Presented by Laura Anne Heller at the Annual Conference of the Visual Resources Association, April 18th - April 21st, 2012, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Session: Beyond These Four Walls: Optimizing Traditional Collections Through Outreach and Collaboration With the advent of digital technology, image repositories are no longer limited to a single physical presence on campus or in a museum. This provides motivation for creative thinking and prompts the establishment of new working relationships within our own institutions as well as on a national level. As curators, librarians, and faculty become well versed in the use of digital technology, many have been able to optimize the development of their resources through successful collaborative ventures. This session will highlight some of these recent projects at academic institutions, museums, and cultural archives. ORGANIZER & MODERATOR: Karin S. Whalen, Reed College PRESENTERS: • Jen Green, Lamson Library and Learning Commons, Plymouth State University • Marianne Martin, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation • Laura Anne Heller, Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum • Stephanie Post, The Metropolitan Museum of Art & Jenni Rodda, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University

1. A Wealth of Images
Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center,
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Laura Anne Heller,
Electronic Archivist
Beyond These Four Walls:
Optimizing Traditional Collections
Through Outreach & Collaboration
VRA 30, Albuquerque 2012

2. The Dickinson Research Center
• The Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center
serves as the library and archives of the National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum. Its mission is to preserve and
document the heritage of the American West for the
enrichment of the public.
• The Dickinson Research Center is actively pursuing
collections of personal papers and business and
organizational records that reflect and document aspects of
Western history, culture, and art.
• The Center primarily seeks materials in the following five
topical areas: Entertainment (Western popular
culture), Western Art, Ranching, Native American, and
Rodeo.

3. Image Database Archive
(IDA)
• InMagic database catalog from
CS/Textworks 9.00
• In October 2004, the DRC
purchased Inmagic to develop
a web-based database of
images held in the Center.
• In September 2005, the Image
Database Archive was
accessible to online users.
• http://imagedb.nationalcowboymuseum.org/In
magicGenie/opac.aspx
Edit Record Screen

4. Image Database Archive
(IDA)
• The public records
include a watermark on
the JPGs & some
metadata concerning the
photograph.
• Patrons cannot download
via IDA high-resolution
TIFs or low-res JPGs
without digital
watermarks.

5. Three Rodeo Photo Collections
• IDA consists largely of
collections from 3 major rodeo
photographers:
Doubleday, Helfrich, &
Gregory, totaling 131,078
image records for these
photographers alone.
• Doubleday and Helfrich
collections are in IDA in their
entirety: records & images.
• Gregory (85,439 image
records) is still being scanned
& added to the IDA records.

6. Native American Photo Collections
• Several archival collections
contain photographs of Native
Americans:
Addison, Cunningham, and
Silberman are the largest.
• Addison (77 images) is in IDA.
• Cunningham & Silberman is
partially included in IDA, and
added when scan-on-demand
requests come in. These are
larger collections, mostly of
copy photographs.

7. Historical Photo Collections
• Some research &
photographic collections
contain both original & copy
photographs of land
runs, early
towns, settlements, buildings
, etc.
• These are also scanned &
added to IDA on a scan-on-
demand basis. Many already
have records in IDA without
the images attached.

8. Permanent Art Collection
• The National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum has
a large collection of acquired
art, in addition to artwork
purchased each year in the
Prix de West Art Exhibition &
Sale.
• Some pieces from these
collections are in IDA, while
others are not. Preference
appeared to be popularity of
artwork and/or artist.

9. Image Services for Curatorial Staff
• Curators at the National Cowboy
& Western Heritage Museum
are the primary users of the
collections, which provide
authoritative reference
supporting the exhibits.
• Their requests do interrupt
projects, but these usually do
not impede progress more than
a day. I process these on a first-
come, first-serve basis.
• Images are provided on a CD, as
prints, or in Staff Common
folders on an internal secure
server.

10. Image Services for Outside Patrons
• I get phone
calls, emails, letters, & faxes for
image requests because patrons
have found images in IDA.
• About 50% of outside requests
are from book
authors, magazine
writers, scholars, & other
museum exhibit creators.
• The other 50% of outside
requests are from rodeo
performers & their family
looking for photos for their
personal collections.

11. Receiving Outside Image Requests
• Most calls, emails, letters, &
faxes are sent directly to me
because patrons found my
info on our website. Others
are forwarded to me from the
general AskArchives email
account.
• I often spend time on the
phone providing instruction
for downloading & completing
the request forms or searching
& finding images in IDA, etc.

12. Use: Museums West
• The National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum is a
partner of Museums West
with 13 other museums.
• Exhibits created by these
partner museums may use
images from our collections at
no cost of fees, etc., as long as
image credit is provided.
• Occasionally these exhibits
draw interested persons to our
photograph collections.

13. Use: Magazines
• NC&WHM publishes
Persimmon Hill Magazine, for
which editorial staff will
request images for articles.
• NC&WHM also has an
agreement with some
magazines: Free images for
articles as long as NC&WHM
has a free advertisement.
• Other magazines pay
production & use fees for each
image provided & used in
article.

