OAIster records are now fully accessible through WorldCat.org, and will be included in WorldCat.org search results along with records from thousands of libraries worldwide that add their holdings to WorldCat. OCLC plans to release a freely accessible, discrete view of the OAIster records in January 2010 through a URL specific to OAIster. OAIster records will also continue to be available on the OCLC FirstSearch service to Base Package subscribers, providing another valuable access point for this rich database and a complement to other FirstSearch databases. OCLC will continue to develop and enhance access to open archive content.

"Adding records for open archive collections is a natural complement to WorldCat and will drive discovery and access of these collections for a broader community of scholars," said Chip Nilges, OCLC Vice President, Business Development. "OCLC is committed to building on the success of OAIster by identifying open archive collections of interest to researchers and libraries, and ensuring that open archive collections will be freely discoverable and accessible to information seekers worldwide."

"Integration of OAIster inside WorldCat.org is the result of many years of looking for a better home for OAIster, where its resources can be searched alongside other valuable, scholarly resources," said Kat Hagedorn, OAIster/Metadata Harvesting Librarian at the University of Michigan. "I am eagerly looking forward to its increased usefulness in the world of search and discovery."

OAIster is a union catalog of digital resources hosted at the University of Michigan since 2002. Launched with grant support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, OAIster was developed to test the feasibility of building a portal to open archive collections using the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). OAIster has grown to become one of the world's largest aggregations of records pointing to open archive collections with more than 23 million records contributed by over 1,100 organizations worldwide.

"The University of Michigan approached OCLC about managing future operations for the OAIster project to ensure its long-term viability," said John Wilkin, Associate University Librarian, University of Michigan Library, when the partnership was announced earlier this year. "OCLC plays a pivotal role in the business of metadata creation and distribution. Situating OAIster with OCLC helps to create an increasingly comprehensive discovery resource for users."

OCLC plans to release a freely accessible, discrete view of the OAIster database in 2010 that will be updated regularly. This will allow WorldCat.org searchers to view only items harvested through OAIster.

"OCLC has been very responsive to issues and needs brought up by the OAI community," said Ms. Hagedorn. "The creation of a free, separately accessible view of OAIster within OCLC is an example of their recognition of the value of OAIster in the world of metadata management."

Now that all OAIster records are accessible through WorldCat.org, the oaister.org Web site has been redirected to a new OAIster Web site at OCLC. For more information, visit the new OAIster Web site.

University of Michigan Library
The University of Michigan Library preserves and provides access to a collective record of intellectual and cultural achievement. With more than 8 million volumes and one of the finest digital collections in the world, its mission is to support, enhance, and collaborate in the instruction, research and service activities of the University and its community.

About OCLC
Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing library costs. More than 72,000 libraries in over 150 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources. Search WorldCat.org on the Web. For more information, visit the OCLC Web site.

More than 30,000 photographs, articles and oral histories from eyewitnesses, held in the Cowles Library Special Collections, were digitized to create the Drake Heritage Collections. Built using CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management Software, they consist of 12 digital collections and include a range of materials from the Drake University's Yearbooks and Pulitzer Prize winner Jay Norwood 'Ding' Darling’s editorial cartoons to the music of Drake University’s bands.

As part of his presentation, Bart explained how he integrates Google Maps with CONTENTdm and the Historic Des Moines digital collection featuring 200 photographs of homes, parks and public places taken between 1904 and 1914. As a result, library users get a new perspective on the special collections and its unique value to the community. Bart also offered a quick online tutorial of how to create a Google Map and integrate it into an online digital collection.

Additionally, Bart talked about some of the creative ways he markets the Digital Heritage Collections to the Drake University campus, the Des Moines community, Iowa residents and worldwide.

The Webinar recording

The Webinar recording is now available for online viewing and includes a 10-minute introduction to CONTENTdm by Ron Gardner, OCLC Digital Library Consultant.

Drake Heritage Collections presentation [WebEx recording - 56 minutes]
Bart Schmidt, Digital Projects Librarian
Drake University

View the Drake Heritage Collections

This month, four collections from the CONTENTdm Collection of Collections are featured on the OCLC Web site. The featured collections for October are Milwaukee Waterways; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Digital Library; Cuban Photograph Collections and Early Advertising of the West, 1867-1918.

