Asia Collection (Digitization), Hamilton Library

The Intern will work with an Asia librarian and will assist in the identification and organization of objects to digitize and will also work with Beth Tillinghast, Department of Network Services, who will teach digitization skills. Duties may include: Scanning printed text, manuscripts, photographs, and maps; creating and updating web pages; creating and updating web indexing; creating and updating metadata; OCR conversion of images of text; conversion of images from one format to another. Equipment used may include: Windows microcomputers, flatbed scanners, Hawaii Voyager online catalog, OCLC Connexion cataloging system, zip disk backup system, CD ROM writer, digital camera. Software used may include: image/graphic manipulation and conversion, scanning, backup, OCR conversion, WWW browsers, HTML encoders, FTP and Telnet, word-processing and spreadsheet, and web development software.

With over 1 million volumes, the UHM Asia Collection is one of the premier library collections on Asia in the United States. The Asia Collection acquires materials published in and about the countries of East, South, and Southeast Asia, and the Russian Far East in over 100 languages. It emphasizes the humanities and social sciences. Within the Asia Collection are a number of unique special collections which we plan to digitize in part or in whole over the next several years. Over the next several months we are looking at the possible digitization of late 19th and early 20th century publications on the Russian presence in Manchuria, including publications on the construction and significance of the Chinese Eastern Railway; Japanese-language textbooks used in Hawaii in the early 20th century; Japanese scrolls; primary documents on Japan-Korea relations; and an archival collection of papers and photographs of an American scholar of Japan. Texts digitized will be part of a website created to explore a theme which the texts illustrate.

• Familiarity with Windows microcomputers and basic software
• At least a passing familiarity with HTML

• Knowledge of Asia, either through formal instruction or life experiences.

Intern and librarians will set a mutually agreeable work schedule. Work will take place in the Asia Collection and in the Department of Network Services.

Gain knowledge and skills related to digitization and the process of creating content-rich websites related to the study of Asia, in particular. More generally the intern will become more knowledgeable of the uses of digitization and websites as a means of making library resources more accessible and their potential as instructional tools.

Interns will be evaluated on reliability, evidence of increasing competence in digitization skills, and knowledge of the process of creating content-rich websites. LIS Evaluation document will be used as the formal evaluation mechanism.

Formal evaluations will be done in the middle and at the end of the semester. Periodic informal dialogues will provide ongoing feedback to the intern.