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Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative

Smithsonian’s Smith Fund Mobile Digitization Truck Field Trip

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by Charlie Allen, Quality Control Specialist and Josh Brewer, Quality Control Specialist, Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative, Indiana University. This is an archival version of a post originally published on the MDPI blog, which ran from 2017-2020.

In September 2019, Carmel Curtis, Josh Brewer, and Charlie Allen, IU staff members involved in the second phase of the Mass Digitization and Preservation Initiative, took a field trip to the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois to check out a unique mobile audiovisual unit. This mobile audiovisual unit spent time in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2017 and Denver, Colorado, in November of 2018; New Orleans, Louisiana, is the next planned stop.

The Smith Fund Mobile Digitization Truck is the creation of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) and is part of the Community Curation Program that is supported by the Robert Frederick Smith Explore Your Family History Center that seeks to preserve and share the African American history of various cities throughout the United States.

IU staff members spent two days observing the Smithsonian digitization team of archivists who helped to design and construct the mobile audiovisual unit. The archivists and consultants accepted various media formats, digitized them, and then returned the media along with USB drives containing digitized copies to their owners. Upon agreement with their clients, the Smithsonian will also keep a copy of the digital files and make them accessible online, enabling it to preserve vital and intimate collections that tell unique stories about African American communities and their migrations throughout the United States.

That gives you an overview of what went on, but the pictures tell the story better….

A Smith Fund Mobile Digitization Truck parked outside Evanston High School.
The Smith Fund Mobile Digitization Truck parked outside Evanston High School. The NMAAHC staff coordinates with community partners to locate drop-off points; these are often schools or community centers. Members of the public are invited to set up appointments to drop off their personal media collections.
Two people looking at the truck and admiring it. The truck has its doors open.
Josh Brewer and Carmel Curtis admiring the truck. The vehicle is a Ford F650 outfitted with state-of-the-art digitization equipment including a film scanner, video and audio decks, and photography equipment. The rear doors open to allow access to video decks and network connections.
A man standing inside the van with a welcoming smile.
“Let’s go inside!”- Josh Brewer
A lady looking at the screen with digital tapes.
Ina Archer (NMAAHC) digitizes a Super 8mm home movie using the Lasergraphics ScansStation film scanner. The mobile nature of the project allows staff to educate the general public about media digitization and preservation.
A man looking at the screen with headphones on.
AJ Lawrence (NMAAHC) transferring home movies and oral history audio tapes. As many as five staff members can work in the truck at one time.
A lady monitoring the equipment with spare parts in the room.
Candace Ming (NMAAHC) monitors video digitization equipment. The truck is fully stocked with replacement parts and tools in case repairs are needed on the go.
2 pendrives with text on it
Donors receive USB drives containing the digitized copies of their personal media collections. As well as being practical, the branded flash drives are a great reminder of the wonderful services provided by the NMAAHC.

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