[PRCo] Re: Generic Description and Scanning

[Jim Keener]

The records don't have to be editable by just anyone, if that's what you
mean by losing control of the collection.
We could supply nice sized images and the captions, metadata, and OCRed
text to the public if that's what's desired.  The collection doesn't
even have to be public, but I've never been a fan of hiding information
if there is no reason to.  Public images can be watermarked quite easily
and automatically.

I don't have a car, but only live in Pgh, otherwise I'd be much more
eager to offer my time.  I know high school juniors and seniors are
always always looking for community service hours or projects to work on
(they are needed to graduate in most districts).  Scanning slides,
marking where they are (physically), and entering any text on the slide
is defiantly doable by a high schooler (or even me:-p).

Most slides I've seen have a year, company, route, and car number on
them (some have a location!).  The year, company, and route number can
be cross-referenced to automatically get the full route name (save time
on typing it in) and the year, company, and car number can automatically
grab the type of car it is.  Especially if we had a location for the
slide, that's a wealth of usable knowledge right off the bat.  If that
information is in a database, it immediately becomes searchable and
viewable.

The same goes for newspapers and other documents.  Scanning them in is
labour intensive but doesn't require a lot of skill beyond being careful
(which, admittedly can be an unattainable skill for some people:-\).
Once it's all scanned in it can be OCRed and searchable.  As people read
the documents, they could tag it as containing information about a
specific car or another topic.

(Yes, I know OCR isn't perfect, but it can be quite good for a good scan
and as people read the documents, they can fill in the occasional wrong
word.)

I'm more than happy to do what I can from afar.  If I got a car, that
would change, but right now I wouldn't be able to scan slides or
documents at the museum.

I've also never scanned slides before, so I could be completely wrong as
to how much human intervention is required.

Jim

PS: This is what I was talking about before on trying to get some CMU
kids for a project to do location finding:
http://server.cs.ucf.edu/~vision/projects/WhereAmI/ProjectPage-WhereAmI.htm
Pgh is used because it was one of the first cities to get Street View
and is very heavily mapped. (Just go to maps.google.com, search for
Pittsburgh, Pa, zoom out a bit an pull the little pegman (yellow dude
above the zoom slider) out and watch how much of the map turns blue.
Obviouly there are a bunch of small roads not done, but the all of the
semi-major roads are done.

On 5/22/11 1:22 PM, Edward H. Lybarger wrote:
> Clearly, Ray, the answer is yes, provided staff and funding become available
> and don't require oodles of management supervision.  I'm obviously not eager
> to lose control of the collection, either.  I'm comfortable with the
> longevity of today's technology because I believe in migrating data
> periodically to keep it up to date.
> 
> But I am not going to devote the rest of my own life to scanning this
> collection beyond museum needs -- both for restoration purposes and for
> exhibits and publications -- because there is so very much else to do and I
> will be 66 years old come August. Trolleys are not, and never will be, my
> whole life.  If someone is willing to come in on a regular -- and I mean
> regular -- basis to do the work, and if proper scanning equipment and
> storage, not to mention an adequate computer, is available, the project will
> be supported and accommodated with some vigor.
> 
> Ed
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Ray
> Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 12:56 PM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject: [PRCo] Generic Description and Scanning
> 
>  
> Ok, f= irst my new and improved verizon email account has some quarks.
> 
> I hav= e the 1979 Steeler Superbowl on VHS tape. Still plays and looks
> 
> good = for that technology. Lets see that's about 32 years old now. However,
> I= 
> 
> understand the concern with storage media and longevity.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It appears to me that every reason under the sun is being used to in=
> validate
> 
> such a project. I am tired of going  round and round on= this subject. So
> point blank question,
> 
> Ed, in your life time do = you think scanning and Internet posting will ever
> occur?
> 
> If you choos= e to answer this please a simple yes or no will do.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also= , I really hate to use the term "some people say"  but some = people
> say it is all about control.
> 
> The museum does not want  to= lose control of the archives. Once on the
> internet control is lost. 
> 
> Ray
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 


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