Astrodome-TSL2014C-2014-03-06

Transcription

Houston Public Library
Astrodome Memories: TSLAC Library Cooperation Grant SFY2015
Project Title: Astrodome Memories
Project Director: Judith Hiott
If the TSLAC Library Development Consulting Staff has reviewed a draft of this
application, please provide the Consultant’s Name: Erica McCormick
Program Abstract:
As part of a program to increase cooperation among Houston-area archival repositories and
provide improved access to archival collections, the “Astrodome Memories” project will allow
the Houston Public Library and its partners from the Harris County Archives, the University of
Houston Libraries’ Special Collections, and the Woodson Research Center at Rice University’s
Fondren Library to formalize relationships among the partners and other key stakeholders,
increase the number of Astrodome-related materials available to the public, establish a model
process for obtaining necessary copyright permissions, and pilot tools to allow researchers,
students, and community members to interact with and contribute to preserving the cultural
history of the Astrodome.
1. Needs Assessment
In 2013, voters in Houston and Harris County, Texas, were asked to make a decision about the
fate of the Reliant Astrodome, a building promoted as the “eighth wonder of the world” after its
opening in 1965. The Astrodome was the first fully-domed and air-conditioned sports stadium in
the world, the first stadium with luxury skyboxes, and the first stadium to install artificial turf,
thereafter called “AstroTurf.” Owned by Harris County and located inside the Houston city
limits, it has been the host to events ranging from sporting events to rock concerts to the housing
of evacuees from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Astrodome was
included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2013 list of the Most Endangered
Historic Places and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Despite the
facility’s significance, the bond election to renovate the Astrodome did not pass. Whether the
facility is ultimately repurposed, demolished, or left to decay, archivists and librarians in the
Houston area see the discussion around its fate as an opportunity to capture and preserve the
cultural history of the Astrodome.
This project will allow the Houston Public Library and its partners from the Harris County
Archives, the University of Houston Libraries’ Special Collections, and the Woodson Research
Center at Rice University’s Fondren Library to formalize relationships among the partners and
other key stakeholders, increase the number of Astrodome-related materials available to the
public, establish a model process for obtaining necessary copyright permissions, and pilot tools
Narrative (Rev. 6/10/2014)
p. 1 of 22
to allow researchers, students, and community members to interact with and contribute to
preserving the cultural history of the Astrodome.
Identified Need for Project
In 2009, a group of filmmakers began work on a project to document the history of the
Astrodome. While developing their project, The Dome Movie
(https://www.facebook.com/thedomemovie), they met with archivists from various repositories
in Houston and did research at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History in Austin. They
discovered that materials related to the Astrodome were widely dispersed and that in some cases
the location of the original materials was unknown. As interest in the future of the Astrodome
grew in 2012 and 2013, archivists in the Houston area received numerous requests for assistance
in tracking down Astrodome-related material.
A preliminary survey of materials held by the project partners helps to illustrate this problem.
Initial data, collected by searching within the TARO (Texas Archival Resources Online) finding
aid system, indicates that Texas institutions hold at least 26 described collections with
Astrodome-related materials. Other described collections not included in TARO include those
held by the Harris County Archives, consisting of scrapbooks and other materials collected by
Harris County judges, collections of ephemera related to Hurricane Katrina evacuees, sets of
blueprints documenting the construction and later remodeling of the Astrodome, and minutes,
documents, and audio recordings from Harris County Commissioners Court meetings in which
the construction and later renovation of the Astrodome were discussed.
When the focus shifts to unprocessed collections, the situation becomes even more fragmented.
For example, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center holds the Judge Roy Hofheinz papers,
which have not been processed. Casual researchers would not locate them without archival
assistance. Roy Hofheinz was the County Judge for Harris County from 1936 to 1944 and mayor
of the City of Houston from 1953 to 1955. He was one of the most prominent supporters of the
Astrodome, and his impact on the Astrodome included a private apartment within the structure
itself, which was removed when the building was renovated in the 1980s. The Hofheinz papers
will be processed and made available as part of this project, and a description of the collection
will be submitted to TARO.
