2007 GSA Denver Annual Meeting (28–31 October 2007)

Paper No. 3
Presentation Time: 8:45 AM

DIGITZATION OF GEOLOGY THESES AND DISSERTATIONS


MCCARTHY, Deborah and HERT, Tamsen, University of Wyoming Libraries, 1000 E. University Ave, Dept. 3334, Laramie, WY 82071, THert@uwyo.edu

The University of Wyoming Libraries is in the process of digitizing all of our theses and dissertations, including our geology theses and dissertations, to make them easier to use and more accessible to the public.

As a result of a ruptured pipe, about 1800 theses and dissertations received water damage and were digitized, and this project led to discussions about digitizing the entire collection of theses and dissertations. Funding was obtained for the 2006/2008 biennium to digitize all 12,000 theses and dissertations, and the project was begun.

This project includes the color digitization of the hand colored, large format maps included in many geology theses and dissertations from the mid-twentieth century and earlier.

The process, both physical and political, will be discussed, as will the challenges and outcomes.