Seeing the big picture: Developing workflows for digital moving image content

Click the button below to download the full text of the article.

Abstract: Workflow development is a critical aspect of successful project management. While time-consuming and documentation-heavy, project management is the key to the successful implementation of complex projects. This paper discusses workflow development at the Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division of the Library of Congress, with a specific focus on moving image content. Sharing the evolution of digital processing and workflow development for moving image content, this paper discusses the efforts of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) and the establishment of positions dedicated to the processing of born-digital moving image content. The evolution of processes from early large-scale projects of the AAPB to the development of a fully automated workflow for the US Senate Floor Recordings are described with concepts applicable to organisations of any size and available resources.

Keywords: digital collection, workflows, processing, project management, moving image collections

Rachel Curtis is a digital project specialist at the Library of Congress and a project coordinator for the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB). In this capacity, she manages the ingestion of preservation files and associated metadata into the Library’s archive, works with project partners on policy and strategy decisions and coordinates Library staff on AAPB activities. She holds a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Laura Drake Davis is a digital project specialist in the Moving Image section of the Library of Congress. In this role, she processes born-digital moving image content, develops new workflows for born-digital content and develops strategies for metadata capture and transformation. She brings a wide range of experience to this role, with previous positions in college and university archives, special collections and state government archives. A certified archivist since 2007, she holds a master of library science degree from the University of Maryland College Park.