In order to locate other “hidden” collections, identification of collections from key stakeholders
will be an integral part of this project. Former tenants of the Astrodome, including the Houston
Astros, the Houston Texans, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, have additional
archival material, little of it publicly available, as do Houston area newspapers and radio and
television stations. Beyond these institutional collections, however, there are many additional
collections and items held by private collectors and researchers, only a few of which are
available online. A list of the collections and significant supplemental materials identified in the
preliminary survey has been provided in Attachment 1.
There have been several attempts over the years to address the need for greater cooperation
among Houston-area archives. For example, the Museum of Houston project was funded in 2005
by the Houston Endowment and supported and developed by Preservation Houston (then the
Greater Houston Preservation Alliance) and Rice University. Archival content was contributed
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by the Houston Metropolitan Research Center (Houston Public Library); the McGovern
Historical Collections and Research Center (Houston Academy of Medicine / Texas Medical
Center); the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Texas Southern University; the Heritage Society at
Sam Houston Park; the University of Houston; and Rice University, as well as individual
contributors. Rice University currently hosts the resulting collection, consisting of over 500
photographs and historic documents related to the development of Houston
(http://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/36277). However, staff changes at Preservation Houston
and archival repositories have left this project dormant for several years.
A similar collaboration between the Woodson Research Center at Rice University’s Fondren
Library, the Houston Public Library’s Houston Metropolitan Research Center, and the Houston
Yacht Club was completed in 2011. The “Houston Waterways” project demonstrated
collaboration between public and private archives and a system to incorporate materials from
multiple project partners in a single online exhibit. It was funded in part by a Laura Bush 21st
Century Librarian grant to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Institute for
Museum and Library Services. The project exhibit can be accessed at
http://exhibits.library.rice.edu/exhibits/show/waterways/intro.
Both of these previous attempts at cooperation were limited by issues related to project
management and partner roles. The “Astrodome Memories” hopes to resolve some of these
issues by developing formal agreements among the partners which specify how digital items will
be aggregated and how intellectual property issues, if any, arising from such aggregation will be
resolved. These formal agreements may form a basis for future collaborations between the
project partners and any other potential partners that may be identified and will be made
available to serve as a model for other projects outside of Houston.
Another challenge to cooperation for the “Astrodome Memories” project derives from twentiethcentury copyright reform. The Astrodome opened in 1965. Under current United States copyright
law, virtually all materials published after 1963 remain under copyright, and most unpublished
materials created in 1944 or later (and many of those created before 1944) are protected under
copyright law unless they have explicitly been placed in the public domain. The grant partners
are aware that other collections related to the Astrodome exist, including collections held by
private institutions such as Major League Baseball and the National Football League that have
typically been restrictive in their approach to copyright. Given the complex nature of intellectual
property agreements for modern materials, it may not be possible to clear the permissions to
share all of these materials, but the grant partners intend to begin the process of identifying
collection owners and rightsholders with the intention of eventually making additional
Astrodome-related materials available to the public. A report on the clearance process with
guidelines that can be used as a model by other Texas libraries will be one of the deliverables of
this project.
Project Audience
The obvious audience for this project is the Houston and Harris County community and the
larger community of people who have interacted with the Astrodome during its history. This is a
large audience; the Houston Public Library alone serves 2.1 million people in the City of
Houston and the surrounding area. In the 2010 census, 23.7% of this population self-reported as
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black, and 43.8% of the population reported having Hispanic or Latino origin. 25.9% of the
population is under 18 years of age, and 9% of the population is over 65
(http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4835000.html).
