SAM’s Historic Media Collection is home to a rich body of archival material documenting key moments in the history of the museum, Seattle, King County, and the Pacific Northwest. The preservation of this collection is urgent as a majority of the content exists solely in unstable media formats. This capstone was a case study for a potential large-scale preservation initiative for this collection. 60 items about the Seattle Asian Art Museum, held in a variety of formats, were digitized to current preservation and access standards. Collection policies pertaining to rights management, collection scope, and workflow were also developed.

Increasingly, public access to civil lawsuits against law enforcement agencies has been restricted from federal to local levels. Through the use of public record requests, the Human Rights Defense Center has collected over 8000 civil cases from seven different states. Their goal: to create a publicly accessible and empirically analyzable database of civil lawsuits against law enforcement agencies all across the country. Our team has built the underlying structure for this larger project, developing a Descriptive Metadata Schema, Controlled Vocabulary and Claim Type, Controlled Vocabulary and Dictionary for Document Type, and Standard Operating Procedures for court record ingest and documentation.

The Seattle Art Museum Research Libraries are non-circulating and hidden from the public. Promoting and providing access to their newly defined artists’ books collection is a challenge. This project provides access to a select number of artists’ books using a digital exhibit built with quality photographs, rich descriptive metadata, and context on the medium’s history. Artists’ books, as artworks that convey ideas and inspire, expand the notion of what museum libraries collect, broadens the audience it serves, and aids community building among (book) artists. The exhibited works highlight unique structures, regional artists, promote social justice, and/or collaborative projects.

HEALWA is an online medical library that provides resources at no additional cost to eligible healthcare professionals in Washington State, in partnership with the WA Department of Health. HEALWA sponsored us to redesign their medical toolkits as part of their outreach and expansion project to increase utilization among potential users. We evaluated HEALWA’s toolkits for accessibility and functionality using their eJournals, eBooks, Databases, and Continuing Education materials, and we created new interdisciplinary toolkits for specific health topics. Our toolkit recommendations have the potential to improve health outcomes for Washington state residents by promoting healthcare provider access to clinical research information.

Commonly used classification systems often leave librarians and users in want of better way to organize their collections. Outdated language and irrelevant hierarchical structures privilege the access and dissemination of certain knowledges - a known problem in the world of Knowledge Organization. This research explores why classification systems should be considered an extension of an institution’s voice, and how these systems impact user experience in such spaces. Understanding classification systems as rhetorical devices can help librarians and users fully understand and intentionally use these tools to cultivate truly inclusive and equitable environments.

We designed and implemented a 10-week participatory design STEAM program for teens at Seattle Public Library. The program was held at Rainier Beach branch and eight teens ages 12 to 14 participated. Using KidsTeam UW as a model, we utilized techniques in codesign sessions including paper prototyping, creative narrative, big paper, stickies, and more. Design sessions culminated in participants building robots using Arduino. Data collected included analytical memos, recorded session video, and photographs. Lastly, we coded, analyzed, and synthesized to write design recommendations for Seattle Public Library to inform further iterations of participatory design and Arduino youth programs.

Seattle Opera Through the Decades is a digital exhibit created for the Seattle Opera Archives by University of Washington MLIS students Sara Reubelt & Rebecca Shaw. This exhibit highlights the significance that opera has played in the community. Our aim is to encourage public engagement with the Archives while placing the history of the Seattle Opera into the cultural and social contexts that shaped it. With the recent opening of the Opera Center, we saw an opportunity to promote materials which were previously inaccessible. We hope that visitors to this exhibit will find it both informative and fun.

Special Collections currently houses a large donated collection of Historical Children’s Literature that focuses on Indigenous people, approximately 1500 books. Our project centers on how Natives Americans were depicted between the 1930s and 1970s, how their portrayal has changed over time, and what we as information professionals can do to present this data accurately and responsibly in the current day. We approached this by splitting the scope between public libraries, where possible, and academic libraries/special collections, as each of us has different interests and goals but a common purpose of making these historical materials available.

Sleep deficiency affects over 20% of the estimated 300,000 children with arthritis nationwide. The Sleep Self-Management Intervention for Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis study at the UW School of Nursing is developing a web-based learning application that will help children be better equipped to improve their sleep quality. The SleepWell skill for Alexa was researched and designed in tandem with this study, for use as a potential tool to provide additional ad-hoc support with sleep. The voice user interface design of SleepWell includes guidance for relaxation techniques, a soothing sound and music library, and tools for developing healthy sleep habits.

2 out of 3 fourth graders in Michigan failed to receive proficient scores in reading. Kent District Library (KDL), in response, is developing a new summer reading program called Summer Wonder in 2020, with the goal of helping youth in underserved areas. How do they know if this new program is working? This project’s goal is to start partnerships, create timelines, research, and form a recommendation for a long-term study. The end result of this project will help KDL understand how to improve Summer Wonder, creating a pathway to learning for those facing barriers.