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Contents 1 A Different Kind of Work Station: 1.1 Monitors 1.2 Desktop Computers 1.3 Equipment upgrades: 1.4 Scanning: 1.5 Possible Solutions: 1.6 New Computer: 1.7 Solution: 1.8 Equipment upgrades:

A Different Kind of Work Station:

Also see DA Redesign Ideas

Work stations are configured as singular stations. Each "slot" or "desktop" area is designed to hold one computer, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Is there were a way to eleminate that hardware from visibility to make spaces more moveable and less cluttered?

Monitors

• If we eliminate the base that monitors rest on and put the monitors on fixed arms raised up from a desk, the need for large desks to hold that base would go away.
• Moveable monitors would also be beneficial for people with disabilities because of the adjusting properties.

Desktop Computers

Is it possible to remove desktop computers from a desktop and still have access to a working computer system?

• I don't know but:

What if there were a box, like a server box, but instead of server hardware inside put the full workings of five to ten whole computers in it?

If you had a row of small desks with rotating monitor arms for the monitors and no physical singular desktop computer that has to sit at the table too, think of all the room you could have.

Wires are already an issue so what's a few more wires?

If you could build a box to house five whole computers you could:

• eliminate the cases and condense the space
• align the computers just like they would be inside a regular computer case by putting them in rows.
• You could build the box to be either mobile "like a case" with wheels, or stationary
• The only wires you would need would be monitor connections to the desks and possibly an on/off switch for that computer for each station.
• All the other cords etc. could be plugged into the wall or electrical source at the box site.
• go wireless mouse and keyboad. If not wireless, run the cords in with the monitor cable.
• Most keyboards come with a USB ready to use.
• CD/DVD usage would not be available from the desktop area, but if these computers are being used for research, browsing, typing etc., there is no need for a cd player.
• Get monitors with sound output plug-ins.
• You could have moveable computer stations for trainings etc., just roll your box to the monitors and hook it up, and then be able to put it away or move it to a new area when not in use.
• Any computer "box" will work with any monitor station.

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Equipment upgrades:

Digital archiving is a slow, time consuming process. Creating successful accurate digital archives with an easy to use search tool for the end user is the ultimate goal for those creating the digital files. High quality digital images are an important factor for archivists and thus achieving quality creates obstacles for archivists that other computer users do not have.

Scanning:

• Because the volume of scanning paper material is enormous, the archives needs fast accurate equipment with software to handle the job.
• Archives now use hand-me-down equipment. This equipment though functional is old and needs constant repair, or staff time to finesse it to make it work with other newer software.
• Images created from scanning create very large files because lossless file types are used. More file space and computer processing speeds are requires to work with these types of files.

Possible Solutions:

• Archives needs at least two types of scanners
• One that can handle regular sized 8 ½ x 11 paper
• One that can handle oversized paper both long and wide
• Because scanners come with their own built-in software, acquire both scanners if possible with the same software (company) so that you don’t have to learn multiple programs, and so that the files from each are interchangeable easily
• Acquire or lease scanners from a reputable company so that all repairs fall under a lease agreement, and have available yearly upgrades to the equipment and software to ensure accessibility of new available technologies

New Computer:

Speed is everything. Large files require fast processor speed and vast amounts of storage space.

Archives is now using the old server computer and a laptop as a work station to develop, manipulate, and save newly created images. These computers are very slow and lack the capacity to handle the amount of data being processed. Because of this outdated equipment staff is currently spending valuable hours waiting for computers to process information that should only be taking seconds.

Solution:

• Provide an up to date designated computer for working with and holding digitized image working files
• Provide an up to date designated computer for working with and holding digitized video and audio working files

Equipment upgrades:

Because the technology of media has changed so frequently in video and audio over the preceding two decades, the archives encounter severe problems in acquiring machinery that is functional when trying to play older media types. Some of the media playback equipment that is required to start the process of digitization is:

• 9mm camera
• Reel to reel in all sizes
• VHS and Beta video recorders
• Audio cassette tape player
• Computer floppy disk player 5 ¼ and 3 ½
  

Also of need are the proper hook-ups from these machines to a computer with the proper software for converting these types of media into digital format. These cables and hook-ups provide the life line for the data to travel between the old and the new media so that it can be stored either within our repository, or on another type of newer media like a cd or dvd.

As it stands now, the archive department is in possession of two broken reel-to-reel players, no 9mm camera for playback, and a broken VHS player. Many of the tapes housed within the archives are beginning to acquire water bubbles. The water bubbles form under the magnetic strip and make the tapes unusable. The only way to fix this problem is to dry the tapes out. This is done by actually cooking the tapes in an oven to bake them, or to place them in a dehydrator. Using this method does not always work however, and the tapes sometimes become sticky. When this happens, the tape sticks to the heads of the playback machine and gets gummed up. With no working playback machines, the archives have been sending out tapes to a professional business to have them create a digitized format for us. This however, is very expensive and the archive doesn’t have the money to attend to its entire tape collection. When the tapes are wet or the archives doesn’t have a machine to wind and rewind them to prevent them from sticking they are lost to us forever.

Slowly, but surely the Evergreen tape collection will be gone due to lack of equipment, interest, and money. Future generations will never know what they have missed, and our generation will go ahead through time unrepresented because we didn’t care to preserve our own history for the next.

And...How long do DVD's, CD's, hard drives, servers, and web-language last? What is in store for the future of preservation and viewing in media?