Project Details

Digitization of the Hall-Hoag Collection will be divided into 78 two-week sprints.  A typical sprint will function as follows: The project archivist will create batches of material from Hall-Hoag that can be completed in cycles of 10 business days (2 weeks). The Digital Ark staff will create images for 8 days, and perform quality control for 2 days. While Digital Ark staff create images, the project archivist will inspect the images and metadata from the previous batch, add any additional subject headings, upload the files to the Brown Digital Repository and other online databases, and create the next batch. A similar system was used for the aforementioned H.P. Lovecraft digitization project.  During the final month of the project, no new images will be created to allow the project archivist to process the last batch of images, do a final quality check, correct any problems discovered, write the final report, and assist with outreach efforts to advertise the successful completion. The end of the project coincides perfectly with the annual conference of the Society of American Archivists (August each year) which is a major venue in which to share news about open access to these historical materials with a national cohort of archivists who in turn assist a wide range of researchers.

The Brown Digital Repository serves as the digital preservation storage system for Brown University Library.  It is also the primary access point for digital objects.  The images from Hall-Hoag will also be linked to the Hall-Hoag database and to the Hall-Hoag finding aid in the Rhode Island Archival and Manuscripts Collections Online (RIAMCO) database. All three of those databases are local to Brown University and Rhode Island. Looking to a future when our materials can reach a wider audience, Brown University is a founding partner in a project to create a National Archival Finding Aid Network currently spearheaded by the California Digital Library.  That project is in the research and prototype phase and seeking funding for the build-out. We look forward to providing even greater public access to the Hall-Hoag materials in a national database and remain committed to active involvement in that project as it develops.