In the 2013 bond election, 111,888 people voted in favor of the $217 million renovation package,
which was narrowly defeated (47% in favor, 53% opposed). This bond election also revealed that
the Astrodome community wanted to be able to share, comment on, and reuse material related to
the Astrodome. At least three Facebook pages were organized, with a total of 7,685 “likes.” A
group was formed to share Astrodome-related photos and memories on Flickr. Articles in the
Houston Chronicle, the New York Times, USA Today, and many other sources were widely
shared and commented on, with emotions running high on all sides of the issue. A memory wall,
part of the “Dome Mobile” operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, ultimately
included approximately 200 square feet of comments and memories, such as the following:
-
“My dad A.L. Jensen was the general contractor at H.A. Lott who built the dome. He
took me to the opening game!” Elma Jensen.
-
“I came to a game in 1965 with my family as we traveled from Boston to Los Angeles. I
came back the next year and never left.” Kerry G.
The wall has been donated to the Houston Public Library and will be transcribed and digitally
preserved, but no other coordinated effort to preserve this part of the Astrodome’s story has yet
taken shape.
The size of the potential audience outside of Houston is harder to estimate, but the Astrodome
itself has both statewide and national significance, both as a structure and as the site of
significant sporting and cultural events of the second half of the twentieth century.
Project Goals
The “Astrodome Memories” project is part of a larger program to promote cooperation among
archival institutions in the Houston area and throughout Texas. The “Astrodome Memories”
project’s overarching goal is the creation of an online resource in which members of the greater
Houston community and Astrodome stakeholders can discover and share collections of
Astrodome-related materials, preserving memories of the facility even if the physical structure is
demolished or transformed. The project has four sub-goals, which relate to goals 1, 2, and 5 from
the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s five-year LSTA plan for 2013-2017:
●
LSTA Goal 1: Texans will have access to shared library resources to meet their learning
and informational needs.
○
Project Sub-goal 1: Formalize relationships among project partners and other key
stakeholders for the purposes of sharing information and making archival resources
more widely accessible.
○
Project Sub-goal 2: Increase the number of Astrodome-related materials available to
the public through digitization and preservation of digital materials.
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●
LSTA Goal 2: Texans and Texas communities will have access to Internet connected
resources and services through Texas libraries to meet community and personal goals and
the support they need to use them successfully
○
●
Project Sub-goal 3: Implement tools that allow researchers, students, and community
members to interact with and contribute to preserving the cultural history of the
Astrodome
LSTA Goal 5: Texans will receive responsive library services
○
Project Sub-goal 4: Establish a model process for obtaining necessary copyright
permissions that can be reused by other libraries working with in-copyright materials.
2. Program Design
The formal partners in this project are the Houston Public Libraries, including both the Houston
Metropolitan Research Center and the Houston Area Library Automated Network, the Harris
County Archives, the University of Houston Libraries’ Special Collections, and the Woodson
Research Center at Rice University’s Fondren Library. Letters of support stating intent to
participate in this project have been provided as Attachment 2. The partners were identified
based on their archival holdings, which include Astrodome-related collections, and their
experience making digitized items available for research and discovery. Although not formal
partners in the project, the Dolph Briscoe Center at The University of Texas at Austin will also
contribute archival materials and Preservation Houston will work with project partners on
stakeholder identification and website development.
The design of this project is driven primarily by the fragmentation of collections discussed
above. During the initial phase of this project, the partners will seek additional input from key
stakeholders, including both collecting institutions and individuals. Former tenants of the
Astrodome, including the Houston Astros, the Houston Texans, and the Houston Livestock Show
and Rodeo, will be consulted, as will representatives from the Houston Chronicle and Houstonarea television stations. Project partners will make individual contacts wherever possible, and a
broad call for self-identification of stakeholders will be available through the project website and
through discussion lists and forums.
A meeting of key stakeholders will begin a process of needs assessment that will determine
activities in future phases of the project. A community-wide needs assessment will include an
environmental scan to identify similar projects nationwide to assist with identification of best
practices. It will also include an online questionnaire, asking potential community members to
identify specific elements of Astrodome-related activity which should be included in the
implementation effort. For example, the Astroworld theme park, which was demolished in 2005,
or the Astrohall, which was demolished in 2002, could be included in the scope of the overall
project. Key informant interviews will provide additional feedback regarding deliverables
essential for successful implementation of the project.
