Digitization: File naming
- MM Hanke
Per FADGI guidelines, a file naming scheme should be established prior to capture. UTL's digitization service will name files based on the broad category of material (cataloged vs. archival) and based on the intended use of the resulting surrogate file (Archival File, Production File, Access Copy/Derivative, see Digitization: Technical standards#Digitizationproducts).
Cataloged material
Material that is currently uncataloged, but would typically receive a catalog record, should be cataloged before the digitization process starts, so that an OCLC number is available to identify the material. A brief record is sufficient to reserve an OCLC number, the catalog record can be enriched later.
Material that has a MARC catalog record, or typically would be cataloged will receive file names according to the following pattern:
txu | - | oclc | - | 123456789 | - | v001 | - | 001 | _ | am | .tif |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TxU is the UT Libraries MARC Org Code, which identifies the file as a product of our organization. | dash | identifies the following number as an OCLC accession/record number | dash | Accession/record number of the work in question in the OCLC database/WorldCat | dash (optional) | physical volume, part, number or item count (optional, repeat if necessary) Applies to multi-part resources cataloged under the same OCLC number (for instance serials or multi-volume works). This part of the file name primarily reflects the count of physical items sent to digitization, as outlined in project documentation or tracking sheets. It does not necessarily reflect the logical structure of a work issued in volumes/parts/numbers. | dash (optional) | image count (optional) Typically applies to paged content. This part of the file name reflects the image count, not page numbers found in the physical object. | underscore | Type of surrogate file/intended use:
| File name extension indicating the file format (for example tif, jpg, wav, mp4, etc.) |
Archival material
If no externally managed identifiers are available, the collection curators define strings that identify a collection and its parts within the context of UT Libraries' collections.
The digitization process will result in sets of images or other surrogate files that represent the organization of the physical material as it is sent to Digitization Services. File names can include for instance box, folder and item designators/counts, if this organization principle is apparent from the organization of the physical material and if this naming pattern is established as part of the project specifications. File names should not reflect the logical/intellectual structure of a collection or its parts to keep the digitization process efficient.
Welcome to the University Wiki Service! Please use your IID (yourEID@eid.utexas.edu) when prompted for your email address during login or click here to enter your EID. If you are experiencing any issues loading content on pages, please try these steps to clear your browser cache.