Milwaukee Waterways Milwaukee Public Library Milwaukee Waterways illustrates the role Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's rivers have played in the history of Milwaukee. Pictures of the harbor and ships from around the world loading and unloading materials show the variety of materials that have passed through the Port over time. Other pictures illustrate the role the rivers played in the commercial development of the city. Aerial views of the harbor and rivers and lakefront show the changing uses of the water and land. The photographs are from three collections contributed by the Port of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Public Library, and the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.

FWS National Digital Library U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected still images, publications, historical artifacts, audio, and video clips that are in the public domain. Topics covered include fisheries, plants, wildlife management, endangered species, wildlife refuges, habitat restoration, migratory birds, environmental sciences, recreation, training and outreach, hunting, water conservation, and more.

Cuban Photograph Collections University of Miami The Cuban Photograph Collections include over 5,000 photographs which span a wide range of historical topics related to Cuba and the Cuban Diaspora. Highlights include historical images from the War of Independence against Spain (1895-1898), and photochroms important to the history of photography taken in Cuba at the end of the Spanish-American War by renowned American photographer William Jackson.

Early Advertising of the West, 1867-1918 University of Washington Libraries This collection contains over 450 print advertisements published in local magazines, city directories, and theater pamphlets from 1867 to 1918. These advertisements were selected and digitized in order to help researchers and students examine social, cultural and economic trends during this period. The collection is categorized into thematic groups and features advertisements about health care and hygiene products, liquor, tobacco, machinery, manufacturing, transportation, fashion, food and household goods and local tourism.

Many of the tools are fully integrated into the State Library staff's daily workflow and include the CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management Software, the OCLC Digital Archive, OCLC's Connexion cataloging service and the WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway, among others.

The video recording, which is now available for online viewing, also includes a 15-minute introduction to OCLC's Digital Collection Services by Geri Bunker Ingram, OCLC Digital Collection Services Manager.

Integrating technical services and preservation workflows: Mainstreaming digital resources - Streaming video [73 minutes]
Amy Rudersdorf, the Director of the Digital Information Management Program
The State Library of North Carolina

Also available is a recording from the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) National Conference earlier this year, where Corey Lampert, Digital Projects Librarian at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, spoke about what it is like using CONTENTdm from the libraries' point of view.

She also talked about the strategic planning for their program, the process for developing digital projects, as well as how they promote their digital projects with Wikipedia.

The WebEx recording, which includes audio and slides, also has a 15-minute introduction to OCLC’s Digital Collection Services by Suzanne Butte, OCLC Digital Library Consultant.

CONTENTdm @UNLV: New capabilities, new opportunities - WebEx recording [50 minutes]
Corey Lampert, Digital Projects Librarian
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas

This month, four collections from the CONTENTdm Collection of Collections are featured on the OCLC Web site. The featured collections for September are Past and Present: A Digital History of Wisconsin Independent Colleges and Universities; Nevada Agricultural Publications; Texas Woman’s University Archives Digital Collection and Marion County Historical Society Collection.

Past and Present: A Digital History of Wisconsin Independent Colleges and Universities Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges & Universities The images in this collection have been selected from the archives of Wisconsin independent colleges and universities, and their affiliates. Representing only a small portion of the available resources, the selection details the history of these institutions through photos, documents, and objects created between the 1800s and early 1900s. Later content will include history from the mid-1900s to the present. A collaborative effort, Past and Present was designed and produced by archivists and librarians from these participating Wisconsin institutions: Alverno College, Cardinal Stritch University, Carthage College, Concordia University, Edgewood College, Lakeland College, Lawrence University, Marian University, Marquette University, Nashotah House Ripon College, Silver Lake College, St. Norbert College, Viterbo University.

Nevada Agricultural Publications University of Nevada, Reno Nevada has a long history of agricultural activity, from range livestock production to alfalfa and food crop production.  UNR Libraries’ materials related to agriculture include state and federal documents dating from 1880 to present, theses and dissertations completed at the University, archives and oral histories of Nevada agricultural pioneers, as well as a wide range of monographic and serial publications. This digital collection includes the publications of the Agricultural Experiment Station and Nevada Cooperative Extension, as well as a range of materials from the collection chosen to highlight the history of agriculture in Nevada.

Texas Woman’s University Archives Digital Collection Texas Woman's University The TWU University Archive houses a growing digital collection of photographs and oral histories. In addition, the Digital Collection contains a catalog of brief descriptions of faculty and student manuscript collections, departmental records, clothing, and artifacts, all chronicling decades of TWU's unique standing among Texas colleges and universities. Established in 1901 by the Texas Legislature as the Girls Industrial College, TWU held its first classes in 1903, with studies in the arts, sciences, and scientific training in home culture and agriculture. In 1905, the name was changed to the College of Industrial Arts (CIA), in 1934 to Texas State College for Women (TSCW), and in 1957 to Texas Woman's University.  Men have been admitted to TWU since 1972.

