Charette Digital Project: An Historic Pittsburgh Architectural Journal Goes Online Martin Aurand, Carnegie Mellon University AASL / March 2003

“The Future of Libraries Is Digital.” --Carnegie Mellon University Libraries Strategic Plan

Digital Collections Library of Congress University of Pittsburgh Historical Society of Western Pa.

Why Digital Projects? Improve access Support teaching, research, and publishing Contribute to growing network of digital resources Address growing expectations

Presenting Digital Content Resources (raw materials) Collection Descriptions and Finding Aids Informational Databases Interpretation (packaged) Exhibitions Electronic Publications Hybrids

Digital Projects in Architecture Athenaeum of Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives Canadian Architecture Collection

Digital Texts Society of Architectural Historians: Net Resources

Architectural Club Exhibition Catalogs

Locally-produced Trade Catalogs Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University

Regional Architecture Journals Blackader Lauterman Library of Architecture and Art, McGill University

What Is a Charette? The term “charette” evolved from a pre-1900 exercise at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in France. Architectural students were given a design problem to solve within an allotted time. When that time was up, the students would rush their drawings from the studio to the Ecole in a cart called a charrette. Students often jumped in the cart to finish drawings on the way. The term evolved to refer to the intense design exercise itself. Today it refers to a creative process akin to visual brainstorming that is used by design professionals to develop solutions to a design problem within a limited timeframe.

What Is Charette magazine was the journal of the Pittsburgh Architectural Club; and was at times co-sponsored by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Pennsylvania Society of Architects. Over the years, its coverage of architecture extended beyond Pittsburgh to the whole of Pennsylvania, and the Tri-State area. Charette comprises a rich fifty-year survey of regional architecture and the architectural scene. ?

Why Digitize Charette is an essential source for architectural research in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania. Charette’s contents were virtually inaccessible for lack of indexing or other access. There is only spotty indexing of Charette in the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals. Most library collections of Charette consist of incomplete runs and some issues of the journal are quite rare. The run size (vols. 1-54, ) is manageable. ?

By Decade 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s1960s

What is the Charette Digital Project? The Charette Digital Project will create an online digital archive encompassing virtually the entire run of Charette. The archives will consist of electronic images of each page of Charette complete with all covers, text, photographs, graphics, advertisements, etc. The user interface will permit browsing by issue and full- text searching of the contents of Charette through the web.

Planning a Digital Project Define Project Consider technical framework (e.g. functionality requirements, metadata and image standards, etc.) Consider operational framework (e.g. expertise, personnel, and equipment requirements, etc.) Find models and/or partners Identify funding Obtain internal approvals

Stages of the Charette Digital Project 1.Research 2.Copyright Investigation 3.Identification and Acquisition 4.Scanning, Post-Processing, OCR, and Storage 5.DIVA delivery and navigation functionality 6.Web Interface

1. Research Charette was created and originally published in-house by the Pittsburgh Architectural Club, but had additional sponsors and publishers during various periods: Sponsors Pittsburgh Architectural Club: February 1920 to Sept./Oct Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Architects: various years Pennsylvania Society of Architects: May 1951 to December 1960 and October 1962 to December 1967 Publishers Pittsburgh Architectural Club [Inc.]: February 1920 to December 1947 John J. McKee: January 1948 to December 1959 R. W. Bingham: January 1960 to January 1961 Chatham Associates, Inc. / Thomas E. Morgan: September 1961 to October 1964 Van Trump, Ziegler & Shane, Inc.: January 1965 to Sept./Oct Archimedia: Nov./Dec to March/April 1974

2. Copyright Investigation Copyright information was obtained from U.S. Copyright Office Circulars 15 & 22. A search for active copyrights was requested and was performed by the U. S. Copyright Office of the Library of Congress. No active copyrights for Charette for were found, and no renewals were found : 28 years if not renewed [no record of renewal)] : 28 years if not renewed [no record of renewal] 1964: 28 years plus automatic renewal of 47 years [cannot locate copyright holder] : 95 years [permissions obtained from Arthur P. Ziegler] : 95 years [cannot locate copyright holder]

3. Identification and Acquisition The entire run of Charette was analyzed in detail to identify all issues that were published. Carnegie Mellon University Libraries owns most issues of Charette. Additional issues were borrowed for the project from the Art and Music Department of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the James D. Van Trump Library and Achives of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Three issues could not be located and are not currently part of the project.Art and Music Department of the Carnegie Library of PittsburghJames D. Van Trump Library and Achives of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

4. Scanning, Post-Processing, OCR, and Storage The Carnegie Mellon University Libraries' department of Archives and Digital Library Initiatives completed scanning, post-processing, and OCR of 546 issues of Charette with >15,000 pages. Storage (27 gigabytes) is provided by the Libraries’ department of Library Information Technology.

5. DIVA delivery and navigation functionality Journal delivery and navigation functionality is provided through the DIVA system, a project of the Libraries' department of Library Information Technology.

6. Web Interface The web interface was provided by the Carnegie Mellon University Architecture Archives.

Problems Encountered Lack of internal procedures to launch project Inadequate criteria for pre-evaluation Unstable digital working environment