My Experience
For this assignment, I’m choosing to model Davis Hall on SketchUp. As of one week ago, the extent of my knowledge surrounding Davis Hall was minimal, only composed of two facts:
- It is one of Carleton’s coed residential halls
- It is home to the student wellness center, the SHAC
- It is the southernmost part of the complex which includes Burton and Severence Hall
After doing research, I found out more about the history of Davis in no time. A selection of facts included:
- It was built in 1923
- It was formerly known as South Hall
- Formerly the second all-men (primarily freshman) dormitory on campus
I even found smaller details such as:
- Davis was one of the first buildings to be wired for ethernet
- Most of the interior is woodwork
- Each room has the luxury to a private bathroom
- First floor is the designated quiet floor, while third is substance-free
This first step was done with ease and did not require much scowering of the internet.
Getting to Know the Archives
My next step was to begin using the archives. I’ve always found looking through old sources intriguing, as they tell a lot about the period they were created and used in. Therefore, I found searching the archives to be pretty fun! Finding photos of Davis was simple, as I began by experimenting with different search terms, such as variations of the name, like “Davis Hall” and “South Hall”, in addition to its purpose, “mens dormitory”, or era. The system the library uses allow any users to benefit from using this resource, regardless of experience doing similar tasks.
Gathering Data/Working with Metadata
According to the Library’s Metadata Guidelines, “metadata are words that describe a set of information or objects.” I found working with metadata helpful, straightforward, and somewhat tedious. However, at the end of this assignment, I came to the conclusion that it is critical for forming a good, solid understanding of the materials I am working with and determining their relevance in the projects they will be implemented in. While it may have been confusing the first entry or two, there was a quick learning curve, and I am comforted in knowing that all of my sources are organized and ready for use.
I liked it that you included the information you already knew about Davis hall and the information that you found out by researching. I agree with you that using metadata was a sharp learning curve, but once the first few entries were finished it was easier. I thought that maybe you could have text wrapped the pictures to save space on the post. I enjoyed reading your post and understood your experience with research and metadata.
I liked the layout of your post. It was easy to read; there was no fluff that got in the way. You explained the steps you went through to gather information but stopped right before you got to metadata. It would be great to hear about the metadata from the photos you found in addition to the definition you included in the post.