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Reports from both the stakeholders meeting and the community needs assessment will be
available on the project website. This will allow stakeholders who could not attend the meeting
to remain in contact with the progress of the project. Remote participation for selected
stakeholders will also be enabled, as the budget for the planning phases does not include travel
support.
Finally, the project partners will collaboratively develop an “Astrodome Memories” resource for
members of the greater Houston community and Astrodome stakeholders. This resource will be
built using the open-source Omeka asset management system. Hosting of the resource will be
provided either by Preservation Houston, as part of the virtual Museum of Houston program
(www.museumofhouston.org), or as part of the Houston Public Library’s Houston Area Digital
Archives (http://digital.houstonlibrary.org).
Project partners will contribute digital assets to this system, focusing initially on items that have
broad community appeal, identified through a collections-level analysis. An intellectual property
clearance process will assist partners in determining the suitability of individual items for the
online collection. These items will include photographs, blueprints, drawings, video, oral
histories, newspaper clippings, and Astrodome memorabilia. Preservation Houston will advise
partners on development of one or more multimedia exhibits in Omeka focusing on key aspects
of the Astrodome’s history. These exhibits will be targeted primarily at community residents,
particularly K-12 students.
The formal partners in this project will meet regularly to review progress towards the project
goals. The meetings will take place in Houston and may be facilitated by an outside consultant as
needed. Formal agreements will be developed to address not only distribution of grant funds but
also to specify how digital items will be aggregated and how intellectual property issues, if any,
arising from such aggregation will be resolved. These formal agreements may form the basis for
further collaborations between the project partners and any future partners in the project.
The Houston Public Library, the University of Houston, and Rice University were members of
the statewide collaborative digitization project Texas Heritage Online and have previous
experience in making metadata available for harvesting, and they will work with the other
partners to ensure that appropriate standards and best practices are used for digitization of
selected items and in descriptive and administrative metadata created for each item.
The initial phase of this project will include the following deliverables:
1. A community needs analysis, including:
a. A stakeholders meeting, facilitated by an outside consultant
b. An environmental scan, identifying possible opportunities and challenges
c. A report on the stakeholders meeting, an online questionnaire, and key informant
interviews, including a list of recommendations for project implementation
2. An intellectual property clearance process guide, incorporating information on:
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a. Copyright terms for published and unpublished works
b. Recommended practices for identifying owners and copyright holders, with
procedures for requesting permissions from known content owners
c. Recommended practices for “orphan works,” works for which no copyright owner
can be identified
d. Recommended policies for accepting contributions from community members
e. Recommended language for end-user license agreements for contributors to the
community site
f. Recommended policies for take-down of material due to privacy or intellectual
property challenges
3. An aggregation plan, including:
a. Required and optional metadata elements
b. Acceptable digital item formats and specifications
4. Pilots of the following tools, accessible online:
a. Collections management system, containing representative items from collections
held by project partners
b. Multimedia exhibit tool
5. A model partnership agreement for future project partners
At the end of the preliminary phase of this project, a functional “Astrodome Memories” resource
will be available to the community for review and assessment. This resource will include
digitized materials from the collections of the five Astrodome partners and a minimum of one
multimedia exhibit, plus information about how to become a project partner.
In future phases of the project, the “Astrodome Memories” resource may allow members of the
community to contribute digital objects directly to the resource, although those items will
necessarily have to be reviewed for copyright, privacy, and other legal issues prior to being made
available to the public. Community members may also have the opportunity to contribute further
to a virtual “Memory Wall,” and oral history collection stations located at public libraries in
Houston and Harris County could provide additional opportunities for community members to
share their stories. Specific deliverables for future phases of the project will be driven by the
results of the community needs analysis.
3. Project Impact
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Both regionally and nationally, interest in cooperative digital projects remains strong.
Digitization of historical materials held by libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural
heritage organizations makes local history available to individuals who might not otherwise be
able to experience the objects directly, and projects to aggregate those resources make it easier to
access materials that are held by diverse collecting institutions.
