Project Title:  Experimental Television Collection

 

Department/organizational unit(s):  Digital Library Services

 

Mentor Name(s):  Nicole Saylor

Brief project description: University of Iowa can be credited for birth of Prime Time television. In 1932, W9XK was the first to transmit a regularly-scheduled television programming. Next year marks the 75th anniversary celebration of this historic broadcast. Also next year, the FCC will begin requiring all on-air TV to switch from analog to all-digital, another possible hook for the collection. This project would involve tracking down primary sources and other related materials that reveal the history of W9XK. University Archives has already conducted an initial survey of photographs, correspondence between UI and the FCC, and articles about W9XK, which operated on campus from 1932 to 1937. The fellow would be charged with gathering documents, scanning and creating metadata for the digital collection, and working with Special Collections to create an online exhibit.

Examples of key activities:

• Locating documents to include in the collection
• Work with Preservation on any preservation and scanning considerations
• Digitization
• Metadata creation
• Web page content and design work
• Creating project plans for each collection
• Building an online exhibit for release in spring 2008

 

Number of students that can be accommodated: 1 person

 

Duration: Fall 07 only

 

Training:

Prerequisite skills: Basic computer skills

Acquired skills: Working knowledge of CONTENTdm, PhotoshopCS, and Adobe Contribute software; collection development skills; experience using Dublin Core; digitizing photograph and paper documents; HTML/web design skills, research and writing skills

 

Software/Hardware Involved:

• CONTENTdm
• PhotoshopCS
• Contribute 4.0

 

External expertise requested in/for:  Preservation help handling brittle documents

 

Tangible end product, if any:  Online digital collection & exhibit