Marion County Historical Society Collection Salem Public Library The Marion County Historical Society Collection includes several hundred photographs of the Salem and Marion County area from the 1880's to the 1950's. These photographs are selections from the Historical Society's collections of more than 200,000 negatives and prints, as well as others loaned to the Society by a private donor for this Salem photo project.

The meeting's agenda included user presentations, poster sessions and panel discussions covering a range of topics including metadata decisions, project management and workflow, lessons learned from various environments, and use of Google Analytics with CONTENTdm. Some of the projects discussed focused on newspapers, maps, and trial papers/volumes.

Additionally, there were two pre-conference workshops to explore CONTENTdm 5. Joyce Rambo, Reference & Digital Collections Librarian, NYLINK, led an all-day, hands-on session, while Geri Ingram, OCLC Digital Collection Services, offered a half-day update.

The Eastern Users Group Meeting presentations are now available on the CONTENTdm User Support Center [NOTE: Login required] at http://www.contentdm.com/USC/usermeetings/easternusermtg09.asp

Special congratulations to this year's Planning Committee for organizing a fantastic meeting!

• Tom Ceresini, Lyrasis
• Kevin Clair, Penn State University
• David Conners, Haverford College
• Laurie Gemmill, Lyrasis
• Heather Goyette, United State Military Academy
• Geri Ingram, OCLC Digital Collection Services
• Linda Klimczyk, Penn State University
• Ernie Marinko, Yale University
• Nadia Nasr, Towson University
• Joyce Rambo, NYLINK

Current CONTENTdm users are encouraged to attend one of the CONTENTdm User Group Meetings scheduled this year. There are two more meetings on the calendar in October including:

1. The Southeastern User Group Meeting, October 11-13 at the College of Charleston Libraries, South Carolina.
2. The Upper Midwest Users Group Meeting, October 29-31 in Madison, Wisconsin.

For more information about upcoming meetings, please email contentdm@oclc.org.

The Preservation Service Center was founded by a consortium of research libraries in 1985 as MAPS (Mid-Atlantic Preservation Service). Since acquiring the Center in 1990, OCLC has made considerable improvements to equipment and facilities. The state-of-the-art facility is a consistent leader in reformatting a wide variety of library and archive materials. The center operates two studios—one for microfilming and the other for digital imaging.

“The Preservation Service Center has done an outstanding job of providing high-quality microfilming and digital preservation services to libraries,” said John Merrill, President, Backstage Library Works. “The Center and its accomplished staff are a welcome addition and an excellent fit for the users of Backstage Library Works services. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with OCLC to benefit libraries worldwide.”  

OCLC has partnered with Backstage Library Works on a variety of projects for over a decade. In 2004, Backstage acquired OCLC’s MARS authority control service and has upgraded and expanded the service. 

“OCLC’s mission and strategy are focused on working with our members to grow the reach and value of WorldCat and to provide new, cooperative Web-scale management services for libraries and other institutions,” said Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO. “We believe that the Preservation Service Center continues to be a valuable information resource that will have an opportunity to grow and thrive in the Backstage environment.”

This month, four collections from the CONTENTdm Collection of Collections are featured on the OCLC Web site. The featured collections for August are the JCPenney Dynamo Digital Collection; Campi Phlegraei, Observations on the Volcanoes of the Two Sicilies; Digital METRO New York and the Carlton R. Stewart Slide Collection.

JCPenney Dynamo Digital Collection Southern Methodist University This collection contains 31 samples of JCPenney’s corporate magazine, The Dynamo, which was published from 1917-1932. The magazine was designed to educate and motivate JCPenney associates. Each monthly issue of The Dynamo contained company news, inspirational messages and training to help associates increase sales. Two issues from each year of publication are available as searchable PDFs, available for educational use.

Campi Phlegraei, Observations on the Volcanoes of the Two Sicilies Claremont University Consortium The two volumes of the Campi Phlegraei (1776) and the Supplement to the Campi Phlegraei (1779) provide a firsthand report from Sir William Hamilton that documents the late eighteenth century eruptions of Mount Vesuvius and are important to the science of volcanology due to the precise descriptions of the changes in the appearance of the volcano, the lava flows and other volcanic activity. Displayed here in their entirety, these books contain text in both English and French and 59 hand-colored plates with accompanying explanations.

