Introduction

Data collections provide valuable resources in different formats that support the information needs of a
specific audience in a specific setting. This interdisciplinary collection on the Owens family of the New
Harmony community has been prepared to undergo review and modification for its acceptance in our
institution, the Wyndam Memorial Archive.
Goals of the assessment:

To create a guide for electronic resources.

To evaluate and select the most relevant and appropriate sources.
To discuss the resources so that users understand curation needs.
To present searching techniques.
To evaluate proper staffing and technology needs.

The Wyndam Memorial Archive:

Since 1978, the Wyndam Memorial Archive has acquired material related to Indiana history and culture
either through gift or by purchasing items with granted funds and donations. Our material often comes
from individuals, organizations, researchers, and universities.
All material must undergo appraisal before acceptance into the archive, therefore, we cannot necessarily
accept all gift offers. Our collections vary in format and come from many different parts of the country
documenting research on early Indiana settlements as well as notable Indiana residents.
The Owens Family Collection:
The Owens Family Collection is an assortment of digital material documenting advances in science, arts,
and education in the early years of New Harmony, Indiana. It is a digital collection with over 1,000
materials in need of a sustainable curation plan with adequate staffing for survival. The project is useful to
researchers in need of data on early 19th century American lifestyles, settlement planning, utopian
projects, prominent American families, and/or the state of Indiana. The collection includes resources of
various formats including text, images, and spreadsheets for multidisciplinary researchers.
Collection Inventory
The Owens Family Collection is comprised of various text, image, and spreadsheet resources. Many of
the files are currently unavailable due to corruption, but through communication with the creator, WMA
may be able to gather such data through backup files.
File Types:

JPEG images
GIF image
PNG image
EML files

DS Store file
Inventory file
Text Clipping file
NH People File

Microsoft Excel Worksheets

Microsoft Word Documents

HTML Documents

File Inventory:

TYPE

DIRECTORY ONE

JPEG IMAGE

GIF IMAGE

PNG IMAGE

EML

DS STORE

INVENTORY

TEXT CLIPPING

NH PEOPLE

MICROSOFT EXCEL
WORKSHEET

MICROSOFT WORD
DOCUMENT

HTML DOCUMENT

DIRECTORY
TWO
841

Significant data properties:

The data in question is currently only available for users with access to the compressed files with
Microsoft software. However, much of the data has already been lost due to corruption, and all
data from Directory One. If future modification is required to keep the remaining files viewable,
little to no significant information will be lost as the content is more relevant to the user than the
context. To note, many of the files are JPEG scans of a primary source. The images of the
physical medium are just as important to retain as the work. As an institution, we will maintain

the creators significant information in Microsoft format for as long as the software stays relevant
as well as in safely stored portable data storage devices.

Curation Plan

Archived Data:

All image data from Directory Two will be archived as the images of the physical medium are
valuable to researchers and to the institution. All data from the MACOSX New Harmony file
folder (Directory One) is currently corrupt and indiscernible. However, with further contact with
the Collection creator, we shall see if the material can be salvaged or we can be sent backup files.
If the files can be salvaged, the Wyndam Memorial Archive will archive the following data from
the New Harmony file folder of Directory One:

Microsoft Word Documents

JPEG images
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets
The Inventory file
The HTML documents

These data will be stored as is, and will also have backups in portable data storage devices on-site
as well as in two (2) other separate institutions in the case of physical damage.

Not Archived Data:

The Owens Family Collection has a file of six (6) e-mails which will not be archived in our
institution. These e-mails comprise mainly of correspondences to LSTA regarding grant proposals
and hold no interest for the Wyndam Memorial Archive. The Collection also includes three (3)
corrupt images (GIF, JPEG, and PNG) in the nh_people_files of Directory One which will not be
archived as they cannot be viewed, hold no significant value, and lack backup.

