1. Digitization of The Increase A. Lapham Papers Collection
Lindsey Hillgartner, Project Manager
Tegan Rice, Library Assistant

2. Today We Will be Discussing:
1. Overview of Collection
2. Selection
3. Workflows/ Metadata
4. Access
5. Potential User Groups
6. Challenges
7. Questions

3. Collection Overview

4. Who Was Increase Allen Lapham?
Born March 7, 1811 in Palmyra, New York
In 1836 Lapham came to Milwaukee to build the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal
Lapham was an self educated engineer and naturalist, and spent his life exploring natural Wisconsin.
Considered father of Wisconsin

5. Accomplishments State Geologist National Weather Service
Published around 80 books, articles, and pamphlets
First Wisconsin botanist and ecologist
Major Works:
Wisconsin: Its Geography and Topography
The Antiquities of Wisconsin
Report on the Disastrous Effects of the Destruction of Forest Trees, Now Going on So Rapidly in the State of Wisconsin

6. Contributions to the State of Wisconsin
Promoted and improved immigration to the state through his books, particularly Wisconsin: Its Geography and Topography
One of the founding members of the Wisconsin Historical Society
Surveyed Aztalan
Promoted the conservation of Wisconsin forests

7. The Collection The Lapham Collection is comprised of 12.9 cubic feet
Each box contains between 9 to 20 folders
24 Archival Boxes
7 Card Boxes
5 Flat Boxes
1 Oversized Folder
Each folder contains an between 3 to 600 pages of materials

8. Types of Materials Maps Correspondence Research Materials Publications
Reports
Photographs
Drawings
Field notebooks
Microfilm
Objects

9. Selection

10. Why Digitization? Gain potential new user groups
Digitizing matches the mission, vision, and values of the Wisconsin Historical Society:
Mission: The Wisconsin Historical Society connects people to the past by collecting, preserving, and sharing stories.
Vision: Enriching and transforming lives through unparalleled access to history.
Values: We believe that increasing the public's knowledge of history has profound societal, cultural, and economic benefit.
Gain potential new user groups
Publication of Martha Bergland and Paul G. Hayes book entitled “Studying Wisconsin: The Life of Increase Lapham”
The main goal of the Wisconsin Historical Society is to provide access to its collections to a wide array of patron groups. As we all know, people want things online, so it is the hope of the society by creating an ‘online’ collection it will create new users. (expand user group)

11. Selection We are digitizing it all!!! Why are we digitizing it all?
Roughly 44,000 pages from 277 folders will be digitized once the project is completed
Why are we digitizing it all?

12. The Process

13. Workflow Evaluated for preservation needs
Preservation work is done as needed
Scanning
Creation of CONTENTdm records
Review (Quality Control)
Uploaded into CONTENTdm for approval
Uploaded to the web

14. Scanning Epson Scanners
Large format materials are scanned on a roll-top scanner
Bound volumes are scanned on a overhead book scanner (digital camera)

15. Scanning Scanned at 300 Dpi Cropped in scanning window
Color correction as needed
Saved as .tiff
Given a unique identifier
Images are stored according to box and folder number

16. CONTENTdm Used by WHS since 2003 Sustainable for the future
Use what is available!
Provides a realistic facsimile for users on the online platform
Increased access vs. finding aid
Metadata increases searchablity
digital assets management tool since, License to be used for all digital collections

17. CONTENTdm Compound objects are created at the folder level
Metadata is assigned to the folder and item level
Excel spreadsheets

18. Metadata Metadata records are created in CONTENTdm
Based on Qualified Dublin Core
WHS standards
Folder Level Description
Item Level Description

19. Elements: Folder Level
Title
Folder Description
Creator (s)
Subject headings
Event Date
Digital Identifier
CDM_LVL_NAME
Title
Document Title
Subject heading created in by a SLIS student, as part of survey of the collection that took part of a clas a project. This is not a exclusive list. As the project progresses subject headings are added based on need. Use the format of Library of Congress Subject heading—WHS standards

20. Elements: Item Level Title Creator Location (State and Town/City)
Date ( Year and Month)
File name

21. Common Elements Publisher-Electronic Publication-Date Electronic
Rights
Digital Format
Language
Source
Type
These are usually stable and do not have changes made to them.

23. Review and Uploading

24. Field represented included call number, Box and Folder number, Series, Total Page Count, Scan sizes within folder, presence bound materials, flat bed scans, Dates, Title, desscription, subject, condition, survey notes, and scan notes. Color Coded as seen above

25. Access

26. User View Landing page found on Wisconsin Historical Society website
With handwritten documents it is impossible to search the text for keywords
The folder description allows for an access point to retrieve relative materials for patron searches
Subject heading create additional search terms

31. Potential User Groups

32. Users UW System Students K-12 students Scientist Land surveyors
Archeologist
And more…..
WHS Image Id: 2219

33. Challenges

34. Challenges Staff Changes Quality control (metadata)
Consistence
Nature of materials
Fragile
Uniqueness

35. To Review
44,000 pages from 277 folders will be digitized once complete
Viewable online using CONTENTdm
Qualified Dublin Core
Creates new user groups and highlights an important collection to the state of Wisconsin
Increase Lapham:                 15 compound objects
                                                2,781 images/pages

36. Collecting, Preserving and Sharing Stories Since 1846
Questions? Thank You!
Collecting, Preserving and Sharing Stories Since 1846