Digital METRO New York Metropolitan New York Library Resources Council These Digital Collections created by members of the Metropolitan New York Library Council include scrapbooks, handbills, sheet music, trade cards, religious materials, photographs, letters and postcards. Contributing institutions include Brooklyn College, Brooklyn Public Library, CUNY Graduate Center, Greenburgh Public Library, Lehman College, Maritime College, Queens College and Yeshiva University.

Carlton R. Stewart Slide Collection University of Lethbridge Library The Carlton R. Stewart Slide Collection currently contains 356 digitized slides on subjects of local history. These slides were donated to the University of Lethbridge Library Digital Collections by Carlton (Carly) R. Stewart, a long-standing member of the Lethbridge Archaeological Society and the Lethbridge Historical Society.  The digitized slide collection includes the Charles S. Noble, High Level Bridge, Railways of Southern Alberta and The Whoop-Up Trail collections.

The WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway is available to all users of OCLC CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management software at no additional charge.

The WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway offers libraries a self-service tool to easily upload metadata from their unique digital content to WorldCat, the world's largest online resource for finding items held in libraries. Once the metadata is in WorldCat, libraries' digital collections are more visible and discoverable by Web searchers through WorldCat.org, WorldCat Local (including the ‘quick start’ version), Google, Yahoo! and other popular search engines.

"Libraries, museums and archives should do whatever they can to get their materials available online and expose their collections to users—wherever they are—on the Web,” said Roy Tennant, Senior Program Officer, OCLC Research. "The WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway is an easy and effective way to do this."

The Gateway has been piloted in 12 institutions. Since May, the pilot participants used the Gateway self-service tools to upload thousands of records from their CONTENTdm collections into WorldCat. Because they have used the Gateway to set up profiles for their collections, the pilot users' metadata will be regularly uploaded to WorldCat as they add to their digital collections over time.

"The Gateway is an important tool for the Clark to broaden the visibility of its collections," said Penny Baker, Collections Management Librarian from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, one of the institutions that participated in the pilot. "From there we have created WorldCat lists and have also tied in online interactive communities such as Facebook and other Web 2.0 tools."

One of the WorldCat lists created by the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute can be found here www.worldcat.org/profiles/tompinch/lists/772561.

As libraries, museums and other cultural heritage organizations continue to upload CONTENTdm metadata, they are creating a collective digital repository to enrich the resources available to their end users. End users will be able to search WorldCat to find the resources they need from their library's digital collections of rare, historic or local materials, along with materials provided by other libraries around the world. Users will be able to click on items and visit these unique collections virtually by viewing items immediately on their computer screen—anytime, from anywhere.

For more information, see WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway.

About CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management software
CONTENTdm is a single software solution for storage, management and delivery of a library’s digital collections to the Web, providing a Windows-based, digital collection builder where data and digital items are prepared in large batches; a server where data and images are stored and can be edited; a Web-based search interface and customizable display templates; integration with OCLC services for building collections with cataloging workflows, as well as the option of harvesting from the Web sites and adding long-term preservation; and services to assist with every phase of collection development from digitization to preservation. In addition, an entry-scale version of CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management software hosted by OCLC, three Project Clients for collection building and 3,000 items and 10GB of storage is now included as part of an expanded FirstSearch Base Package at no additional charge to subscribers.

About OCLC
Founded in 1967 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, OCLC is a nonprofit library service and research organization that has provided computer-based cataloging, reference, resource sharing, eContent, preservation, library management and Web services to 71,000 libraries in 112 countries and territories. OCLC and its member libraries worldwide have created and maintain WorldCat, the world’s richest online resource for finding library materials. Search WorldCat.org on the Web at www.worldcat.org. For more information, visit www.oclc.org.

The site uses the CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management Software to house digital collections created by Nebraska libraries and cultural heritage institutions.

The Keene Memorial Library in Fremont, the Polley Music Library in Lincoln City, Alegent Health Immanuel Hospital, the Bess Streeter Aldrich House and Museum, the Lincoln Police Department, Omaha Community Playhouse, and the Durham Museum are some of the contributors.

The database currently contains approximately 3,500+ digitized items and continues to grow each month. Primary source materials such as manuscripts, diaries, photographs, sheet music, maps and oral histories are being targeted for inclusion. At this time searchers can find material from the 1890s to the 1970s. The Nebraska Memories website is owned by the Nebraska Library Commission.

