Before RCMD:ME, media recommendation services solely recommended media based on user’s preferences within the same media type. For example, GoodReads recommends books to users based upon other books they like. However, there are no recommendation platforms which bridge multiple media forms--such as someone who likes The Road might want to find musical artists, movies, and books that other users who like this book also like (e.g. 67% of people who like The Road also like Apocalypse Now). We have developed a recommendation service which has created a new way to find relationships between different forms of media that are otherwise unknown. Our service allows artists to gain exposure in a way that respects independent artists and strengthens ties between print and digital media. With RCMD:ME, users are able to find new media more easily, decreasing wasted time and frustration, and ultimately improves the media discovery process holistically.

Re-Imagining the Spectrum of Library Experience Diane Clark, Online MLIS, Aryn Orwig, Online MLIS, Kat Redniss, Online MLIS, Susen Shi, Online MLIS Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is an enigmatic condition that can make accessing community resources challenging. In the United States, 1 in 68 American children are on the spectrum, a significant increase within the last half-century. Many public libraries offer programs for children with autism, however there is a lack of services dedicated to young and emerging adults with ASD, a community that often gets overlooked. We have created an adaptable toolkit housed in a user-friendly website that supports public libraries in creating more inclusive spaces, services, programs, and customer service approaches that better serve individuals on the autism spectrum. This digital toolkit supports libraries in breaking down barriers of access for individuals on the spectrum, in turn, encourages more meaningful engagement in programs and library services. The toolkit serves to reduce reticence among staff, empowering librarians to engage administration in a dialogue about best practices for serving the underserved.

The OLAC Movie & Video Credit Annotation Experiment seeks to draw connections between names and their associated roles within moving image MARC records using Named Entity Recognition in natural language processing in order to drive more effective discovery interfaces, formulated for sharing as linked data in a manner similar to the Internet Movie Database. This research-based capstone project sought to better understand moving image roles as they relate to relationship designators in the RDA Toolkit, linking them as appropriate, proposing new designators to accommodate the diverse range of roles in the moving image industry, and identifying areas where designator mapping was problematic or not possible. The results found 64 percent of roles could be mapped, 19 percent could be assigned to proposed designators, and 16 percent remained undefined. This research has contributed toward a better understanding of issues related to formulation, inclusion, location, and consistency within moving image MARC records.

During this project I worked with the Ozarks Literacy Council to establish the statistics on their user groups. Due to the OLC being a non-profit, their funding is based on the support of organization such as United Way. However, with a recent change in administration, there is a lack of evidence as to which demographics are utilizing the services offered by the OLC and where gaps lie in services offered. I compiled statistics gathered by the OLC and used Excel to created a spreadsheet utilizing macros that will make keeping stats in the future more user friendly so they are able to maintain this information on their own in the years to come. Additionally, I created an infographic highlighting user satisfaction and accomplishments by the learners that will be used to increase grants and fundraising.

The Puyallup Public Library serves the citizens of the city of Puyallup in Washington state. They enjoy a youth services department comprised of two children’s librarians and a teen librarian. My project focused on analyzing the current services of the children’s librarians, researching things they could do to improve their services, and offer recommendations based off that research. My analysis indicated potential improvements in marketing and programming evaluation strategies, my research indicated specific marketing strategies and evaluation rubrics that would be applicable, and my recommendations were tailored specifically to the Puyallup Public Library. My research project offers two things primarily to the children’s librarians. Not does it offer recommendations with objectivity realistic marketing strategies, but those recommendations take the personality and unique customer base of the Puyallup library into account. Put another way, my recommendations seek to supplement the children’s services, not replace them.

Ever thought about exploring Seattle on a bike without getting lost? Ever wish to be more active while meeting with friends? Find a great group ride and go! Cascade Bicycle Club offers more than 2,500 group rides annually, ranging from leisurely jaunts to longer endurance rides. Some are urban and some are in the greater Puget Sound region. Free for everybody. This great resource has been living on the website of Cascade Bicycle Club, but with mobile becoming the first screen for more of us, it got less convenient to access everyday. Now with the “Ride Finder” app, you can have these awesome group rides right on your fingertips, whether you’re chilling out in the backyard, or trying to get some quick planning done on the go. It will find you the perfect group ride to join based on your personal needs in just a few easy clicks.

Following the path of Moore’s Law, teleoperated robots are becoming more accessible and ubiquitous in the everyday consumers life -- forever changing the way we work and interact with the world around us. In order to maintain public safety in a society cohabited by humans and machines, the Robot Operator License ensures that users have completed training and received a license to operate their robot. This educational course provides critical information and interactive simulations in an effort to smoothly transition this technology into the modern world. Developed in partnership with the University of Washington Human-Centered Robotics Lab, the Robot Operator License is designed for the Beam+ telepresence robot, which serves as a proof-of­-concept and demonstrates a need for this type of operational education. Our course aims to tackle the policy challenges and threats to public safety due to the use of teleoperated robots by the everyday individual.

In 2014, the EMP Museum launched Indie Game Revolution, the first large-scale museum exhibit dedicated to the history, art and culture of independent video games. The EMP desired to add the games displayed to their permanent collection, but had never before archived digital-native video games. Building off a pre-capstone project to determine what could be preserved for each game while working within the EMP’s scope and budget, our capstone team prepared 30 games for the collection. For each game, we archived DRM-free versions of the game files; recorded hours of gameplay footage; created a catalog record in a custom metadata schema built for the project; and, when possible, conducted oral history interviews with the game’s developers. These packages will not only preserve the games but help future researchers understand the era’s independent game development.

In 1492, Spain issued the Alhambra Decree, mandating that all Spanish (Sephardic) Jews –about 200,000– leave the country. They continued to speak a language known as Judeo-Spanish or Ladino in their new lives. The language has survived the intervening centuries, and present-day Seattle counts several native Ladino speakers among its population. Devin Naar, PhD, and the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Washington are collecting and digitizing Ladino documents to preserve and share this unique aspect of Sephardic Jewish culture. We developed a prototype for the Sephardic Studies Digital Library and Museum. We then conducted user testing for a web portal to lead interested researchers and community members from the Stroum Center’s website into the digital collection, which is hosted by UW Libraries. We have used our expertise in digital preservation and metadata best practices to provide project leaders with a list of recommendations.

To provide its members with award-winning care, Group Health employees need access to data. This includes electronic Personal Health Information (ePHI) which is distributed throughout the company-wide scheme of network folders. To safeguard ePHI, Group Health administrators have to determine who needs access to this data and at what level. For our Capstone, we joined the Identity and Access Management Department at Group Health, where we led the File Folder Access Review process. During our 5-month engagement, we helped 60 Group Health leaders identify appropriate access among employees to ePHI data. To accomplish this, we conducted gap analysis research, refined existing review structures, and deployed access reviews of 1000+ network folders. Through our project, we ensured effective access to data in compliance with Healthcare Information Portability and Privacy Act (HIPPA) regulations, ultimately decreasing security risks for the entire Cooperative, patients and employees alike.