Inventorying classes

Once committed to digitizing a full course for an instructor, we ask that they teach the course once more with slides so that we can track what they use. We generally do not attempt to digitize the class while it is being taught to ensure the availability of the slides to the instructor and to our scanners. After each class, or at least once a week, the instructor will return the slides that they use en mass. We record three types of information before the slides are refilled: First, we create a spreadsheet inventory. Second, we scan the labels of the slides. Third, we scan thumbnails of the slide images. The last two are combined into a PDF for reference purposes. Electronic copies are kept on our administrative server, Poison, and printed out once digitization of the class is undertaken.

A. Data Entry

1. Create a new spreadsheet for each batch of slides returned. In the student folder on Poison (J:\Vrc\vrc-student\) is an Excel spreadsheet titled “template.xls.” DO NOT overwrite the template.

2. In cell 1A type in the course and lecture numbers.

3. Fill out the template as completely as possible, including the slide call number, artist/site, title and slide accession number. Be very careful when filling out the call number and accession number—these are how we identify the slides in the drawer. Leave the Digital Filename column blank.

4. Save the spreadsheet in the “ARH course digitization projects” folder on Poison under the appropriate faculty name and course number.

NOTE: There is no need to include instructor’s personal slides on the spreadsheet inventory, as we do not scan personal slides as a general rule. They are included in the PDF inventories, however.

Continue to PDF Inventories