JISC

This project is part of the images project cluster in this particular programme. The main focus for projects in this cluster is on the creation and use of still image collections for learning and teaching.

Background

South Bank University (SBU) Library has long held a slide collection comprising over 40,000 images collected by the Faculty of the Built Environment for use in teaching. The collection comprises slides from a number of sources and includes those which have been purchased, those developed from photographs in books and original slides over which SBU has full rights. In the early 1980s indexing of the collection commenced according to the Building Industry Thesaurus; latterly this index has been computerised. It is now a web-compliant database and is using the software package DBT Text Works. Affordable technology is now available to widen access to the collection.

Aims and Objectives

This 12-month project aimed to digitise in 4 months up to 20,000 pre-indexed 35mm slides of buildings and architectural features and to mount the digital images in the JISC-funded VADS (Visual Arts Data Service) repository for wider dissemination.

Project design

Digitisation has been to agreed standards and procedures developed by VADS, based on the JISC Image Digitisation Initiative (JIDI). The digitisation has been conducted on site by iBase, a third party selected by competitive tendering. The process also takes note of the good practice identified in the Helix (Higher Education Library Image Exchange) good practice guide.

Outcomes

The project digitised in 3 months approximately 15,000 pre-indexed items within the collection. Copyright and slide condition prevented more from being included. An easily accessible digitised collection of images relevant to the disciplines of architecture, building and associated design movements will be delivered by VADS. It will form the core of a resource to which other collections and new images can be added or linked.