Window Seat Finished

Can you tell I'm sitting in a hotel with nothing to do? I just looked at Flickr and saw my latest photo uploads, so I decided to blog them.

When I started this blog I meant to chronicle the building of my house, but it seems so far away that it just doesn't seem relevant. But I have lots of little projects that I want to do and I can blog them as I finish them.

The house has two dormer windows in the front. One is just open to the living room, but the other is open to the loft. The area is so small it really isn't useful, so I decided to build a window seat there that will double as a storage chest.

Before the project began this is what I had. This is actually the window open to the living room, but I didn't take before photos. I haven't decided yet what to do with this window, but it does need something.

This is the completed window seat. The cushion hides a handle and a zipper hinge which provides access to the storage space underneath.

When I went to buy foam to make a cushion, I found out that the only width I could get was 24 inches. That wasn't enough to cover the handle and hinges, so I decided to build the cubbyholes behind the cushion. They hold books, quilt blocks in process, notepads and pencils.

The face and cubbyholes are cedar to match the handrails and newel posts on the staircase. The only change I need to make is to take off the baseboard and replace it with a step. You have to jump to get on the seat.

My youngest daughter uses this space to curl up and read. I usually use it to make to-do lists or to draw out my next project and make materials lists.

The next project will be to add book cases on either side of the window seat. Maybe then I can get all my books out of boxes.

MAC 2008 Plenary Session-The Future Belongs to Archives

Jennifer Schaffner of OCLC

MPLP - More Product Less Process.

Talked about scanning for access versus scanning for preservation. Quantity not quality to improve access. Funders are more likely to support proposals for large scale access.

To add lots of records easily:

• Look at converting preservation microfilm because it is cheap to digitize.
• Use a digital camera to give a taste of collections when processed.
• Digitize things frequently requested.

This session generated a lot of discussion afterwards for several reasons. First a photograph online with no metadata is useless. In most cases it will never even be found. And collections with limited descriptions are also hard to use and find relevant material. How useful is a collection with several boxes of correspondence with nothing but dates on each folder? We have collections like this and they get no use. But collections with more in-depth descriptions do get used.

Also many institutions depend on use fees and copy fees as a revenue stream. If everything is digitized and online a major revenue source dries up.

MAC 2008 Electronic Document Discovery

These are my notes from the above session at the Midwest Archives Conference in Louisville, KY this week. Most of it is a repetition of the same things I've heard before, but still important.

Robert Webb - attorney perspective
Paul Engel - vendor perspective
Jim Cundy - records manager perspective

Webb
Electronic records are most important and hardest to manage, especially email because of the number of copies on different networks and servers.

The institution holding records does have the right to push back against requests that would cause undue burden or cost.

Every records manager should sit down with IT and legal departments to see if the mechanisms are in place to freeze routine destruction of electronic records in the event of litigation. The freezing of destruction can be narrowed down by scope and time period.

ESI is Electronically Stored Information

It is helpful to work with IT and prepare a data map tracking the flow of data in, out and through the system.

In the event of a request for records you should keep a record of the efforts made to locate requested records.

Cundy
ESI is addressed early in the legal process and included any record in any location. ESI includes: email and attachments, documents, audio (voice mail), video (teleconferences, webcam), photos from any source, databases, web pages, chat, IM, text messaging, and any other new format that may come up.

It isn't enough to have a retention schedule. Implement it and check up on offices to make sure they are following procedures.

File management is more important for electronic records than for paper, because it is so easy to make duplicates.

Communicate with IT and legal and educate management about value of records management. Work with people outside records management to gain an understanding of other aspects of electronic records.

Engel
Media does not determine importance of record.

The average ediscovery event costs $1.5M and usually targets email.

Be aware of compression issues, compressed files greatly increase cost of discovery.

petrification - changing the electronic document to an unalterable image

Key issues are:
spoliation - changing metadata by improper handling
significant resources
Must know outcome of litigation support software before use to protect metadata

Yarn For My Next Project

GEDC0644
Originally uploaded by tormash9

At the Churchill Weavers auction last summer I picked up a plastic barrel to use for a rain barrel. The barrel had been used to collect scraps of yarn from the looms and was still full of yarn.

