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University of St Andrews Image Database

This presentation addresses the challenges and solutions involved in managing image databases at the University of St. Andrews. It covers user requests from the Faculty of Arts, discussing the need for multiple technical implementations, accessibility, and the management of electronic data. Key scenarios detail the limitations of current systems, including CDs/DVDs and various databases. The proposal emphasizes the development of a central database that promotes collaboration, consistency, and ease of support, while also tackling the technical complexity faced by academic staff.

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University of St Andrews Image Database

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  1. University of St Andrews Image Database Dr Birgit Plietzsch bp10@st-andrews.ac.uk Visual Resource Association Conference Toronto, March 2009

  2. Background • user requests from across the Faculty of Arts • academic need for multiple implementations? • future support needs of a number of similar technical implementations? University of St Andrews, IT Services

  3. The University Academics IT Services Interests • Accessibility legislation • Management of electronic data • Use of institutional authentication • Ownership • my images • my database • Restrictions on sharing content • within the same school? • within the University? • with the rest of the world? • technical expertise of academics • multiple standards and database schemas • IT Helpdesk approached re content development problems • authentication mechanisms • future support needs of a number of similar technical solutions University of St Andrews, IT Services

  4. Scenario 1: CDs / DVDs • Cheap to produce • No record keeping of existing images • Finding right image can be time consuming • Collaboration: • sharing storage media • easy to lose part of the image collection • No integration with other image collections University of St Andrews, IT Services

  5. DB2 DB4 DB1 DB6 DB5 DB3 Scenario 2: Databases • Differences in: • the use of software • database structures • metadata and controlled vocabularies • no integration of various image collections • support and maintenance dependent on academic staff who may leave the University University of St Andrews, IT Services

  6. IC2 IC4 IC1 IC6 IC5 IC3 DB Scenario 3: A central database • Costs arise once (development, s/w, h/w) • Central database: • easier to support • encourages collaboration • consistent record keeping • ITS deal with technical aspects • Schools deal with content University of St Andrews, IT Services

  7. Existing software v project needs • technologies required • implementation of accepted standards • collection creation • use of institutional authentication mechanism • recurrent Helpdesk issues • Repository software • MDID • Luna Insight • among others University of St Andrews, IT Services

  8. Recommended standards • VRA Core 4.0 & CCO • Challenges: • vagueness and complexity • standards not written alongside one another • Complexity: beyond most academics who want to set up an image collection • Subject-specific image description • Controlled vocabularies: • Use of controlled vocabularies • Consistent use across different collections • Ambiguities in the VRA standard (e.g. the handling of dates) University of St Andrews, IT Services

  9. <dateSet> <display> c. 1927 </display> <date type="creation"> <earliestDate>1922</earliestDate> <latestDate>1932</latestDate> </date> </dateSet> <dateSet> <display> c. 1927 </date> <date type="creation"> <earliestDate circa="1">1922</earliestDate> <latestDate circa="1">1932</latestDate> </date> </dateSet> <dateSet> <display> c. 1927 </date> <date type="creation"> <earliestDate circa="1>1927</earliestDate> <latestDate circa="1">1927</latestDate> </date> <notes>Date is +/- 5 years </notes> </dateSet>

  10. Solutions • Not all issues have been resolved on the technical level. • controlled vocabularies • templating system to address some of the complexity, e.g: • AGENT: • photograph: photographer • painting: painter • architecture: architect • Etc • use of high-resolution images to address content development issues University of St Andrews, IT Services

  11. Image Database http://imagedatabase.st-andrews.ac.uk University of St Andrews, IT Services

  12. Public welcome screen

  13. A Corpus of Scottish Medieval Parish Churches project image collection

  14. A Corpus of Scottish Medieval Parish Churches project image collection

  15. A Corpus of Scottish Medieval Parish Churches project image collection

  16. A Corpus of Scottish Medieval Parish Churches project image collection

  17. A Corpus of Scottish Medieval Parish Churches project image collection

  18. Collection-specific data input template

  19. Lightbox

  20. Slideshow

  21. Slideshow

  22. Thanks • Technical implementation & maintenance: • Sean Dooley • Swithun Crowe • Advice: • Mick Eadie (Visual Arts Data Service) • colleagues in ITS, academic Schools, University Library • vra-l • Permission to demonstrate project: • Prof. Richard Fawcett (School of Art History), A Corpus of Scottish Medieval Parish ChurchesProject: http://arts.st-andrews.ac.uk/corpusofscottishchurches … among others University of St Andrews, IT Services

  23. University of St Andrews Image Database Dr Birgit Plietzsch bp10@st-andrews.ac.uk Visual Resource Association Conference Toronto, March 2009

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