DCAPE meeting: day two

Today was the second day of the inaugural meeting of the Distributed Custodial Archival Preservation Environments group. We went over over the project timeline (which needs some revision), and spent some time discussing the specifics of the archivist partners' first task: outlining, with reference to the Open Archival Information System Reference Model, the specific functional requirements of the preservation system. We then spent some time going over some practical stuff (travel reimbursements, etc.), talked about the records that each partner was thinking of contributing to the project, and wrapped up at around 11:30 AM. We continued talking informally over lunch, and then broke up headed our separate ways.

Right before lunch, Rich Szary, the director of the Wilson Library, gave me a quick tour of the Carolina Digital Library and Archives, which is housed in Wilson Library and which has an astounding array of scanning equipment -- including a high-capacity, autofeed paper scanner that UNC's conservation staff have approved for use with archival records -- and is digitizing archival materials and rare books with immense speed.

Immediately after lunch, I had to leave for RDU. I had another long layover at EWR. I'm getting really familiar with Concourse C, and got to watch the sun set over the "Airtrain" connecting it to the other concourses; unfortunately, my the window glass through which I shot this picture reflected some of the light in the concourse's interior.

Although the good people at Continental no doubt wanted a different outcome, I was really happy with the way my flight arrangements worked out: none of the planes I was on were full, and I didn't have any seatmats on any of my flights. Owing to the clear night sky, I also got a stunning view of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens on the flight from EWR to ALB.

Nonetheless, I am really, really glad to be home.