Institute of Museum and Library Services

Digitization & Preservation of Selected Afro-Cuban & Cuban Exile Collection
National Leadership Grant 1999
Grant #LL-90160

SECOND INTERIM REPORT
April-September 2000

The following interim narrative performance report summarizes work accomplished at the University of Miami Library between April 1 and September 30, 2000 in partial fulfillment of Institute of Museum and Library Services grant award

# LL-90160: Digitization & Preservation of Selected Afro-Cuban & Cuban Exile Collections.

In keeping with the Institute of Museum and Library Services' mandate to report on program outcomes, the overall purpose of the Digitization & Preservation of Selected Afro-Cuban & Cuban Exile Collections project is:

to provide preservation of and online access to selected rare Cuban and Cuban-American archival materials in order to facilitate scholarly research in Cuban history and culture.

The report contains narrative discussion on the following project activities:

1. Inputs Project elements that facilitate the management of project activities.
2. Activities Project activities that support delivery of services to target audience.
3. Services Project deliverables.

I. INPUTS

• Funds from the IMLS and University of Miami matching funds

The University of Miami Office of Sponsored Programs is providing under separate cover a report showing total grant expenditures from October 1999 to date.

• Equipment and Supplies

Hardware/Software

The following hardware and software products have been acquired and installed:

Installation of Hardware/Software

• Storage Server Subsystem, Sun Enterprise 250 w/Solaris 2.6STD
• Quickvault 90GB Raid Array storage w/upgrade
• Optical Archive Subsystem; Optical Storage Library Media w/Tracer Magnavault Software for Sun
• KE EMU and KE Textpress multi-user database management system*
• 1 Epson Expression 836XL scanner
• 1 Xerox Docucolor 4LP color laser printer
• 3 Dell Optiflex desktop PIII PCs
• 1 HP laser b&w printer
• Adobe Photoshop 5.5; Frontpage 2000; Microsoft Office; Internet access, etc.

*Installation, training, and customization of hardware and software took place in August-September 2000.

• Facilities

Additional dedicated lines were installed in the IMLS grant workarea to optimize the amount of available electric and data power. There are plans to expand into the adjoining office area by December 2000, thereby doubling the size of the facility.

• Personnel

There were personnel changes in the scanning team. Research asssistants Valenzuela and Velez resigned in June 2000 to pursue professional and educational interests. A search for replacements was initiated, resulting in the hiring of Marta Merlo and Isidro Noguera in July 2000. In July-August 2000 Merlo and Noguera received orientation and training under the direction of Digitizing Team Supervisor Pedro Figueredo.

• Collections

Project Director de Varona provided curatorial guidance in the initial selection of Cuban archival materials for digitization.

II. ACTIVITIES

• September - October 1999 - Set up grant budget and accounting mechanisms.
• September - December 1999 - Write and disseminate news releases.
• December 1999 - August 2000 - Order, acquire and install equipment and software.
• December 1999 - February 2000 - Set up facility.
• December 1999 - August 2000 - Recruit and train personnel.
• February 2000 - to date and ongoing - Select archival materials for digitization.
• February 2000 - to date and ongoing - Scan, index, and catalog archival materials.
• May 2000 - to date and ongoing - Design and implement database and web site.

III. SERVICES

• Web site and online exhibits.

A web site and an online exhibit were created and implemented in August 2000.

The Cuban Heritage Digital Collection Web site is under construction and may be visited online beginning November 1, 2000. It will contain links to the library's digital initiatives and IMLS grant-related activities (with links to abridged versions of the two grant proposals, interim reports, and press releases). It also will provide access to the database of digital images and it will contain online exhibits on selected topics.

The Highlights of the Cuban Heritage Collection exhibit is currently online and introduces the viewer to the holdings of the Cuban Heritage Collection. It contains nearly 100 images with bibliographic descriptions and explanatory text. The web site is organized into 12 sections containing from 8 to12 images in each section. The web site presents an illustrated historical timeline of Cuba divided into five significant time periods plus 4 thematic sections, indexes, introductions written by the university librarian and the project director, and bibliography.

The web site and online exhibit represent our preliminary efforts at designing and implementing project deliverables.