snapdragon

The SnapDragon: Image Collection Management System is providing a platform for several collaborative projects on the East Coast. SnapDragon is a tool for managing workflow and descriptive cataloging of image assets.  It was developed in 2002 by a Smith College team from the Imaging Center and Educational Technology Services. In 2006, the Smith College group and the University of Virginia Libraries agreed to partner on updating and upgrading SnapDragon in order to better facilitate sharing of descriptive image metadata across collaborative environments. The result is SnapDragon II, a FileMaker Pro version 11 application built with assistance from SupportGroup and Dedication Technologies, two database development and consulting firms. Today the SnapDragon Collaborative includes Smith College, Williams College, and University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 

The SnapDragon II data structure is based on the VRA Core Categories, version 4.0 and follows Cataloging Cultural Objects as a guide for best practice in cataloging and authority control.  Hierarchical views of “Works” and “Authorities” help to fully describe cultural materials at different levels of cataloging. The SnapDragon II  authority files are available to multiple fields in the “Work” and “Image” records in order to avoid redundancy (e.g., Personal and Corporate Name Authority, Geographic Place Names, etc.). The hierarchical structure allows for additional authority files to be developed to support other taxonomies and controlled vocabularies.

On the workflow side SnapDragon II manages acquisitions, production, recon, de-accessioning, and other activities for multiple media image collections. For example, the asset management section is designed to accommodate images acquisitions that may not require cataloging. SnapDragon tracks workflow for the digitization process. SnapDragon II is designed as a metadata repository - it assumes that end users will use other public discovery and presentation tools. The FMP SnapDragon tables can be configured for any number of export venues using XML or Excel spreadsheets. Smith College is taking advantage of FileMakerPro’s capability to create a dynamic connection to the SQL end of LUNA.    

A pilot project for shared cataloging is currently taking place in SnapDragon II. The Smith College Imaging Center and the University of Massachusetts Image Collection Library staff are co-cataloging the Antequam collection of art of the ancient Mediterranean for an ARTstor hosted collection. The Antequam project began when three faculty members from University of Massachusetts, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College wanted to share personal collections. In addition to faculty images, the Antequam project will include: student images of Gallo-Roman monuments in the context of contemporary land-use; an art collection from a Classics department; and contemporary drawings of ancient gardens. The Antequam content is available to the Five Colleges community in LUNA and ARTstor. Another outcome of the project is that Smith College and the University of Massachusetts are discussing strategies for sharing a primary database. Our ultimate goal is to continue to build copyright-clear content for Five Colleges teaching that is not available on the Web or by license

Currently SnapDragon is being used solely for the above-mentioned collaborative projects. For more information please contact Elisa Lanzi elanzi@smith.edu at Smith College.