1. How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Automation
My comments will be less about the metadata itself, but more about the processes and workflows that involve metadata creation and providing online access to content.
Specifically, I’d like to review a few things we’ve done at the University of Kentucky Libraries to automate our workflows so faculty and staff can spend more time on work that requires their professional expertise.
Sarah Dorpinghaus, Digital Archivist, University of Kentucky Libraries
Ohio Valley Group of Technical Services Librarians 2014 Annual Conference

2. University of Kentucky manages the Kentucky Digital Library, the statewide digital library-host finding aids, digital images, video, audio
build around 2011, before that we had...

3. Kentuckiana Digital Library migration to Kentucky Digital Library
Two different systems, so the ingest package structure was different, would require significant amount of labor to prep these collections

4. At UK we are fortunate to have two permanent programmers and two grant-funded programmers. Their projects always seem to be (and they are!) really important, so I was intimidated to ask them for help. And as an archivist, I’m used to labor intensive projects. But I was venting one day about how I had to manually move a massive number of files, our lead programmer overheard me, and I got a mini-lecture that changed my view of programmers’ work….

5. Programmers are your friends
Save time through automation (within reason)
In short, programmers work with code to build programs that help you do your work more efficiently
Everything that can should be reasonably automated-- 3 days of programmers time vs. 3 months of staff or student time
should not spend time doing work that can be done by a computer

6. Programmers are your friends
Save time through automation (within reason)
Opportunity for creativity and contribution
programmers generally enjoy challenging tasks and creating tools that help their co workers
embraced programmer’s suggestions and started working with our programmers to make more efficient

7. Programmers are your friends
Save time through automation (within reason)
Opportunity for creativity and contribution
Continual assessment of workflows and tasks to increase efficiency
workflows should be continually assessed and revised to increase efficiency -- workflows are not static
started building this into our imaging meeting

8. Programmers are your friends
Save time through automation (within reason)
Continual assessment of workflows and tasks to increase efficiency
Opportunity for creativity and contribution
Allows you to do your real job
Allows you to do your real job

9. U Kentucky Examples Gossamer Sample tools created at UK DLS
Gossamer: creates directory structures based on containers in EAD

10. 2014m029 Collection accession number
2014m029_ Box 1
2014m029_01_01 Box 1, Folder 1
2014m029_01_01_01 Box 1, Folder 1, Item 1
2014m02_01_01_02 Box 1, Folder 1, Item 2
2014m029_01_01_03 Box 1, Folder 1, Item 3
2014m029_01_02 Box 1, Folder 2
2014m029_01_02_01 Box 1, Folder 2, Item 1
2014m029_01_02_02 Box 1, Folder 2, Item 2
2014m029_ Box 2
2014m029_02_01 Box 2, Folder 1
2014m029_02_01_01 Box 2, Folder 1, Item 1
2014m029_02_01_02 Box 2, Folder 1, Item 2
2014m029_02_01_03 Box 2, Folder 1, Item 3
2014m029_01_02 Box 2, Folder 2
2014m029_02_02_01 Box 2, Folder 2, Item 1
2014m029_02_02_02 Box 2, Folder 2, Item 2

11. Creates empty directory structure based on containers in EAD
U Kentucky Examples
Gossamer
Creates empty directory structure based on containers in EAD
Sample tools created at UK DLS
Gossamer: creates directory structures based on containers in EAD
saves time b/c
imaging techs don’t have to build dir by hand
eliminates human error
find errors in FA

12. Creates empty directory structure based on containers in EAD
U Kentucky Examples
Gossamer
Creates empty directory structure based on containers in EAD
Abby Normal
Allows quality control of digital objects and finding aids before going online
Abby Normal: allows us to proof collections and “ok” them to go online
Various other tweaks: directory names
In progress: Metadata editor
In progress: tool that builds directories around existing images

13. No programmers? Talk to your IT staff
That’s all fine and good, but… not all of us have programmers on staff
Seek out programmers elsewhere on campus
Talk to your IT staff-- there are are a lot of tools out there they may know about and be able to help you implement

14. No programmers? Talk to your IT staff Search for existing tools
Search online for existing tools- you can implement automation! (The ReName- renames files)

15. No programmers? Talk to your IT staff Search for existing tools
Become your own programmer
Become your own programmer-- regular expressions

16. No programmers? Talk to your IT staff Search for existing tools
Become your own programmer
Seek help on listservs
Take it to the listservs: Code4Lib, DLF forums, SAA listservs-- you’re probably not the only person who has encountered a particular automation problem & listservs offer a culture of help and sharing

17. Final THoughts Identify the real issues and desired outcomes
Organize your thoughts and notes about the problem so you can make sure the real issue is identified, and then have an idea of your desired outcome. Be careful about focusing too much on the means or tool rather than the outcome.
National Distillers Corporation; packing department, women working on assembly line, 1944; Lafayette Studios photographs; UK Special Collections

18. Final THoughts Identify the real issues and desired outcomes
It may have to be done by hand
Sometimes you have to do it by hand, or it truly would be easier to do it by hand. Be aware when you spend over 30 minutes editing by hand, less if it’s something you do regularly.
National Distillers Corporation; packing department, women working on assembly line, 1944; Lafayette Studios photographs; UK Special Collections

19. University of Kentucky Libraries
Sarah Dorpinghaus
University of Kentucky Libraries
Image credits