Everything 4 Everyone

Phase 1



Laying the Groundwork

The first month of our digital catalog project was all about preparation. We began by conducting a needs assessment with library staff and volunteers to understand their biggest pain points—turns out, our old Excel-based catalog was even messier than we thought!

Next, we dove into data cleanup using OpenRefine, standardizing titles, authors, and subject headings to ensure smooth migration later. It’s tedious work, but already we’re seeing fewer duplicates and clearer records. The team’s excited to move from spreadsheets to a real cataloging system—stay tuned for next month’s IT hurdles!

3.10.25

IT Collaboration & Approvals

Month 2 brought us face-to-face with the realities of institutional tech policies. We met with Marietta’s IT department to review our plan for installing Koha, DSpace, and Omeka on the museum’s server. After some back-and-forth about security and server space, we submitted formal requests for software approvals. While we wait, we’re refining our data migration plan and prepping training materials. Lesson learned: Always factor in extra time for bureaucracy!

Meanwhile, our cleaned-up spreadsheet is looking sharper than ever—ready to become a real database soon.

4.8.25

First Steps with Koha

This month, we finally got our hands dirty with Koha! With IT’s green light, we set up a test server and began training staff on basic cataloging workflows. The learning curve is real (why are MARC fields so complicated?), but after a few workshops, our team is starting to add dummy records and experiment with search functions. We’re also troubleshooting small hiccups—like why some old Excel dates didn’t import cleanly—but progress feels tangible.

Next up: migrating our first batch of real records and exploring DSpace for digitized documents. Onward!

5.6.25