Keeneland Association and the University of Kentucky Library have formed a partnership to preserve and provide access to Keeneland Library’s unique and very scarce newspaper archive of the Daily Racing Form, including its predecessor, The Morning Telegraph. Approximately 5 million newspaper pages in 3,700 folio hardbound volumes are stored in a climate-controlled storage facility in the Keeneland Library.
A two-year “test bed” project will employ a “hybrid” approach to produce digital and microfilm versions of the Daily Racing Form. Partnering to Preserve Racing’s Rich History will produce a keyword-searchable digital archive of the Form and will also create 35mm silver halide, polyester, “preservation” microfilm. “Film first” and “scan first” methodologies will be tested, and outsourced options will be explored.
The end products of the pilot project include:
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A keyword-searchable digital image archive of approximately 100,000 pages that meets the highest standards for preservation and access and that is served via the Kentuckiana Digital Library.
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Terabyte storage drives with the master uncompressed TIFF images in an orderly file structure delivered to Keeneland.
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Long term storage and maintenance of the digital archive in a trusted digital repository at the University of Kentucky.
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Print master microfilm as the security copy.
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A blueprint and timeline for expanding and completing the project.
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Test results and cost data about various image capture and metadata creation methodologies.
Partnering to Preserve Racing’s Rich History will establish a significant historical resource for scholars, Thoroughbred breeders, owners, trainers and racing fans. The project will also establish a model upon which the Keeneland Library can build its research collections and further its mission as the foremost research facility for the Thoroughbred industry in the world. |