Being the pack rat that I am, I couldn't throw it away, so I sat down and balled up the colors I wanted to use for an afghan. This is about half of it, so I should have plenty. The biggest drawback is that these balls of yarn are made up of pieces about a yard long, so there will be a lot of piecing. The yarn is fuzzy, so the ends shouldn't slip out. I can't wait to see what the colors look like crocheted together.

Knitting Socks

Knitting has never been my thing just because it was always soooo slow. But thanks to Learning 2.0 I found a couple podcasts that talked about techniques to increase speed. Eastern offered a Knitting Class which Debbie, Beth and I all signed up for and I've now completed my first ever pair of socks.

Actually before this the most I had ever made were some little Christmas ornaments and a washcloth. But I guess I'm hooked now, because I'm almost done with another pair of socks and about half done with a sweater for my great-niece.

Just what I needed was another hobby.

Oral History Preservation 101 Workshop

Last week I attended the above workshop organized by the Kentucky Oral History Commission. It was only one day, but I came back to work with an overwhelming amount of information. Since I tend to misplace paper, I’m posting some of it here for reference purposes.

Since most of the attendees were interested in reformatting for preservation or improved access or both all three speakers discussed some aspect of that. The first speaker was Harry Rice, Berea College Sound Archivist. He talked about analog audio formats, preservation problems with each and demonstrated repair techniques for each. He shared an article on cassette repair that appeared in the Library Journal November 15, 1989.

Need to know checklist

• Chemical makeup
• Length
• Recording Speed

Most common formats are:

• reel to reel which includes:

• paper backed tape
• acetate tape, curls, dries out and gets brittle
• polyester tape, subject to sticky tape syndrome which leaves a sticky deposit on player heads.

• Cassette (all polyester)

Places to get supplies:
Tape Center
Bags Unlimited

Best Practices for Audio Preservation:
Sound Directions
Safeguarding of the Audio Heritage

Equipment Sales and Service:
Magnetic Tape Recorder Company, 601 Baxter Ave, Louisville, KY (502) 587-1848
Play it Again Sam’s, (718) 478-6060
Sweetwater Sound
B & H Photo, Video, Pro-Audio

Reformatting/Restoration Providers:
Audio Preservation & Restoration Directory
VidiPax
Safe Sound Archive
The Cutting Corporation
Video Lab

Audio Editing Software:

For PCs
Adobe Audition
Audacity
Cakewalk Sonar Power Studio
Cakewalk Sonar Home Studio
CD Architect
Soundforge
Soundforge Audio Studio

For Macs
Bias Peak Pro
Logic
Logic Express
Spark XL

For Both operating systems
Pro Tools M-Powered (works exclusively with M-Audio hardware)

Video Editing Software

For PCs
Vegas 6 or Vegas Movie Studio

For Macs
Final Cut
Final Cut Studio

For Kentucky institutions IMLS grants are available through KDLA to help provide access to historical resources.

Things to keep in mind are:

• Any Digital Audio Tapes (DAT) should be the top priority for preservation as they are the most unstable.
• Using high grade, professional equipment will give the best results.
• Software and equipment (minus computer) can be purchases for about $1000
• Check with radio stations for equipment that they no longer need to reduce costs.
• Tapes should be stored on edge rather than flat in a cool dry location.
• Don’t freeze audio formats.
• WAVE format is the archival standard, uncompressed format.
• When making audio accessible online, streaming offers more control as they can’t be downloaded.

Computer Specs are:

• Pentium 4 or higher
• 2 gigs of RAM or higher
• 40 gig Hard Drive or larger
• Drives must be at least 7200 RPM

April Fool's Day

Chalk one up for my daughter. She got me good.

Since they are on spring break this week, she is at work in the little store she works at. I just got a call with her crying (probably laughing) that I needed to come and get her right now, because the store just got robbed. I believed it just long enough for my stomach to drop to my toes and she said April Fool's.

Now what can I do to pay her back? Any suggestions are welcome.