About the Digitization and Cataloging Program

at

The Denver Public Library

B. Photodigitization program history

The Photodigitization program began in the late 1980’s when Agostino Mastrogiuseppe, the Curator of Photographs, expressed his desire to:

1.) Improve access to the collection by automating the search process, and
2.) Help preserve the original items by creating a surrogate copy. 

Mr. Mastrogiuseppe gathered technical articles, talked with other photo librarians and automations specialists, and evaluated existing microfilming projects. 

After two years of research, Mr. Mastrogiuseppe wrote a proposal to the Library administration with a recommendation to seek grant funding.  The Library invited an advisory committee to come and review the collection, discuss the proposal and fine tune the concept.  This work resulted in two grant proposals.  The first, to the Boettcher Foundation, would provide the capital to set up a digitization lab.  The second, to the National Endowment for the Humanities, would provide funds to staff a 3-year proof of concept project. 

The following is a list of grants that have formed the basis for the Denver Public Library’s Photodigitization Program. A list of the major accomplishments of each grant has been provided:

Grants completed prior to PA-2294-97:                                      

Name    Major Accomplishments
   
Boettcher Foundation    Purchase of digitization lab equipment, software, servers,
  public access stations, and cataloging workroom equipment

 

National Endowment for the Humanities    Develop software for public access system.
 

Contract with agency to convert entries in the Otto Perry photo collection catalog in 20,000 MARC records

Produce 15,000 original, item-level catalog records

Scan 35,000 historic negatives and prints

Share information about the project with other institutions through written materials, professional meetings, and tours

 

State Historic Fund of Colorado        Scan and create original, item level catalog records
 

for  historic prints and negatives relating to Colorado towns and architecture

Share information about the project with other institutions by providing a workshop.

Promote the collection through brochures and other printed pieces

 

Grants completed simultaneously with PA-2294-97:

Name    Major Accomplishments
   
Department of Commerce Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program   Set up a pilot, state-wide Intranet to distribute the digital collection.                                                                                                                                                        
 

Scan and create original, item level catalog records for photographs and artifacts from the Colorado Historical Society Collection

Scan and create original, item level catalog records for artifacts from the Denver Art Museum Collection

Scan and create original, item level catalog records for photographs from the Denver Public Library Collection

                                                                       

Library of Congress/Ameritech Scan and create original, item level catalog
 

records for historic images relating to Native American culture

Scan and create original, item level catalog records for historic images relating to mining in the West

Make a portion of the digital collection available through the American Memory web site.

 

State Historic Fund of Colorado Scan and create original, item-level catalog
 

records for historic prints and negatives relating to Colorado towns and architecture

Promote the collection and database by creating an on-line tutorial for people interested in historic preservation

                                                       

Bruce and Virginia Rockwell Install a communication link between the
 

Colorado History Museum and The Denver Public Library to allow for sharing the digital collection

Off-set partial costs for construction of digital camera

 

State Historic Fund of Colorado        Scan and create original, item level catalog
 

records for historic prints and negatives relating to Denver architecture from the Denver Public Library Collection

Scan and create original, item level catalog records for historic prints and negatives relating to Colorado towns, architecture and mining from the Colorado Historical Society Collection

 

 

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Scan and create original, item level catalog
  records for historic prints and negatives relating to Denver landmark buildings and famous Coloradans.

                           

Colorado Digitization Project   

Scan and create original, item level catalog

 

records for historic prints and negatives relating to the history of the West

Create a link between CDP Heritage database and DPL’s on-line collection. 

Several other significant accomplishments were made in this time period that were not funded by grants, but supported by Denver Public Library funds.  These are worth noting, as they greatly affected the success and completion of project PA-22924-97.

  • Design and construction of digital camera to scan oversize, bound and optically unusual materials
  • Establishment of a full-service, digital photograph reproduction lab
  • Implementation of a color calibration system and color scanning standards