Managing Image Collections

Margot Note has a Master’s in History from Sarah Lawrence College, a Master’s in Library and Information Science, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Archives and Records Management, both from Drexel University. She is a Certified Archivist based in New York and is the Director of Archives and Information Management at World Monuments Fund, an international historic preservation organization.

• DedicationList of figures, tables, and boxesAcknowledgmentsAbout the authorIntroductionL’HeliographieViewing the first photographImages definedCollections definedObjectivesImages and figuresAudienceWhy Managing Image Collections: A practical guide?Other resourcesChapter 1: Photographic image historyAbstract:IntroductionTechnology and imagesEarly attempts at photographyDaguerreotypes and calotypesTechnical developmentsOther early formatsCommercial expansionDevelopment of image collectionsPlate and camera improvementsFilm developmentsColor photographyDigital technologyChapter 2: Digital image basicsAbstract:IntroductionWhat is a digital image?Digital and analog differencesDigital images as surrogatesDigital cameras and scannersDynamic range and bit depthResolutionResolution recommendationsMaster and derivative filesInterpolationCompressionFile formatsDigital decisive momentChapter 3: Photographic image issuesAbstract:IntroductionVisual literacyAuthenticityDecontexualizationParadigm shiftContextual meaningPhotography in contextIntellectual property rightsLegal and cultural considerationsEthicsPreservationChapter 4: Photographic image collection managementAbstractIntroductionImage collectionsAppraisal definedPhotographic appraisalPhotographic appraisal criteriaSelection for digitizationManaging hybrid collectionsChapter 5: Metadata and information managementAbstract:IntroductionDescription for archives, libraries, and museumsChallenges of image descriptionItem-level descriptionCollection-level descriptionSubject descriptionMetadataMetadata crosswalksImage description practicesDescription for digitization initiativesMetadata for information managementChapter 6: DigitizationAbstract:IntroductionProject objectivesCost estimatesIn-house or outsourced digitizationStaffingCollaborationDocumentationBenchmarkingCalibrationScanning from originals or duplicatesBatchingPostproduction workFile-naming conventionsQuality assessmentManagement systems for imagesBenefits of digitizationChapter 7: ConclusionAppendix A: Digital project considerationsAppendix B: Glossary of image collection termsAppendix C: Further readingReferencesIndex