National Library of Australia


Utzon Sydney Opera House Collection and Architectural Plans electronic finding aid project

Project participants: State Library of New South Wales
Contact officer/s: Heather Mansell, Manager, Preservation (email hmansell@sl.nsw.gov.au)
Project description: Phase 1 was a preservation reformatting project of Utzon material which includes 1,600 manuscript items, 816 original drawings and 3,200 dyeline plans. All have been microfilmed, and the dyeline plans have also been scanned. The digital files created have been printed on to polyester film and the files stored on DAT tape. Phase 2 will provide access to the material as part of an Architectural Plans electronic finding aid project through PICMAN and the Library's website. Major aims and objectives are improved public access to the collection, enhanced preservation techniques, to explore the resources required to undertake major digitisation projects (ie this is a pilot project); to explore the production of computer output microfilm, to create sustainable workflows and systems to support the digitisation and web delivery of other large format material such as maps.
URL of site:
URL for project information: Nothing available online.
Content: 1,600 manuscript items, 816 drawings and 3,200 dyeline plans. Digitised images of individual paintings, drawings and watercolours will also be added to the PICMAN database when further resources become available. First priority are the 816 conceptual drawings.
Digitisation policy and priorities: The State Library has a digitisation policy but it is not yet available on the World Wide Web.
Timetable: Continuing project: April 1996 - 30 June 2001
Budget and funding: Funding of $100,000 for the project was received from the Ladies Committee of the Sydney Opera House Appeal Fund; the Dreyer Foundation (Denmark), the NSW State Government, Foundations of Architecture & a private citizen. This will cover microfilming, storage cabinets, scanning, some record creation, software, some quality control. The State Library of NSW will contribute staff time for tasks such as project management, copyright clearance and quality control estimated at $60,000.
Staff resources: Digitisation and microfilming were outsourced to a private company and temporary staff were employed for cataloguing and quality control. Other staff resources contributed are the Copyright and Permissions Librarian (arranged for licencing agreements with the Copyright Agency Ltd (CAL)), quality control, project management, web design, etc.
Technical standards: Bitonal scanning at 400dpi, captured as TIF Group 4, stored on DAT 4mm. Cheyannie tape backup for archiving, Imagination 1 for viewing and checking, Exabyte mammoth tape for archiving. OCE printer. Capturing equipment: OCE scanner. Storage devices: Sony DDS drive. MrSid or similar software will be required for web presentation.
Cataloguing and indexing: Local file naming schema devised based upon Library of Congress. Records created on PICMAN (see PICMAN entry for standards). Possibility of EAD for finding aid.
Comments:
  • 100% quality checking is essential - the QC of facsimile plans highlighted need for more frequent calibration of scanner.
  • Some problems with software incompatibility resolved.
  • Lack of resources to undertake QC has delayed completion.
  • The scanning of dyelines and enhancement of digital files has allowed the retrieval of information no longer visible on the original plan.
  • Large size (up to 10 MB) of digital files makes access difficult - will be solved by MrSid or similar.

Project managers wishing to update the details of their Australian digitisation projects, should email the changes to alg@nla.gov.au.

Last modified: April 13 2005.