From Icelandic Manuscripts to Northwest History

Abstract

Abstract In an interview, Washington State University Libraries Systems Librarian Ingrid Mifflin discusses the cataloging skills she drew upon to organize the metadata for an Internet database of newspaper articles on Pacific Northwest history called the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Clippings Collection. She highlights the importance of a project prototype database for presentation to donors, and of support from systems librarians in setting up DiMeMa's CONTENTdm software. Hiring and training of project students, scanning, metadata, and authority control details are reviewed. She compares traditional cataloging and metadata. Historians working in the Northwest for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) wrote the newspaper articles. Article topics cover Native Americans, Pacific Northwest environmental concerns, including reclamation, mining, dam site construction, and other issues. Links are made to government documents.