Image credit: Charles Erwin Arnold
Capstone
I worked with the Alexander Architectural Archives to identify a project which would be useful for research during and post the COVID-19 crisis. We decided it prudent to create alternative access points to further discoverability and scholarship when physical objects are unavailable.
Prior to shelter-in-place, I had processed and created a finding aid for the Lang and Witchell collection. Their archive had luckily been digitized which allowed me to ingest assets into UT Libraries’ digital asset management system and publish them to the Collections portal. I created metadata in the MODS schema using authority files and controlled vocabularies to thoroughly describe assets, optimizing access.
This project sharpened my ability to effectively retrieve names, subject headings, and terms using resources like VIAF, Library of Congress Linked Data, and Getty Vocabularies. Additionally, I familiarized myself with Islandora’s framework, Oxygen XML, and how to arrange and describe architectural materials using the Standard Series for Architecture and Landscape Design Records guide.