The CDAA is continuing to work with Alderman Library to
create a digital archive of College Topics and The Cavalier Daily. The CDAA
is grateful to Scott Silet, digital resources and services manager of
Alderman Library, for all his efforts on our behalf. Listed below are some
of the highlights of the last few months:
October: The Library applied for funding from the
University Library and Provost’s Office to digitize the entire 112-year run
of The Cavalier Daily/College Topics.
November: The Library identified a vendor, Olive
Software, that can create digital image and text files for a very reasonable
price; however, the Library later learned an expensive software program must
be purchased along with the digital CD archive in order to make it
web-accessible.
December: The funding proposal is denied, not because
of the worthiness of the project itself (there was, in fact, considerable
enthusiasm for it) but because the total price tag was higher than the award
could fund.
January: Olive Software finished a demo of the CD
digital archive; for various reasons, however, the demo has not yet been
made available to the Library. The Library is hopeful they will have
something to show the CDAA by June.
March: The Library began actively researching
alternatives to OCLC, formerly Olive Software, to determine if OCLC’s
software is the best available to meet our needs.
April: The Library is working on an estimate of how
much the entire project will cost. Once a vendor is chosen, the Library and
the CDAA will work to raise the necessary funds for the project.
