Steps to Success: At the Event

STEP 1

Prepare the Copying Station and work with Volunteers to copy their Items.

On the day of the event, after the Opening Meeting, the Project Team will break up into station specific assignments. The Copying Station Captain will confirm that all the required supplies, equipment, and workflows are available and ready to use. The Copying Station Captain will also confirm volunteers staffing and attendance and answer any questions. 

The Copying Station Captain will set up, turn on, and re-test all of the equipment at each Copying Station table. If your Project Team decided to show contributed Items in real time at the event on the walls, then the Copying Station Captain will also need to set up the projectors for each table. 

Copying Station Volunteers will then practice their roles by assisting volunteers and Project Team members in copying their Items. Allowing a few volunteers and Project Team members to have their Items scanned before the event opens to the public gives the Copying Station Volunteers a chance to practice reviewing paperwork and using the copying workflows as well as to resolve any issues that arise. Practicing together allows the Reviewers and the Item Copiers to establish a collaborative routine. It also provides an opportunity for volunteers and Project Team members to begin adding their Items to the collection while they are not working at a station.

STEP 2

At the Copying Station, work with Contributors to copy their Items.

The Copying Station is the final station Contributors will visit to add their Items to the collection. 

When a Contributor arrives with their folder, the first thing the Reviewer will do is to review each Descriptive Information Form and the “For Project Team Use Only” section. If the Descriptive Information Form for any Item is not complete, the Reviewer will need to ask the Contributor to return to the Information Station so that the Information Station Volunteers can assist them in fully completing the form. An Item can be copied only after both an Information Station Volunteer and the Reviewer have reviewed the Contributor’s Descriptive Information Forms for legibility and completeness. 

Once the Reviewer has approved the forms, the Item Copier will digitize or copy Items from Contributors by following the Scanning, Transferring, and Emailing Workflows to create a digital copy of each Item. They will then save the copy to the appropriate folder with the Item ID Number as the file name. Contributors will have one Descriptive Information Form for each Item they plan to contribute, so there should be no duplicate Item ID Numbers.

Workflows for Copying Items

Workflow for Scanning Items (IrfanView/EPSON Perfection V600)

• Instructions for copying tangible items such as photographs or documents.
  • Download as MS Word or PDF document.

Workflow for Transferring Items

• Instructions for copying items stored on an external device such as a thumb drive or external hard drive.
  • Download as MS Word or PDF document.

Workflow for Emailing Items

• Instructions for copying items that Contributors submit to the Event Email Address for digital contributions.
  • Download as MS Word or PDF document.

Note: Under no circumstances should you rotate, crop, or otherwise edit an image or Item file after it's been saved. All image editing and processing will be carried out by the Digital Preservation Specialist.

STEP 3

At the Copying Station, document how Items were copied and properly store completed Descriptive Information Forms.

After saving the files, the Item Copier will complete the “For Project Team Use Only” Copying Station section of the Descriptive Information Form by indicating whether they scanned, emailed, or copied the Item. The Item Copier will then return any original Items to the Contributor and place the completed Descriptive Information Form in the document envelope. Copying Station Volunteers will need to keep the completed forms in numerical order, arranged by the Item ID Number for easy reference.

STEP 4

Conduct a mid-day review of each Copying Station table.

The Copying Station Captain will carry out quality-control checks at each Copying Station table throughout the event, while the Digital Preservation Specialist will back up collected digital files from each Copying Station computer (activities covered in Step 1 of the At The Event section of the Preserving the Collection module). Just imagine reaching the end of the event and having something go wrong with one of the computers; you could risk losing the digital copies of the unique Items the Contributors brought to your event!

Review completed Descriptive Information Forms.

At a mid-point during your event, the Copying Station Captain and/or Collection Coordinator will conduct a review of completed Descriptive Information Forms at each Copying Station table. Every section on each form should be completed by the Contributor and signed off by the Information Station Volunteer and the Item Copier. 

Make sure that all Copying Station Volunteers are keeping the completed Descriptive Information Forms in order, arranged by Item ID Number for easy reference, and storing the forms in the provided document envelope.

Confirm the Numbering System is being properly employed.

Identify a point during the event when the Copying Station Captain and/or Collection Coordinator will conduct a review of completed Descriptive Information Forms and the saved files on each computer to ensure that there are digital files associated with each form.

Remember, each contributed Item must have a unique identification number. This number should appear both on the Descriptive Information Form and as the file name for the Item that was digitized or copied. It is essential that these numbers are the same to accurately associate each completed Descriptive Information Form with its matching digital file.

If you find that the files and paperwork don’t match up, don’t panic! Check with the Copying Station Volunteers and make sure they’re copying and saving files using the approved workflows. And remember, it will be possible to follow up with Contributors about any missing files because you collected their contact information when they registered for the event using the Event Registration and Permission Form.

STEP 5

Deliver the completed Descriptive Information Forms to the Digital Preservation Specialist.

After the event is closed to the public, the Copying Station Captain will collect the document folders from each Copying Station table and deliver the completed Descriptive Information Forms to the Digital Preservation Specialist. The Digital Preservation Specialist will hold onto the forms for safekeeping until the collection is processed. 

If the event is in the Digital Preservation Specialist's own library or organization’s location, they can store the files in their office. If the event is hosted off site, the Digital Preservation Specialist will be responsible for keeping the completed forms secure.

STEP 6

Wait for confirmation from the Digital Preservation Specialist that the Copying Stations can be shut down.

After the event is closed to the public, the Digital Preservation Specialist will back up collected digital files from each Copying Station computer (activities covered in Step 1 of the At The Event section of the Preserving the Collection module).

After the Digital Preservation Specialist has completed this essential backup, they will inform the Copying Station Captain that the Copying Stations (including all computers) can be fully shut down for the day.

STEP 7

Pack up the Copying Station.

Copying Station Volunteers will join the Copying Station Captain in cleaning up the station area and packing away equipment and supplies. Try to put furniture back as best you can. Leave the event space in the condition requested by the host location.