Creating Access for Historic Texas Soil Surveys: A Digitization Case-Study

Fall 2006/Spring 2007

reserve stipulations

back to Reviews & Professional Writing

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Introduction

About the Project

The Texas Soil Survey Collection encompasses all Texas soil surveys published prior to 1950 (about 99 in all; those not owned by UNT were ILL-ed). Soil surveys are (INSERT blurb about them from proposal). These surveys were collected and digitized not for their current scientific value, but for their cultural and historic value, as well as their revelations about science during the first half of the twentieth century. The soil surveys are valuable documents for the study of geography, soil history, the history of science, and government documents.

Background & History of Soil Surveys

The earliest soil surveys were created by the U.S. Agricultural Field of Operations, Bureau of Soils. The order of their issue is uncertain, as the years marked on maps and books that were issued together sometimes vary. The level of detail and size of each map varies, although most use the same 1" = 1 mile scale.

The original audience for the soil surveys is uncertain. They were created before the 1930's soil erosion problems began. (SEE Nancy's book for further information on early audience.) They are now used for farmers, gardeners, and builders; each map includes a key for soil types, and later maps tell what each type of soil is good for (as far as crops, building, etc.). They can also be used to determine some land-grant boundaries. They are fascinating cultural records, as many recorded landmarks such as schools and churches. Some of the books include photo plates, figures and tables.

Digitization Process

Workflow

1. Sorting
2. QC (Quality Control)
3. Deskew
4. ReSize
5. OCR
6. Metadata
7. ToUpload
1. automated process: scripts
8. Uploaded
9. (Display Interface)

while the object is in the lab

• quality control of image is checked
• metadata is created
• ideal (particularly for descriptive metadata)

Scanning

book scanning

• books were scanned on the Zeutschel; a few on the Betterlight (QC bitonal)

map scanning

• Betterlight scanback camera for maps (Mary O'Connor did the scanning)
• map up against vacuum easel (for photo)
• supported by magnets and the vacuum
  • kept map smooth to decrease fold lines
• each scanned with color target and magnet ruler (crosstick)
• probably not yet color profiled

Display

• will use Zoomify for magnification and navigation in Portal to TX History
• need more maps to justify a better portal viewing application

Metadata

book & map metadata

• metadata for each (created at different times)
• different dates for each; maps issued separately from book?
• maps = publication date of book (iffy)
• coverage date = date on map

Each SS record contains many creators and contributors.

Parent agency changed: US Agricultural Soil Survey Department, US Agricultural Experimental Station, corporate authors (also sometimes US AES)

Eventually, the relation field will have a permalink (once all uploaded) to the linking book or map. Using the relation field to connect the soil survey map with its appropriate book volume.

• Relation field (for map): title and volume number of the book.
  • MAP TITLE has part: BOOK TITLE, VOLUME #.
• Physical Description field: volume # of #.

collection issues

• all metadata records contain "soil survey" somewhere so that they can be easily pulled together as a collection
• not yet labeled as a collection
  • their collection is under the broad "Texas History Collection" label assigned to the Portal to Texas History

maps

• sometimes lonen L. (???) listed participants
• sometimes different date (coverage date in metadata)
  • put them in the notes field
  • are searchable as keywords
• credited corporate authors only
• base map credit - contributor (as "cartographer")
• full records advocate notes (flexible system)
• can add keywords that aren't controlled vocabulary
  • try to use LCSH for Portal browse
• more description on maps than on books
  • list type of features

books

• description taken from TOC
  • list counties (helps discovery)
• will be OCR'd (helps discovery)
  • not sure if will OCR maps (did OCR newsmaps)
  • ask Mark about QC and cost/benefit for page highlighter/keyword

list of published soil surveys - print copy in A&I (online now)

• National Res. Conserv. Serv.
  • didn't always scan each year for each area
  • need to contact them about "online," Y/N
• monthly catalog to identify call #'s

M (???) - ss maps for TX Dept. Transportation (subcontractor) - lab

UNT = scanned at higher resolution

TX Albany - wanted photos (???)