Week Three: Metadata and Publication

 

Redoing my work spilled over into week three where I found more fun and quirky articles. But the bulk of the work I did during the week was scanning and creating the metadata for the images. For each image scanned, I cleaned up the edges of the pages, removed my fingers from some images using our software, and created the metadata for each image. It was less time-consuming and painstaking than I anticipated, and it was satisfying to see the hard work I had been doing “on paper” so to speak. I read or at least skimmed through every article, personal note, and blurb to find the information needed about the item. This part of the project was where I learned the most about the former students and how much they impacted the school and the local community. Several of the students, namely those who graduated, had an impact on the school and the community as a whole. When William McKinney gave his graduation speech in both Choctaw and English, he was given a standing ovation. Reading about the accomplishments of our Choctaw students has shown me how Roanoke College has always had a rich and inviting history, even in our years as a young college.

Finally the day arrived at the end of the week, publication day! I met with Dave to have him look over the metadata. As he is the resident expert on that particular subject, he was the one guiding me through it and checking that my work was accurate and complete. After a quick look-over, he decided it was time to publish the work on SharedShelf Commons. A few short moments later, and my hard work was available for the public to access and view. Being able to show my friends and family the work I had been putting all my time into for three weeks left me with a sense of satisfaction that I didn’t expect. It is amazing to see the work I did on a website alongside the work of other institutions and some that professionals have done.