Rationale:

The Wyndam Memorial Archive collects, preserves, and provides access to data documenting
early Indiana settlements and Indiana culture. Its purpose is to provide information for a research
audience which includes university faculty, students, and foundation researchers. The Archive
gives priority to records with unique, current, and accurate content to provide users with material
which would be beneficial to any new sponsored research, dissertations, or theses. The Wyndam
Memorial Archive always seeks to expand its holdings through donation; however, WMA
reserves the right to review items according to their relevance to Indiana culture, uniqueness,
accuracy, and expense to preservation and maintenance.

Preservation Strategy:

The material in the Owens Family Collection will remain in its Microsoft software format, as
well as copied in on-site back-up devices in at least two (2) other locations. Electronic reports
will keep the same content, but according to possible incompatible software issues, will be
curated in other electronic formats and saved on portable data storage devices.

Organization Description:

The Wyndam Memorial Archive collects records according to best practice and provenance, the
retention of which varies on a case by case basis. All records accepted by Wyndam Memorial
Archive are assigned a retention schedule and finding aid upon admittance.

The data will be organized according to its provenance and retain the groupings by theme and
format.

The user interface of electronic resources will reflect the types of resources in each directory and
will be able to customize elements in the search form, results display, and have printing options.
An appropriate variety of search boxes including keyword, file type, page number, subject, and
directory number will be available for indexing.

An Advanced Search form will be available with options for each of the metadata categories
listed below.

An existing, controlled vocabulary already in use by the Wyndam Memorial Archive will be
applied to the subject headings and authority lists of the Owens Family Collection. However, we
may customize the vocabulary to add a level of detail for search options since the Owens Family
collection is not the only collection related to early Indiana settlements in WMA. Neither staff nor
users will be able to enter their own keywords or uncontrolled vocabulary.

Wyndam Memorial Archive has a term guide and thesaurus for controlled vocabulary searching.

Metadata

Files in the directories are organized according to various metadata information:

File type
Title
Creator
Date of origin
Notes
Source
Abstract
Residential structure
Geographic location
Time period
o County
Subject figure
o City

Discovery

Wyndam Memorial Archive prides itself in being an information institution that organizes and
registers its data in an electronic catalogue for discovery and reuse. We are currently working
with other institutions with collections related to Indiana culture to create an aggregate dataset.
This new catalogue would provide over 1,000 digital data collections for research covering a
range of subjects and themes regarding Indiana culture.

Staffing

Given a limited available budget, our team shall carefully weigh the anticipated cost of time and
resources with the acquired resources.

Curatorial: The head curation team is comprised of five (5) staff members whose responsibility
is creating the collection development policy, policy revision, collaboration with other institutions
for data discovery, and collection review and maintenance including content relevance,
uniqueness, and creator authority.

Technical: The technical team is comprised of three (3) members whose responsibility is creation
of backup resources, and collection maintenance.

Management: The Archive management team is comprised of three (3) members whose
responsibilities includes nothing less than the tasks listed below:

Budget development and appropriated funds

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Salaries
Professional Fees
Legal Fees
Loss Fees
Electronic Resources
Collection Support Materials
Utilities

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Printing
Office Supplies
Custodial Supplies
Building Insurance
Health/Life Insurance
Furniture/Equipment
Building Security

Licensing updates
Development and distribution of user surveys
Employee motivation
Collection development and review
Policy development
Policy preparation
Training direction

Clerical:

The Wyndam Memorial Archive is comprised of three (3) clerical team members whose
responsibilities include the tasks listed below:

Greeting users
Answering user questions over the phone, in person, or through electronic communication
Loan arrangement with managerial and curatorial assistance
Sorting mail
Filing donation forms
Report creation
Transcribing and sharing policies
Ordering new office supplies
Verbal and written communication
Assisting research on relevant and historical significance of collection items

Technologies Required

As our services expand in the digital age, the data necessary for the appropriate maintenance of
our collections are continuously changing. In the most recent years, WMA has become involved
in a collaborative dataset for content discovery and curation. Typically, each collection housed in
WMA has an electronic presence as well as backups in portable data storage devices in two (2)
other separate geographic locations for safety.

The Owens Family Collection requires Microsoft compatible software, something easily
provided by our institution. Wyndam Memorial Archive will most likely have little to no issue in
providing the appropriate technologies for curating the Owens Family Collection data.