1	Gobs of Blobs! Scott E. Siddall Denison University
2
3	Ubiquity of things digital How many digital assets existed in 1984?
4	Digital assets are… Images Some common and some unique Quality varies enormously Audio and video multiple formats including streaming Texts and images of texts PDFs, Word, OCR, searchable or not Learning objects simple and compound (entire course content) URLs Annotations to the above OK….anything digital…some legally held and some not
5	Binary Large Objects
6	Databases to the rescue Different types, functions, structures flat file, relational, hierarchical…. DAM databases are unique Objects are digital surrogates e.g., images of an object Objects are digital assets themselves e.g., digital video clips, digital images of events Digital object in a database field = repository Digital object stored separately = referatory
7	DAM databases Binary content cannot be easily searched, indexed
8	Enter metadata Librarians have crafted metadata for decades The schema (read open standards) Dublin Core, VRA, METS, etc MARC record and the OPAC Database of bibliographic and item records Searchable, indexed No digital surrogate, only metadata Cataloged objects are physical Interconnected: convert DC->MARC; Embed DC in HTML
9	Sustainability through collaboration Libraries: Digital library initiatives at larger institutions, national efforts Institutional collections – formal cataloging Specialized data sets (social science, GIS, etc) Repositories of scholarship (faculty and student…both archival and ephemeral) Instructional technologists: Faculty collections scattered in space, different platforms Excel, Access, FileMaker, analog content Course management systems, ePortfolios Training and support issues Technologists: Another db on a server – reliability, backup, authn/access
10	Sustainability through collaboration Among technologists, librarians, faculty, students All confront: Policy issues intellectual property, rights management Presentation issues, in class and out manipulation, retention, printing Metadata issues standards, effort to create Open source DAM? By higher ed, for higher ed Greenstone, Fedora, Connexions, DSpace, Sakai
11	Methods of DAM Digitize Standards per collection, by discipline, national and international requirements Full-resolution versus service quality, thumbnails Create metadata Standard schema, with additions and mapping Make accessible Copyrights, releases, consortial agreements, export Connect to course management systems See the OCLC E-learning white paper Open Archives Initiative and WorldCat
12	Creating metadata Convert tacit information into explicit Highly structured format Limited opportunity to outsource Creates complex workflow ePortfolios (e.g., OSPI)
13
14	Major criteria for DAM Allows collaborative and distributed collection development/management Basic and advanced searching across collections, across sites (federated searches, virtual collections, stored result sets) Web-based client with easy-to-use interface Common client-side players/viewers Client tools for manipulation, comparison, per-user annotation Support for multiple metadata standards Support for many object formats, and developing formats (e.g., jpeg 2000) Support for high-resolution, zoom-in features Supports Unicode text for display and searching URL access to objects Customizable display interface Based on open standards (database, metadata, etc.) Flexible access control list features Standards-based export functions to avoid “lock-in” and promote remote indexing Platform (hardware, operating system) agnostic – server and client
15	What’s a “collection?” Arbitrary Collections Compound documents Prescribed SQL results based on metadata Depends on purpose and audience Store and organize Access and share Preserve and archive
16
17
18
19	View from 30,000’ How does DAM fit into the campus big picture?
20
21
22	What’s the role for metadata? Critical for digital asset management Useful for Assessment projects? Decision systems? Portals? Breaking down information silos? Links to course content in our datamarts?
23	Resources Mellon Foundation “Research in IT” Twiki CONTENTdm ARTstor Luna Imaging Realia Project Federated searches of small college collections
24	Return to home