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Digitizing the sound recordings
Each recording in this collection is represented by WaveForm (.wav), MPEG 2, Layer 3 (.mp3), and RealAudio G2 (.rm) versions. The Wave files were created from the original cassette or digital audio tape recordings at a sampling rate of 22,050 Hz per second, 16-bit word length, and a single (mono) channel. The RealAudio G2 files were derived from the Wave files through digital processing and were created for users who have at least a 14.4 modem (8-bit). The MP3 files were derived from the Wave files in a batch-conversion process using the MP3 plug-in of Sonic Foundry's SoundForge software. Some background noise may be apparent on the recordings, and tracks may start or end abruptly, as topical excerpts were created from the original interview recordings in order to focus each presentation.
Digitizing the photographic prints
JJT Inc., of Austin, Texas, the Library of Congress's pictorial image contractor, produced the digital images in this collection. The company's scanning process uses a digital camera manufactured in Germany with JJT's custom software.
An uncompressed archival or master file was produced for each photograph, as well as three derivative files. The level of resolution employed for the Library's archival pictorial-image files now ranges from 3000 x 2000 pixels to 5000 x 4000 pixels, depending on the types of original materials.
A thumbnail GIF image is displayed for each pictorial image and a medium resolution JPEG file (at a quality setting that yields an average compression of 15:1) can be displayed by clicking on the image.
Cataloging the collection
The data records for the audio files and photographs contain uncontrolled vocabulary. The database employs a draft of a standardized field set for non-MARC records. A description of the fields that appear on bibliographic records and the process of cataloging these materials is described below.
- Title
- Titles given for photographs in this collection were taken directly from the photographers' original photo logs.
- Because the audio segments presented in this online collection do not physically exist apart from the entire tape from which they have been taken, the titles given for these items were devised by the project leader when the digital audio files were created. Titles that are direct quotations from the audio recordings appear in quotation marks; others appear in brackets.
- Author/Creator
- This field gives the role and the name of the individual who is primarily responsible for the creation of the original physical item: the fieldworker who operated the recording device, in the case of sound recordings; or the photographer who created the photograph. For information about individuals who are either the narrators of sound recordings or the subjects of photographs, please refer to "Related Names," below.
- Created/Published
- This field contains the date on which the original physical item was created. Dates appear in the format yyyy/mm/dd.
- Subjects
- This field supplies limited topical indexing using terms from the Library of Congress Subject Headings, the Thesaurus for Graphic Materials, and terms used locally at the American Folklife Center. Geographic subjects are also included under the "Subject" heading, identifying the location in which the audio recording or photographic image was created. Please note that for copies of historical photographs, this field represents the location in which the copy was made, not necessarily the site depicted in the original photograph.
- Related Name(s)
- This field lists the names of individuals involved in (but not primarily responsible for) the creation of the original physical item, including narrators, announcers, interviewers, interview subjects, and others audible in sound recordings; individuals depicted in photographs (if known); and additional fieldworkers present during the creation of the item.
- Notes
- This field provides supplementary information about the item, usually taken from the project's original documentation (photograph and audio logs), including summaries of the contents of sound recordings.
- Related Item(s)
- This field identifies related audio items (for example, the continuation of a narrative that was split because of concerns about file size) and provides a link to those items. Please note that photographs are not cross-referenced in this manner; users wishing to see photographs of related subjects should search for them by using the subject terms.
- Medium
- This field describes the medium of the original physical item.
- Call Number
- The call number is an alphanumeric code assigned to an individual photograph or sound recording created under the auspices of an American Folklife Center-sponsored field project. This number is used by staff to locate the item at the Library of Congress. Because this number identifies unique items, it has been used as the basis for the digital identifier for the online items.
- Example: AFC 1995/002 WIP-SL-C001-01
- In this example AFC 1995/002 represents the accession number of the collection, WIP is the code designating the collection (Working in Paterson), SL are the photographers' initials (in this case, Susan Levitas), C identifies this item as a color slide, 001 is the number of the rack in which the slide has been filed, and 01 is the image number locating this particular slide in the slide rack.
- Example: AFC 1995/002 WIP-SL-C001-01
- In this example AFC 1995/002 represents the accession number of the collection, WIP is the code designating the collection (Working in Paterson), SL are the photographers' initials (in this case, Susan Levitas), C identifies this item as a color slide, 001 is the number of the rack in which the slide has been filed, and 01 is the image number locating this particular slide in the slide rack.
- Repository
- This field identifies the Library of Congress division in which the item is located.
- Digital Id [Item_ID]
- This field provides information on the source and location of the digital file for an item. It includes the collection-level digital identifier (the aggregate) and the filename of the particular digital item. In most cases, the filename is a truncated version of the item's call number.
- Example: afcwip sla00101