Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, but I've been very busy! I'm over 700 pamphlets in and Chelsea and I are nearing the end of the inventory. I've started meeting with Cathrine, our digitization guru, to learn how this all will come together. My next steps will really be digitizing pamphlets.
Selection seems like it will be the hardest part. We digitize first for preservation and second for access. We can only digitize things that are able to handle it. There are two kinds of scanners I can use-flat bed and book edge. It's nice we have the book edge scanner because that will be easier on some of the more tightly bound pamphlets. The other option is photography, but I am not yet as familiar with the process. Even though I have spent the last two months looking for copies of the pamphlets we have that are already digitized, I may still have to make our own digital copy. Sometimes version online are poor quality, or missing pages. When I search for digital versions I'm always making sure that the edition is correct, so even if the second edition of something is available online, if we have the third edition then I'll still have to digitize it. I may end up picking something arbitrary to determine if I'll digitize something now by choosing only pamphlets that are 20 pages or less or something like that.
I won't be able to digitize all eligible pamphlets since there's so many, but I'm excited to start!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The Charter
As a Gettysburg alumna, I've always known that the school has a charter, but I never thought about it and I certainly never read it. As I've started my job search I've been looking at lots of mission statements, and vision statements, and values statements. So when I came across the charter of Pennsylvania College I was intrigued. This is like the original mission statement. The first missions they express about the college are to be "for the education of youth in the learned languages, the arts, sciences and useful literature". The charter includes the classes off so you can plainly tell what was considered appropriate education. Apparently there was a large emphasis on German along with Greek, Latin, and English.
One of the resolutions I find funny near the end is that "no student during his connection with the college be permitted to attend any political celebration". I don't think that's any issue now! Many students would jump at a chance to interact with politicians in any setting!
Anyways, it's an interesting document to look at and think about as we continue to educate the youth.
http://gettysburg.cdmhost.com/cdm/singleitem/collection/p126301coll0/id/7
One of the resolutions I find funny near the end is that "no student during his connection with the college be permitted to attend any political celebration". I don't think that's any issue now! Many students would jump at a chance to interact with politicians in any setting!
Anyways, it's an interesting document to look at and think about as we continue to educate the youth.
http://gettysburg.cdmhost.com/cdm/singleitem/collection/p126301coll0/id/7
Monday, February 27, 2012
Learning the 856 Field
I've started a new phase of my project--adding links of digital versions of pamphlets to our catalog! This is a pretty simple task since I spent a lot of time making sure digital versions I found were exactly the same as the pamphlets we have. The fact that I have so many to add also shows me how important this project really is for the library. While we did have about 2-300 links already in the catalog, I have been adding just as many. This allows patrons to view our resources when special collections is open-or more clearly. The digital versions don't replace the real thing, but many users prefer the ease of online access.
What I have to do to the MARC record is add what is known as the 856 field. The 856 field means Electronic Location and Access. The first indicator I use is 4 which simple means HTTP. The second indicator I use is 1 which means version of resource. I use this because we hold the pamphlets in special collections, but this means there is a digital version. I use two subfield codes: u and z. The first means "uniform resource identifier" and is where the URL goes. The second is a public note field. I use this note to give credit to the owner of the digital copy and it shows up as the link users can click to view the item. Below are 2 screen shots of how the field looks in Millennium and how it looks on our OPAC.
If you want to know more about the 856 field check out: http://www.loc.gov/marc/856guide.html
What I have to do to the MARC record is add what is known as the 856 field. The 856 field means Electronic Location and Access. The first indicator I use is 4 which simple means HTTP. The second indicator I use is 1 which means version of resource. I use this because we hold the pamphlets in special collections, but this means there is a digital version. I use two subfield codes: u and z. The first means "uniform resource identifier" and is where the URL goes. The second is a public note field. I use this note to give credit to the owner of the digital copy and it shows up as the link users can click to view the item. Below are 2 screen shots of how the field looks in Millennium and how it looks on our OPAC.
If you want to know more about the 856 field check out: http://www.loc.gov/marc/856guide.html
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| A record I've added the 856 field to. |
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| What the record now looks like in the OPAC. |
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
In honor of Valentine's Day...a day late
If you didn't know how nerdy I am already, you'll understand now.
So Cupid--remember him? The little guy with the bow? Well if you're not into Roman mythology then you may not remember that he's actually a god. If you're more a fan of the Greek's (or Plato) you may know him as Eros. Now imagine being from a time when you actually had to read Latin and study ancient history (I'm sure most of you don't remember that). And imagine being a college student then.
Right so no I'm going to guess your idea of fun would not include writing pamphlets about Cupid would they? And especially not in the format of an epic poem. Because that would take a lot of work and thought and creativity. But that is what "Hercules Samson Fressmarkle" and "Jupiter Tonans Donnerhagel" did (what great pseudonyms!). We have two pamphlets by these young gentlemen and they are quite funny. I especially love that one of them is dedicated to the ladies, because this obviously how men should woo women. Unfortunately only one of them is currently digitized by HathiTrust, but please do enjoy taking a glace at it:
1."Cupid Abroad," Arrested: Or, a Random Bolt at Hercules Samson Fressmarkle, by Jupiter Tonans Donnerhagel
http://catalog.hathitrust.org/
2. Cupid Abroad. An Epic Poem
PS Does anyone use the phrase barmie noodle? I'm rather fond of it now that I've discovered it.
