Educating Information
Professionals
Howard Besser
UCLA School of Education & Information
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/~howard
Besser--ASIS Image Educ 11/5/01
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Summary_
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UCLA Curriculum, Aims, & Impediments
General curriculum incorporating Museums
Examples from Courses I’ve taught
Our MIAS Program
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UCLA Curriculum_
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The New Information Studies
Lots of Emphasis on Cultural Heritage
Curricular Reform problems
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The New Information Studies
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Creating Digital Libraries
Electronic Publishing
Building Collaboratory Environments
Revamping Information Studies Education
Distance Independent Learning
Cultural Heritage Institutions
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Cultural Heritage Instruction
Includes_
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A) Knowledge About Objects/Data
B) Knowledge About Handling
Objects/Data
C) How to Solve Problems
D) How to Communicate
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A) Knowledge About
Objects/Data
_ History (information processing, organizations,
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technology, literary traditions)
Traditions of librarianship (commitment to public
service, commitment to free access to information)
Traditions of archives (organic nature of
documentation, provenance, relative value of
records)
Traditions of Museums (provenance, interpretation,
documentation)
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B) Knowledge About Handling
Objects/Data
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Cataloging & indexing
Archives
Technological processes
Multimedia/Compound documents
knowledge of special requirements in handling,
organizing, and accessing film, video, still images
design, composition, and presentation
Recordkeeping
Preservation of all types of formats
Administration
Subject or Domain Speciality/Focus
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C) How to Solve Problems
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Systems analysis
Research/Analysis
Management
Technology trends
Leading/Organizing groups/teams/projects
Facilitating
Synthesizing of different disciplines
Prototype development
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D) How to Communicate
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Instruction
Writing
Facilitating
Teamwork, particularly on Projects
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To be fully effective, we need
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Instructional Material
Cluster of Courses
Engaging Projects
Work with Professionals in the Field
Professional Development
Certification of Professional Proficiency
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Curricular Reform Problems
_ Undergraduate Courses
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Program Length
Experiential Component
Number of Outside Courses Allowed
Infrastructure Requirements
Placement
Required Courses
Course Development
Need for Certification Program, Continuing Education
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Teaching with MESL-
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Samples from a MESL Site
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Creating New Image Sets
(Views)
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Teaching Tools
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Teaching Distance Classes
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Some Courses I’ve Taught
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Visual Materials: Metadata, Standards, and Best
Practices for Digital Libraries (Spring 00)
Digital Collections of Still & Moving Images
(Winter 00)
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Social & Cultural Impact of New Information
Environments (1993-)
Digital Visual Materials in Cultural Heritage (Spring
99)
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Web Design and Development (1997-99)
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Examples of Course
Goals and Exercises-
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Digital Visual Materials
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(1)
This course will explore important issues around
the use of visual materials (such as moving image
film, photographs, drawings, maps, etc.) in
cultural heritage institutions such as museums,
archives, and libraries. The course will deal with
special issues posed by visual materials in terms of
representation, selection, evaluation, organization
access, file format, repurposing, longevity,
intellectual property, etc.
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Digital Visual Materials
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(2)
What are the issues involved in making visual materials persist over time? How do we decide which
materials should persist over time?
How do intellectual property issues affect preservation, access, and use of visual materials ? (e.g., the
implications of the millennium copyright bill?)
As the digital world moves toward multiple uses and viewing works from different angles, how does
this affect notions of context and its preservation?
What challenges do visual materials pose for representation (e.g., cataloging, description) in terms of
facets described, collection vs. item-level, provenance vs. subject-based access, and controlled vs.
uncontrolled vocabularies?
How do digital objects challenge traditional archival notions of evidence? Can ways be found to
authenticate digital works, and track provenance and versioning?
How do reformatting and multiple formats of the same work change how we look at a work? (e.g.,
are videos the same as films? Are digital photographs the same as analog photos?)
Is there a social context to viewing an object? (is viewing a video at home the same as viewing a film
in a theater? Is viewing a mural on a screen the same as viewing it in-situ?)
Who attributes value to a work, and under what circumstances? How does one deal with the different
values that different communities may have towards any particular set of works?
Are there ethical considerations in format conversions (e.g., film colorization, pan-and-scan?)
How do politics affect cultural heritage institutions as they strive to serve new audiences? (the Enola
Gay incident?)
