing Historical Pictorial Collections for the Internet.  Council on Library and Information Resources.  http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/ostrow/pub71.html
• S. Schreibman, ed. (2007). Best Practices Guidelines for Digital Collections at University of Maryland Libraries. 2d ed. (Draft).  College Park, MD: University of Maryland.   http://www.lib.umd.edu/dcr/publications/best_practice.pdf
• S. Shatford Layne, P. Harpring, C. Hourihane, C.L. Sundt (nd).  Introduction to Art Image Access:  Issues, Tools, Standards, Strategies.  The J. Paul Getty Trust.    [For Web version see: http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/intro_aia/ ]
• M. Sitts, ed.  (2000).  Handbook for Digital Projects:  A Management Tool for Preservation and Access.  1st ed.  Andover, MA:  Northeast Document Conservation Centre.  http://nedcc.org/oldnedccsite/digital/dighome.htm
• FA. Smith (2001).  Strategies for Building Digitized Collections.  Washington, DC:  Digital Library Federation and Council on Library and Information Resources.  http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub101/pub101.pdf
• FTASI (Technical Advisory Service for Images). [A JISC funded service which provides advice and guidance to the Further and Higher Education community on the issues of:  Creating digital images (including raster, vector and animated formats),  Delivering digital images to users, Using digital images to support teaching, learning and research, and Managing both small and large scale digitisation projects].  http://www.tasi.ac.uk/ 
• University of Berkeley (2006).  Digital Collections Best Practices.  http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/digicoll/bestpractices/image_bp.html
• University of Bristol. Creating Digital Resources for the Visual Arts: Standards and Good Practice.  Visual Arts Data Service and Technical Advisory Service for Images.  http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/guides/creating_guide/sect11.html
• FVRA Committee on Intellectual Property Rights.  (2001)  Image Collection Guidelines: The Acquisition and Use of Images in Non-Profit Educational Visual Resources Collections. http://www.vraweb.org/resources/ipr/guidelines.html
• Washington State Library Digital Best Practices.  http://digitalwa.statelib.wa.gov/newsite/best.htm
• Western States Digital Standards Group.  Digital Imaging Working Group. (Jan 2003)  Western States Digital Imaging Best Practices, Version 1.0.  Available at:  http://www.cdpheritage.org/digital/scanning/documents/wsdibp_v1.pdf
• FD. Zorich (nd).  Introduction to Managing Digital Assets:  Options for Cultural and Heritage Organizations.  The Getty Information institute.  [For Web version see: http://www.getty.edu/bookstore/booksites/intro_mda/index.html ]

Course Assignments:

Course Schedule:

Attendance: The calendar states: “Regular attendance is expected of students in all their classes (including lectures, laboratories, tutorials, seminars, etc.). Students who neglect their academic work and assignments may be excluded from the final examinations. Students who are unavoidably absent because of illness or disability should report to their instructors on return to classes.” 

Regular on-time attendance in class is an important and required part of this course. It is your responsibility to obtain from one of the other class members any handouts distributed and notes taken during sessions you miss.

Sudden unexpected problems arise for everyone (including myself), but I expect you to attend and be on time for class.  Absences or repeated tardiness will result in a lower course mark or in a request from me that you drop the course. The size of an attendance-related course mark penalty will be determined by the instructor. If you ARE late for class (for whatever reason) please come into the classroom rather than waiting for the break.

Evaluation: All assignments will be awarded letter grades using the evaluative criteria given on the SLAIS web site.  The grades are based on submission of the assignment in accordance with the due date.  Decisions on extensions will be made on a case-by-case basis and extensions may result in a grading penalty at the discretion of the instructor.

All assignments will be awarded letter grades using the evaluative criteria given in your SLAIS Student Handbook. Please note that within these guidelines, a B+ mark is given for “Work demonstrating diligence and effort above basic requirements.” 

Written & Spoken English Requirement: Written and spoken work may receive a lower mark if it is, in the opinion of the instructor, deficient in English.  

Academic Dishonesty:  Please review the UBC Calendar "Academic regulations" for the University policy on cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty: http://www.students.ubc.ca/calendar/index.cfm?tree=3,54,111,959 . Also visit and review the contents of these two resources: Plagiarism Resource Centre: For Students and Plagiarism Avoided: Taking Responsibility For Your Work for useful information on avoiding plagiarism and on correct documentation. Students are held responsible for knowing and following all University regulations regarding academic dishonesty. If a student does not know how to properly cite a source or what constitutes proper use of a source it is the student's personal responsibility to obtain the needed information and to apply it within University guidelines and policies. 

Accommodation for Students with Disability:   UBC’s Disability Resource Centre works with the University to eliminate structural and attitudinal barriers to those with disabilities. They provide disability-related services to UBC's students, staff, and faculty. Services provided to students are in keeping with the University's Academic Policy for Students with Disabilities .  If you think you may require an accommodation is required, you should contact the Resource Centre to discuss your situation and their recommendation. 

Course Discussion List:  The class discussion list will be used for discussion of the readings and to communicate any special announcements, clarifications on assignments, etc.  It is your responsibility to sign up in order to have access to this information.  From your email address, send a message (with the subject line blank) to: majordomo@interchange.ubc.ca.  The body of the message should be:

  subscribe l-582
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If you have general comments or queries, use the discussion list; if you have individual concerns, please email me at edie.rasmussen@ubc.ca, call or visit during office hours.  Note that if your query is of general concern, I may address it on the course list. 

Assignments and Course Project

• Working in pairs, identify two professional digital collection projects and prepare a case study report on them, comparing issues such as their goals  the scope, imaging standards and procedures, access and retrieval features, usability, and copyright (10%).  Due January 24.
• For 3 images or text pages (mixture of colour and black and white), provide files in the following resolutions:  thumbnail, presentation, archival.   Describe the formats and resolutions you have chosen and justify them according to an identified standard or best practices (identify the standard).  (10%).    Due February 7.
• Prepare a project plan for creating and managing the digital collection you will prototype for this course.  (10%) Due February 14.
• Perform at least 5 image operations (enhancement/restoration, synthesis, analysis, etc.) on each of at least 2 images and print the results of each operation (5%).  Briefly describe the processing you have done and why it was necessary.   Due March 20.
• Scan the collection of images or documents you have chosen for your project, as thumb nail sketches and regular size, and generate a description of each image (including subject access) following an appropriate metadata format.  (15%) Due April 3.
• Store the description and indexing for retrieval purposes using DB/Textworks   Create an appropriate interface for the collection (20%). Due April 3.
• Create a web-accessible version of your image collection (20%). Due April 3.

[Note that items 5, 6 and 7 comprise the database project; this breakdown is simply to indicate how marks will be assigned]