So Cupid--remember him? The little guy with the bow? Well if you're not into Roman mythology then you may not remember that he's actually a god. If you're more a fan of the Greek's (or Plato) you may know him as Eros. Now imagine being from a time when you actually had to read Latin and study ancient history (I'm sure most of you don't remember that). And imagine being a college student then.
Right so no I'm going to guess your idea of fun would not include writing pamphlets about Cupid would they? And especially not in the format of an epic poem. Because that would take a lot of work and thought and creativity. But that is what "Hercules Samson Fressmarkle" and "Jupiter Tonans Donnerhagel" did (what great pseudonyms!). We have two pamphlets by these young gentlemen and they are quite funny. I especially love that one of them is dedicated to the ladies, because this obviously how men should woo women. Unfortunately only one of them is currently digitized by HathiTrust, but please do enjoy taking a glace at it:
1."Cupid Abroad," Arrested: Or, a Random Bolt at Hercules Samson Fressmarkle, by Jupiter Tonans Donnerhagel
http://catalog.hathitrust.org/
2. Cupid Abroad. An Epic Poem
PS Does anyone use the phrase barmie noodle? I'm rather fond of it now that I've discovered it.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
And it feels like home
I feel like I've gotten really far looking at the 19th century pamphlets we have, but then I remember I am only in the B's...less than 150 in. So many more discoveries lie ahead of me!
As I was working through one box of B's the other afternoon I found one that struck me simply because the name (again). The pamphlet from 1867 is simply titled "Bowdoin in the War." I immediately knew it meant Bowdoin College, located in Brunswick, Maine. The town I grew up in. The famous civil war general, Joshua Chamberlain, used to be president of the college so it is easy to see why there was a pamphlet about this particular college in the war. The pamphlet lists names and small bio's of grads and undergrads that served during the war, including Joshua Chamberlain on page 10. His brother, John, is also on page 19 for his service with the U.S. Christian Commission. What interests me even more are the other people. Every time I read a last name I recognize I wonder if they're related to my friend from home. Or names like "Albert W. Bradbury"--is he the guy Bradbury Mountain is named after? No answers yet, but it is still interesting to look at.
Here's a link to a digitized copy in case you want to "find your friends relatives" ;)
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/scd0001.00022796409
As I was working through one box of B's the other afternoon I found one that struck me simply because the name (again). The pamphlet from 1867 is simply titled "Bowdoin in the War." I immediately knew it meant Bowdoin College, located in Brunswick, Maine. The town I grew up in. The famous civil war general, Joshua Chamberlain, used to be president of the college so it is easy to see why there was a pamphlet about this particular college in the war. The pamphlet lists names and small bio's of grads and undergrads that served during the war, including Joshua Chamberlain on page 10. His brother, John, is also on page 19 for his service with the U.S. Christian Commission. What interests me even more are the other people. Every time I read a last name I recognize I wonder if they're related to my friend from home. Or names like "Albert W. Bradbury"--is he the guy Bradbury Mountain is named after? No answers yet, but it is still interesting to look at.
Here's a link to a digitized copy in case you want to "find your friends relatives" ;)
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/scd0001.00022796409
Monday, January 23, 2012
New use for old books?
Check out this artful use of old books:
http://www.visualnews.com/2011/12/22/mountains-of-books-become-mountains/
http://www.visualnews.com/2011/12/22/mountains-of-books-become-mountains/
Sunday, January 22, 2012
A Favorite So Far
Even though I've new spent several hours sitting with the pamphlets I feel like I haven't gotten very far. I have a pretty good process down though so I can chug through at a moderate rate. First I look at the information about the pamphlet if it's been cataloged--make sure the record is right. I then add some information to our spreadsheet--pages, number of copies, subject, condition. The last thing I do is search for a digital copy of the exact pamphlet we have. This tends to be the most time consuming part, but I have come across a fair number so I have my hopes up.
http://www.archive.org/details/aboutwar00huntez
This pamphlet "About the war: Plain words to plain people by a plain man" is one of my favorites so far. The title is witty, and there's an illustration so I'm excited by just that. What the "plain man" on the cover is saying to the boys in 1863 is very compelling. "'So long as you remain UNITED,' said the old man (pointing the attention of his boys to the bundle of sticks,) 'you are a match for all your enemies; but SEPARATE, and you are UNDONE." I think these words are convincing even now, especially since it is an election year. The pamphlet is attributed to Ezra Mundy Hunt, who I can only seem to find was a "physician, writer, humanitarian." I don't know anything more and I kind of am attracted to the anonymity. This pamphlet seems just as wise to me as I hope it was almost 150 years ago.
http://www.archive.org/details/aboutwar00huntez
This pamphlet "About the war: Plain words to plain people by a plain man" is one of my favorites so far. The title is witty, and there's an illustration so I'm excited by just that. What the "plain man" on the cover is saying to the boys in 1863 is very compelling. "'So long as you remain UNITED,' said the old man (pointing the attention of his boys to the bundle of sticks,) 'you are a match for all your enemies; but SEPARATE, and you are UNDONE." I think these words are convincing even now, especially since it is an election year. The pamphlet is attributed to Ezra Mundy Hunt, who I can only seem to find was a "physician, writer, humanitarian." I don't know anything more and I kind of am attracted to the anonymity. This pamphlet seems just as wise to me as I hope it was almost 150 years ago.
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