Waypoints A Digital Archive of U.S. Coast Guard History Final Project Showcase Ken Langford

U.S. Coast Guard Historical Archive  Maintained by U.S. Coast Guard historians office in Washington, D.C.  Donated materials from donors/donor groups; materials collected by USCG historians  Size of collection ~200K artifacts (depends on who you ask)

Diverse Collection of Artifacts  Physical artifacts (e.g., lighthouse lenses, artistic works)  Historical files (e.g., case documents of the Titanic sinking)  Photographic images

Current Storage Solution

Current Access Method (paper)

Current Access Method (digital)

The Solution: Waypoints  Administrative interface Capture information on artifacts in a structured, consistent way Add U.S. Coast Guard-specific metadata to enhance search/retrieval  Public interface Access entire collection online Promote exploration of underutilized (public) materials

Lessons Learned Iterative development processes are the key to superior systems design.