Project title: Iowa Railroad Depots Digital Collection

 

Department/organizational unit(s): Preservation Dept/UI Libraries

 

Mentor Name(s): Nancy E Kraft

 

Brief project description:

Over 2,700 railroad depot photographs from the John P. Vander Maas Railroadiana Collection, held by the University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections Department are available through the Iowa Heritage Digital Collections (IHDC). These photographs document extant and long-abandoned depots in images dating from the late 1800’s into the 1980’s with the bulk from 1950 to 1980. This project will create a special search page that will include a clickable 1915 Iowa railroad map to “pop up” Iowa railroad depots along the various routes and a few clickable search terms that will assist researchers using this important collection. Determining what additional metadata is needed in order to make the map “clickable” will be the special challenge for this project.

 

Examples of key activities:

              Research on the Dublin Core metadata field for latitude/longitude

              Edit some of the RR photo metadata records

              Work with Head of Web Services to create a clickable map

              Set up template for other student workers to add metadata into existing records

              Create a “splash” page introduction for researchers

              Assist with development of PR to announce the IHDC collection and new functionality

              Consul with the Map Librarian to develop additional “canned” searches

              Possibly consult with georeferencing people on campus

 

Number of students that can be accommodated: 1-2

 

Duration: Fall 07 and/or Spring 08

 

Training: Will be provided.  Knowledge of PHP or JavaScript helpful

 

Software/Hardware involved:

CONTENTdm

Contribute 4.0

 

Tangible end product:

Online digital collection

Interactive website on display at the 2008 State Fair

 

External expertise requested: Scott Fiddelke/DLS staff