14. Use: Books
• A children’s book author used
• A number of authors research images of rodeo cowgirls in a
our manuscript collections for scrapbook-designed book.
primary materials & in the
process find photographs that
compliment their text.
• Depending on scholarly/non-
profit or commercial publishing
of the book, the use fees of
images may vary.
• This is outlined on our Price
Sheet with the Image Request
Form.
• High-res images are provided on
CD or via FTP Site.

15. Use: Film & Television
• Occasionally we receive calls
for use of images in
documentaries & television
programs.
• Recently OWN (Oprah
Winfrey Network) requested 6
images of Reba McEntire, her
brother Clark McEntire, &
radio announcer Clem
McSpadden for use in an
interview on one of their
programs.

16. Image Request Form
http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/research/cms/Services/ImageServices/tabid/94/Default.aspx

17. Photographic Collection Workflow
1. Collection of photographs, negatives, & related logbooks or papers
arrive. Deed of gift is signed.
2. Director discusses with me plans for the collection’s digitization.
3. Summer interns & staff create an inventory of materials.
4. Depending on size of photographic collection, a selection of
negatives/photos is determined to be scanned, if not entire
collection.
5. A filename structure is devised.
6. Items are scanned as TIFs, saved to secure server, & JPGs are
created for use in IDA.
7. IDA records are created based on photo
description, logbook, and/or writing on photographs.
8. JPG images are linked to IDA image records.
9. Once collection or selection is scanned, an exhibit either in a
gallery or solely online is created and advertised. An article may
be written & sent to museum’s magazine.
10. Interns & staff complete print & online finding aids & link to
related collections & online exhibits.
11. Disseminate and Celebrate.

18. Image filenames
• Most photographic collections
are assigned an accession
number, RC2012.010.
(RCyear + collection # + item #)
• For every photographic item
the filename may read:
• RC2012.010.001
• RC2012.010.002
• RC2012.010.003
• We have not scanned
manuscripts materials such as
letters, financial
records, etc., only
photographic items. Except for
a FEW items…

19. Challenges: Silberman Images
• The Silberman Collection poses
an issue with the filename
structure. Some
artwork, photographs, &
negatives have been scanned &
numbered.
• However, there’s no existing
record outlining the file
structure for the entire
collection.
• Cannot determine what
numbers are safe to use & have
not been assigned, and which
ones are already assigned to
photographs, artwork, &
negatives.

20. Challenges: Silberman Images
• Solution: Hire intern to work • Currently, some filenames are
solely with Silberman correct: 1996.027.0855.TIF
collection to inventory item
numbers already assigned, log • Others are randomly
which ones have been numbered with collection
scanned, and identify numbers name: Silberman13.TIF
available to use.
• Others include the collection
• The collection needs a accession number, then
consistent filename structure. box+folder number merged, &
the item number:
1996.017.11856.06.TIF

21. Challenges: Consistency
• Previous staff cataloged
photographs in IDA before they
were ever scanned.
• Some have been cataloged for
years & still have not been
scanned.
• Preferred order would be to scan
photographs, then create IDA
record, & update with JPG.
• Currently I prioritize requests
for images that are listed as “No
Image Available” as the orders
come in.

22. Challenges: Access & Copyright
• Some imagery have been
scanned that we do not own
copyright on: Lobby
Cards, Film Stills, etc.
• Most of this imagery was
cataloged & then JPGs
attached to the records.
• I’m consolidating image
records into one per film title
(Example: Belle Starr, 1941)
• http://imagedb.nationalcowboymuseum.org/I
nmagicGenie/opac.aspx

23. Outreach: Images
Most learn about our image collections through:
• Google searches for Highlighted photos shared
family names, art on our Facebook fanpage.
titles, artist names, and
place names. Professor & DRC staff
guided introductions to
• Credit lines in our collections during
publications, exhibits, etc appointment-made tours.
.

24. Outreach: Oral History Interviews
• 2 Oral History Projects:
(1) Rodeo Performers
(2) Western Contemporary
Artists
• I create Youtube-
compatible brief clips to
promote the interview
online. These are usually
10 minutes or shorter.
• http://www.youtube.co
m/NCWHMuseum/

25. Outreach: Oral History Interviews

26. Outreach: Oral History Interviews
• I share these Youtube links on our Facebook page & send
emails to art professors concerning updates to the interview
playlist.
• The Museum also has its own Facebook page, in addition to a
Twitter account, so I collaborate with our Public Relations &
Marketing departments to share the links and blurbs for
updated interviews & playlists.
• Rodeo interviews are announced to rodeo
organizations, authors, & related professionals. These are also
collaboratively shared across both DRC and NCWHM social
media accounts.

27. Collaboration
• A large number of artworks & artifacts have no
visual representation.
• Currently, visual images are created on-demand.
• When the Registrar has new photography
scheduled, I am informed.
• I can then expect and schedule reminders to
receive these images.
• Once received, these images are added to our
Image Database Archive with complete records.

28. Collaboration
• The DRC collaborates with a professor & college
students in his Art of the West course for “extra
credit projects.”
▫ One semester I assigned small photographic
collections to be scanned & saved according to our
procedures.
▫ Another semester I assigned 15 minute clips to be
transcribed from artist interviews.
• These were moderate successes.

29. Conclusion
• As a small archives with a big vision, we're
always looking for ways to promote & make
accessible our collections to a wider
audience.