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Visual Materials: Metadata,
Standards, and Best Practices for
Digital Libraries (Spring 00)
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Apr 3--Interoperable Digital Libraries & importance of Metadata &
Standards
Apr 10--The Museum Educational Site Licensing Project and what
we've learned
Apr 17--Making of America II
Apr 24--California Digital Library Architecture & Standards-1
May 1--California Digital Library Architecture & Standards-2
May 15--Digital Longevity-1
May 22--Digital Longevity-2
Jun 1--National Information Standards Organization Technical
Imaging Metadata
Jun 5--Final Presentations
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Visual Materials: Metadata, Standards, and
Best Practices for Digital Libraries
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Visual Materials (final projects
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1/2
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Whose Truth? Context and Meaning in Digital Image Collections: By
Rich Gazan
An analysis of the JARDA test database and UCLA digital imaging
project management database online: By Karen Baxter
Apples & Oranges?: A Comparison of AACR2R, CDWA, and the
VRA Core and their Effectiveness in Organizing Digital Images: By
Nina Schneider
Instructional Slide Libraries and Digital Image Databases: By Rina
Vecchiola
The Dissemination of Web Culture in On-line Movie and Video
Marketing: Repurposing Film/Video Narrative for Cyberconsumption:
By Lindy Leong
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Visual Materials (final projects
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1/2
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Digital Longevity By Anonymous
An Introduction to Digital Libraries By Christina Gammell
Short Film Distribution on the Web: By Heather Cleary
When a Photo is Worth 1003 Words: Digital Image
Manipulation in Nature Photography, Journalism, and the
Courtroom: By Lori Rosen
Too Late to Turn Back Now: By Heather Sabin
Tonight's TV, Tomorrow's DVD: By Snowden Becker
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Visual Materials (final project)
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Repurposing and Recontextualization
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Visual Materials
(Multiple Narratives, Editing, and Repurposing)
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Visual Materials
(Multiple Narratives, Editing, and Repurposing)
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Visual Materials
(Multiple Narratives, Editing, and Repurposing)
Fictional Narratives
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The Experience of the HB-208S.01; Excerpts and Recommendation From
Probe HB-208S.01, of the Planet Besser, by Alain Dussert
The Detective, the Academic, and the Movie Star, by Robert Dirig
All the time in the world - [on going home], by
A story about Luis Fernando - A music man from Havana, by Melissa Taitano
Cuba on the Move! An Introduction to Cuban Transportation with our Host,
Pedro, by Richenda Brim
An Art-Lover in Cuba: A Fictional Photo-Essay, by Sarah A. Smith
Sonja's Dream trip to Cuba, by Sonja Hannah
Chicoticos Mios: A Canine Quest, by Anonymous
The Encounter, the Search, the Discovery, by
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Visual Materials
(Multiple Narratives, Editing, and Repurposing)
Fact-based Narratives
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Castro's Cuba ; A look at modern Cuba through the words of Fidel Castro, by
Robert Dirig
Domestic Monuments; Historic Preservation in Havana, by
"No lo salva ni el médico chino.", by Melissa Taitano
Architecture in Havana, by Richenda Brim
The United States vs. Cuba: A Fact Based Photo-Essay, by Sarah A. Smith
Cuba in Photos, by Sonja Hannah
Cuban Music Defies Trade Embargo, by Susan Sundquist
The Cuban Family Code, by
A Survey of Cuba, by Alain Dussert
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Moving Image Archive Study
(MIAS)_
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Contextualization
Who’s involved
Subjects
Instructors
Courses
Continuum
Schedule
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MIAS contextualization
Prior education was primarily
apprenticeship in a limited range of
technical skills
_ We plan a broader education grounded in
historical, critical, and theoretical study
_ We plan to emphasize moving image
preservation as an ongoing process of
activities along a continuum
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integrate digital issues
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Redefining Film Preservation:
A National Plan
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Create a systematic graduate program for educating new
film preservation professionals and continuing education
opportunities for those already in the field. Because film
preservation is rapidly changing, so too are the educational
needs of film preservation professionals. Traditionally,
film archivists have learned their skills on the job. As
preservation has matured and technology grown more
complex, ad hoc instruction is no longer adequate. New
professionals require background in a broader range of
subjects.
_ -Recommendation 4.11
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MIAS co-venture
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Dept of Information Studies
Dept of Film & Television
Film Archive
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MIAS subjects
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Aesthetics and history of film
Cultural responsibilities of selection and
curatorship
Access and programming for the public
Collection management
Cataloging and intellectual control
Technical aspects of preservation and
restoration
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MIAS Instructors
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UCLA faculty
UCLA professional staff
Academic scholars
Top-level preservationists
Technical experts
Other Archive specialists
Guest lecturers
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MIAS Required Courses
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American Motion Picture History
Television History
Bibliography and Methods of Research in
Film and Television
Information Structures
American Archives and Manuscripts
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MIAS Seminars (4 required)
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Film Curatorship
Archeology of the Medium
Preservation/Restoration
Collection Development and Management
Moving Image Cataloging
Access to Moving Image Collections
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Courses I’ve already taught
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Digital collections of still and moving
images
Visual Materials: Metadata and Best
Practices for Digital Libraries
Multimedia: Issues in using visual material
in cultural heritage organizations
Social and cultural impact of new
information environments
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MIAS sees a continuum
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Curatorship
Laboratory preservation
Storage management
Cataloging
Access
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MIAS grads will combine
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Aesthetic judgement
Historical knowledge
Awareness of social relevance
Familiarity with new technologies
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MIAS Schedule
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Began rolling out classes and cross-listing F
1999
Campus approval of Program early 2001
Currently under review by University-wide
curriculum committee
Upon approval, will admit approx 5
students/year through each department
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Educating Information Professionals
Howard Besser
UCLA School of Education & Information
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/~howard
http://is.gseis.ucla.edu/impact/
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/~howard/repurposing.html
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/~howard/Classes/208-s00/208.html
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/~howard/Classes/287.html
http://skipper.gseis.ucla.edu/students/is287a/html/All/Vietnam/287projects.html
http://skipper.gseis.ucla.edu/students/is287a/html/All/Final/287termprojects.htm
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