GOOD PRACTICE FORM FOR NOMINATIONS

We propose to start the activity of the workgroup on 'good practice' proposing an initial set of some main areas where to put the nominations. In particular we think to start with the basic issue of digitisation itself.
Each project can be 'nominated' for more than one area, following your evaluation of the most important features contained in the example.

AREAS for nominations of 'good practice' for on-going projects on digitisation:
1.	Preservation of physical objects via digitisation and electronic surrogates.
2.	High quality of the digitisation process.
3.	Metadata and Thesaurus.
4.	Usability of project results.
5.	Management of the process and workflow
6.	Accessibility including copyright issues and web sites

For each project please specify:

•	Area of 'good practice' where you like to nominate your project (you can put more than only one area): 
1, 6

•	Name:
Diplomatico 

•	Responsible body and/or any specific : Archivio di Stato Firenze
Co-ordinating body/mechanism: Ministero per i beni e le Attività Culturali, Direzione Generale degli Archivi

•	Contact person:

Dr.a Rosalia Manno Tolu Director of the State Archive of Florence
Dr.a Francesca Klein, Responsible for Digitisation projects of the State Archive of Florence

•	Web site:
http://www.archiviodistato.firenze.it/progetti/attivite.htm 

•	Description of the project, objectives and priorities:
The proper background of digitisation plans carried out by the Archivio di Stato di Firenze is the domain of preservation and exploitation policy of the documentary sources The Archivio di Stato has planned to digitise 80.000 parchments documents of the Diplomatico fonds. These are documents dated  from the VIII to XIV century (the whole Diplomatico fonds gathers more than 140.000 rolled parchments dating from the VIII to XIX century). This collection was originated in 1778 by the granduke of Tuscany  Pietro Leopoldo. Parchments have been collected since then, coming from more than 600 different provenances. According to the encyclopaedic spirit of the time, all the diplomas were arranged in a chronological order and they were collected in bundles. Diplomas are described in hand-written inventories which are still available: a chronological list  (16 volumes) reflecting the physical order of documents, and 131 volumes containing all the summaries of the parchments.
These are the features of the digitisation project:
•	Firstly: the documentary materials selected to be digitised are the result of strategical choices: the fonds is extremely consulted and relevant for historical research. The Diplomatico presented problems about  preservation of documents as well as about their availability to public access.
•	Secondly, the main purpose of digitisation was not to obtain a simple collection of images; in fact, we have tried to preserve a consistent archival structure as a framework. The database is able to provide digitised images together with their finding aids. For such a purpose the available inventories were employed, as they are just ready information resources, even if historically defined.

The electronic archive will contain the colour images of the parchments, the images of the 131 volumes of summaries, and the archival cards.
.

•	The main technical features for what you consider the project a 'good practice' example:
1.	The digitisation process: The Archivio di Stato has bought a new digitising equipment: a camera with a digital back connected with a dedicated PC (Dicomed Big Shot). Parchments are put into a sandwich of two sliding glass plates. Each parchment is identified through a barcode. Parchments images are checked by the operator. He cuts off borders, he sets light, contrast, compression rate. Each parchment is filed with relevant description data: archival reference, measures, seals, illumination, date , author name and qualification, notary, place). Each parchment image is connected with its own summary image.
2.	The consulting system of the electronic archive is both user friendly, and scientifically correct. Three kind of research are allowed:
•	Browsing the archive: navigation within the archive is allowed: this way, the archive is arranged according to provenance 
•	Full text  research may be chosen as another way to access to the archive
•	Finally a search by fields of the archival card is available. One may set several search keys, into selected fields (search by date, i.g.: parchments with not completed date are retrieved). until now 76.000 parchments have been digitised and filed.

•	Long term sustainability strategy:

•	Accessibility by users via local network or Internet (describe modalities and IPR issue from a technical point of view):
The Diplomatico in  accessible via local network in the reading room of State Archive. 

•	Problems encountered :
Jukeboxes are employed for the storage of the electronic archive. This system is now quite obsolete: it requires high costs of maintenance and it is not as much fast and reliable as new disc array. 
The State Archive of Florence is now planning the transformation of the electronic archive in new formats (XML) and the installation of a separate server in order to publish the Diplomatico  in Internet. 

Comments: 

Figures and documents enclosed:

cfr.:  http://www.storia.unifi.it/_RM/rivista/mater/klein.htm

I agree this information could be published/

                              Yes
                               No

Organisation & person completing the questionnaire

•	Formal name of organisation:
Archivio di Stato di Firenze

•	Type of organisation:
Public

•	Field of action:	Archive / Library / Museum / Foundation / others ….

•	Address:
Viale Giovine Italia, 6 - 50100 FIRENZE

•	Name of director:
Dr.a Rosalia Manno Tolu

•	Name and role of person completing the questionnaire:
Dr.a Francesca Klein, Responsible for Digitisation projects of the State Archive of Florence

•	Tel:
+39 055 263201
•	Fax:
+39 055 2341159

•	Web site:
http://www.archiviodistato.firenze.it/
•	E-mail:
asfi@archiviodistato.firenze.it

Date:
30/04/02