PWS Attachment 2_Metadata and Guidelines.pdf

T:\HEC Specialist Folders\Parker\FY24 Actions\CEHO\Digitization SAP buy\PWS Attachment 2_Metadata and Guidelines.docx 1

Digitization of Omaha District Image Collection

Guidelines – August 2024

The collection consists of photographic prints/negatives and 35mm slides.

1. The collection includes hundreds of photographic prints, negatives, and slides, which are subdivided into smaller series or “subcollections.”

a. MEDIA

i. Description. Prints are primarily black & white, with a small estimated percentage (perhaps 10%) in color. All prints and most negatives are approximately 4x5 inches;

some negatives are smaller. All items are housed in paper or polyester sleeves, usually with multiple items per envelope. Slides are both color and b&w and housed unsleeved in boxes.

ii. Condition. All items are in fairly good condition; nothing fragile is included.

iii. Selection. All images provided to the vendor (minus duplicates) are to be digitized.

Whatever has been provided has been culled from the larger collection for scanning.

iv. Duplicates. Each image exists as a print, a negative, or both. A few duplicate prints are present; these are sorted next to one another to facilitate their identification. No duplicates should be scanned. The vendor is asked to give scanning preference to the negatives (which presumably are first generation), except when, in the vendor’s judgment, the print offers a better image in some way.

v. Color mode. All b&w negatives and slides can be scanned in b&w mode (the vast majority); color slides, color negatives, and all prints (both b&w and color) should be scanned in color mode to preserve variations in the b&w prints.

vi. Output specs. Scan prints/negatives as TIF files, 600 ppi, at 200% output size (roughly 8x10 inches). Scan slides at 600% output size. See PWS for more information.

b. METADATA.

i. General. From the PWS 3.0, d). Contractors are required to determine metadata from analog items and embed that metadata in each scanned item. Metadata will be entered using the lists of required fields as mentioned in the PWS and below (the most important being “caption/description” and with “creator/photographer” applying only rarely). The requested fields are based on IPTC as seen in Adobe Bridge. NOTE: use field “IPTC Subject Code” for dates; this field allows for flexible date formats whereas the “Date” field does not. Several fields lend themselves to batch entry of data common to all items in the series.

ii. Most images have captions and other information on the print, the negative, the envelope, or occasionally an inserted caption card; otherwise, vendor is asked to create a generic description from labels on the envelopes or images.

iii. See specific suggestions for the various subcollections in the “Series” section below.

T:\HEC Specialist Folders\Parker\FY24 Actions\CEHO\Digitization SAP buy\PWS Attachment 2_Metadata and Guidelines.docx 2

Series within the Omaha District Collection:

1. Omaha District Collection Prints and Negatives.

Selection: Images to be scanned are housed in small envelopes that have been annotated with folder numbers (marked in colored ink upper right corner). Only in the “Floating Plant series,” a note has been inserted into each envelope to help track quantities and to clarify dates or estimated date ranges or other info. Most images have captions on the print, the negative, the envelope, or occasionally an inserted caption card; otherwise create from envelope name/label on image. Captions range in length from a few words to short paragraphs.

Prints and Negatives – smaller than 4.5 x 5.5 inches, b&w and a few color:

Total 2,027 image scans

2. Omaha District Collection 35mm Slides.

Selection: Images to be scanned are housed unsleeved in rows in larger slide boxes. Usually, labeled divider cards are present to separate slides of different subject matter. Most images have captions on the slide housing; otherwise create from box name/divider card topic. Captions are necessarily very short. It’s likely that some slides have become slightly disorganized due to handling of the boxes over the years; vendor is asked to reorganize if at all possible and otherwise to save unorganized slides as a separate subject area.

Slides – 35 mm, b&w and color:

Total 2,381 image scans

(cont’d)

T:\HEC Specialist Folders\Parker\FY24 Actions\CEHO\Digitization SAP buy\PWS Attachment 2_Metadata and Guidelines.docx 3

Required metadata fields for Series within the Omaha Collection:

IPTC Field Description Data for Series 1 Creator Photographer or donor, if known (from image if available) (rarely used) Description/ Caption

Caption as found on original image or envelope

(from image if available) (devised from envelope name or note if not available)

Keywords Use the particular name of each subseries (see list on right).

Please use first-word capitalized plurals separated by semicolons.

• Floating plant1

• Yards

• Bank protection, historical

• Bank protection

• Recreation

• Emergency operations; Snowbound

• Emergency operations; Hurricane Agnes

• Emergency operations; Terrorism bombings

• Emergency operations; Floods 1950s

• Dams; Big Bend

• Dams; Fort Peck

• Dams; Garrison

• Dams; Oahe

IPTC Subject Code (use for date)

Date of photograph (from image, envelope, or note if available;

if N/A use list in Attachment 1); don’t use “DATE” field

Description Writer

Person or Organization doing the scanning and data entry

(vendor firm name(s))

1 “Floating plant’ is the term our agency uses to refer to “boats” and “ships.”