UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Barlow, Phillip L.
Dept./Program:
Historic Preservation Program
Year:
2005
Degree:
MS
Abstract:
State historic preservation offices in the United States were handed the duty of determining what historic resources remain in their communities by the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act. The traditional historic resource survey method that developed was to utilize a 35mm camera with black and white film and a paper form for recording information in the field. The forms and photographs would be saved by each preservation office in large file systems that would be accessed by searching manually. These paper forms would typically record information about the resource features, history, and geographic location. This approach provided archival stability, but could be costly and cumbersome. Recent improvements in digital technology however, offer tantalizing promises of increased economy and efficiency. As a result, most state historic preservation offices across the United States are now adopting several digital tools to accomplish their tasks.
To assess how historic resource surveys are being redesigned due to the introduction of digital tools, an online survey was distributed nationwide in 2004 to obtain a significant sampling of current historic resource survey techniques. This thesis will address the results of this survey, critically examine the most popular digital survey tools, and provide three case studies of digital historic resource survey activity. Additionally, this thesis addresses the issue of incorporating existing analog files into digital database systems. Transferring this data into a digital format improves the accessibility of the information and, with proper text recognition, provides a keyword searchable database. This conversion and collection into a database can be completed with consumer level electronics and applications, making this an economical and practical solution for preservation offices of varying size and ability.
The potential benefits of this research are increased productivity in historic research, more comprehensive database systems, accurate information for preservation planning, and an efficient means for communicating data.
To assess how historic resource surveys are being redesigned due to the introduction of digital tools, an online survey was distributed nationwide in 2004 to obtain a significant sampling of current historic resource survey techniques. This thesis will address the results of this survey, critically examine the most popular digital survey tools, and provide three case studies of digital historic resource survey activity. Additionally, this thesis addresses the issue of incorporating existing analog files into digital database systems. Transferring this data into a digital format improves the accessibility of the information and, with proper text recognition, provides a keyword searchable database. This conversion and collection into a database can be completed with consumer level electronics and applications, making this an economical and practical solution for preservation offices of varying size and ability.
The potential benefits of this research are increased productivity in historic research, more comprehensive database systems, accurate information for preservation planning, and an efficient means for communicating data.