The Law Library of Congress is in the process of digitizing its many physical collections to expand public access to its valuable resources. This project focuses on evaluating and improving accessibility and user interface for two of the collections: “Foreign Legal Gazettes in the Law Library of Congress” and “Spanish Legal Documents (15th-19th Centuries).”

This project consists of a review of digital collections on the Library of Congress Law Library website, focusing on increasing findability and accessibility. The specific collections covered by this project are the Statutes at Large and the U.S. Code. Though the two collections carry much of the same information, the accessibility needs are different. I have made a series of recommendations based on user-centered design to update the research guide and other supplemental materials, increase efficacy of metadata, and redesign existing organization of the collections. I have also included suggestions for outreach programs to expand the collections’ use.

A recent renovation at the Museum of Flight, in Seattle, WA, made way for an overhaul of storage capabilities, particularly for oversized archival materials like blueprints, posters, and photographs. In order to utilize the newly acquired flat file drawers, we inventoried and organized all oversized materials, created new artificial collections and scope notes, and strategized a storage plan for better archival navigation and stewardship of aviation history. This new organization plan will be implemented by the Museum of Flight for all future oversized acquisitions and allow for better collocation, navigability, and preservation.

The uncataloged paperback collection at the Puyallup Public Library was long overdue for collection maintenance, updated signage, and a collection index. The capstone sponsor also wanted to reduce the collection to just the shelves attached to the fireplace, so that the freed shelves could be used for passive programming. As part of this project, I weeded the collection from over 800 books to around 380 and selected around 60 acquisitions from patron donations, totaling to around 430 books at project completion. Patrons and library workers benefit from improved signage, books organized by author, and the extensive collection index.

How can nonprofit organizations maximize the impact of their fundraising efforts? How can nonprofit organizations in developing nations more easily source donations from developed nations?

For over 100 years, The Daily Utah Chronicle has published the student voices of the University of Utah. Many of these stories have been archived, but there are significant chunks missing. Just over 23% of the Chrony’s work has not been archived, and there are no procedures in place to keep the archive updated. I wrote a manual for them containing an in-depth analysis, a plan of action, and a concise archival process for leadership to implement. This will provide a clear path to archiving the past, and be a good compass for preserving the student voices of the future.

This project evaluated models for the preservation and redistribution of the collocated Law Library of Congress digital collection material within the American Memory Project “Evolution of the American Conservation Movement, 1850-1920” collection, which has been decommissioned, making access to this material difficult. Keeping these materials together and accessible provides users with a historical context for current conservation activities and legal proceedings. The final models selected are sub-pages highlighting the collection on the Statutes at Large digital collection Articles and Essays page, a cascading timeline StoryMap showcasing important years, and In Custodia Legis blog posts promoting the aforementioned models.

Lewis County has a rich, vibrant history which shapes the lives of all those who reside and work there in ways that are complex and multifaceted. However, firsthand accounts of historical events and their impact are in short supply and, with every passing year, those who were alive to experience those events are slipping away forever. Guided by the Lewis County Historical Museum’s director, I gathered oral history interviews from county residents on events that shaped their lives and the county itself. These interviews will be preserved in the oral history archive to inform and enlighten future generations.

Scarecrow Video holds the largest publicly available video collection in the US. Their vast foreign film section includes many irreplaceable films from less established movie industries, making it a high priority for assessment in order to care for and protect these films. This project involved an audit of about 40% of their African film section, resulting in a list of films to be added to Scarecrow’s Rental by Agreement (RBA) program, as well as the identification of possible orphan works for future digitization, and guidance for further assessment and protection of this collection.

We examined the use of the Dewey Decimal System in a K-8 library, with the goal of increasing circulation of nonfiction materials. We provided our sponsor with an organizational framework she will use to reorganize the nonfiction section, as well as illustrated section signage and themed book kits. Our project proved that rethinking Dewey is a worthwhile endeavor, and encouraged Open Window School students to be part of the process of reimagining their library space.