Visit Nebraska Memories at: http://www.memories.ne.gov

The meeting was held at the fabulous new Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. We were honored to be among the first groups to present in the high-tech Wells Fargo Auditorium, where one session was even streamed live into Second Life.

Once again, CONTENTdm veterans and “newbies” alike from the Western region demonstrated their collaborative spirit and their skills with the CONTENTdm® Digital Collection Management Software. This year several presentations focused on maps, geospatial data and powerful viewer extensions. Experts discussed intellectual property issues, finding aids using the EAD standard and teaching in the arts and humanities curriculum with digital images. We also learned how to accurately measure and report the cost of our projects to ensure sustainability of our digital library programs.

Additionally, there were  two pre-conference workshops to explore CONTENTdm 5. An all-day, hands-on session was led by Linda Stewart, OCLC Services, while a half-day update was offered to veteran users by Geri Ingram, OCLC Digital Collection Services.

The Western Users Group Meeting presentations are now available on the CONTENTdm User Support Center at http://www.contentdm.com/USC/usermeetings/westernusermtg09.asp [NOTE: Login required.]

Special congratulations to the steering committee for another successful meeting!

o Amalia Beisler, University of Nevada, Reno
o Angie Beiriger, Reed College
o Charlotte Fowles, Idaho Commission for Libraries
o Cory Lampert, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
o Peter Smith, Western Washington University
o Vicki Toy-Smith, University of Nevada, Reno
o Glee Willis, University of Nevada, Reno

Current CONTENTdm users are encouraged to attend one of the CONTENTdm User Group Meetings scheduled later this year:

(1) The Eastern CONTENTdm Users Group Meeting, August 5-7 at Yale University.
(2) The Southeastern User Group Meeting, October 11-13 at the College of Charleston Libraries, South Carolina.
(3) The Upper Midwest Users Group Meeting, October 29-31 in Madison, Wisconsin.

For more information about upcoming meetings, please send an email to  contentdm@oclc.org.

This month, four collections from the CONTENTdm Collection of Collections are featured on the OCLC Web site. The featured collections for July include Ohio Memory, Pulp Fiction Cover Art, Southern Nevada: The Boomtown Years 1900-1925 and Voices of Freedom.

Ohio Memory Ohio Historical Society; State Library of Ohio Established in 2000, the mission of the Ohio Memory Project is to provide access to historical treasures of Ohio, bringing together primary sources from all parts of the state in an digital library that celebrates state and local history, encourages cooperation between archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, and other cultural organizations and allows the global community to discover and explore Ohio’s rich past. The project includes materials contributed by more than 330 institutions from all of Ohio's 88 counties.

Pulp Fiction Cover Art University at Buffalo, SUNY The University of Buffalo Libraries’ George Kelley Paperback and Pulp Fiction Collection includes more than 30,000 pulp fiction books and magazines. A selection of cover art images, representing more than 500 crime fiction and science fiction volumes found in the Kelley Collection, is featured in UBdigit. Colorful and dynamic, the cover art highlights a variety of artistic themes and imagery, reflecting the social and cultural trends of the period in which these covers were created. Cover images are searchable by author, title, artist, publisher, dominant colors and more. Expansive content analysis facilitates searching on character types, clothing, objects, weapons, scenery and other figures depicted on the covers.

Southern Nevada: The Boomtown Years 1900-1925 University of Nevada, Las Vegas The LSTA-grant funded digital collection Southern Nevada: The Boomtown Years 1900-1925 brings together a wide range of original source materials found in the rich collections of UNLV Libraries Special Collections as well as items from the Nevada State Museum and the Clark County Museum. The project contains more than 1,500 digitized items; including photographs, correspondence, newspapers, maps and ephemera from several mining and railroad manuscript collections documenting both large historical events and the more private and social lives of individuals and their communities during the mining boom in Southern Nevada.

Voices of Freedom Virginia Commonwealth University Voices of Freedom was produced by the Virginia Civil Rights Movement Video Initiative, a non-profit organization incorporated in 2002 to produce videotaped oral histories of leaders of the Civil Rights movement in Virginia. Voices of Freedom focuses on statewide activities from the 1950s through the early 1970s and includes stories about the Jim Crow segregation laws that prevailed up until the mid-1960s; stories about the struggles to change the laws and to change public attitudes; and advice from these civil rights veterans to future generations of Virginians/Americans.  There are eleven videotaped interviews (edited down to about 25 minutes) of leaders and activists in Virginia's Civil Rights movement, along with the complete transcripts.