Multiple models for this type of cooperation have been used successfully. The regional host
model is perhaps best represented in Texas by the Portal to Texas History at the University of
North Texas, which hosts material from approximately two hundred contributing institutions.
Most of the partners in the “Astrodome Memories” project have contributed materials to the
Portal to Texas History, but some materials held by archives and special collections cannot be
contributed to this type of hosted portal, either because of rights and permissions issues or
because the digital image quality or descriptive metadata do not meet the Portal’s pre-determined
requirements.
Other types of cooperation in this area include metasearch tools, such as the Texas Heritage
Online system developed at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and those now in
use at the Digital Public Library of America, the Mountain West Digital Library, and other
collaborative efforts. In most of these efforts, metadata from multiple systems is harvested and
normalized to provide access to all of the resources from a single search tool. The effectiveness
of the tool is largely determined by the quality of the harvested metadata.
In the “Astrodome Memories” project, the project partners will model a hybrid form of
cooperative digital program. The Houston Public Library and Rice University each provide
access not only to digitized items from their own special collections but will also host materials
from other collecting institutions, including the Harris County Archives. The University of
Houston will provide digitized materials from its own extensive Special Collections, as will the
Dolph Briscoe Center at The University of Texas at Austin. This project will aggregate
Astrodome-related items provided by project partners and other stakeholders and will thus
provide in-depth topical access. Virtual exhibits will allow for a more narrative exploration of
the topic, and the online resource will be designed to allow community submissions,
commentary, and reuse of contributed materials, which will be developed in subsequent phases
of the project.
This hybrid model will greatly expand the impact of cooperative digital projects. Institutions
with few or no collections to contribute, represented in this project by Preservation Houston and
by the Woodson Research Center at Rice University’s Fondren Library, will still be able to take
an active role in curating and interpreting the materials aggregated through the topical resource.
Institutions with substantial collections will be able to contribute them either by providing
metadata to the topical resource or by negotiating a hosting agreement with another partner.
Most importantly, the barrier to participation will be lowered to allow for greater sharing and
reuse of materials by members of the community.
The Houston Public Library, as a community library, will benefit from increased participation by
the greater Houston community in the development and reuse of a topical resource on the
Astrodome. Interest in the Astrodome’s future is high, and Houston Public Library staff
anticipate that this project will attract new users to their digital collections. The Harris County
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Archives, whose collections are less visible than those of other institutions, will benefit by
increased exposure and by opportunities for future collaboration with other Houston area
archives. Rice University and the University of Houston will contribute collections that have
significant appeal to their alumni communities. including sports collections, as both schools’
teams played in the Astrodome. Preservation Houston hopes that continued high interest in the
fate of the Astrodome will create opportunities for community conversations about Houston
history and historic preservation. These diverse institutional outcomes are strongly tied to the
missions of the respective partners.
The “Astrodome Memories” project will also serve as a model for future collaborative digital
projects. By sharing the legal and administrative resources developed for the project, the project
partners hope to be able to lower the barrier to entry for other institutions looking to develop
cooperative projects. Shared best practices will also help to promote the sustainability of
cooperative digital efforts. This project is not innovative technologically. Its impacts will be felt
in improvements to the processes and practices of cooperation.
4. Personnel
Each of the project partners has committed staff resources to this project. Management of the
project will be provided by Judith Hiott, Chief at the Houston Area Library Automated Network
(HALAN) within the Houston Public Library. HALAN will also provide resources for
digitization of and online access to Digital Astrodome materials contributed by the Houston
Metropolitan Research Center and project partners. The Houston Public Library will act as the
fiscal agent for the project.
Additional Houston Public Library staff will provide support for project activities:
-
Elizabeth Sargent, Manager of the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, will oversee
efforts to process and describe Astrodome-related collections, including the Judge Roy
Hofheinz papers, and to identify items from HMRC collections for digitization.
-
Roland Lemonius, Manager of Digital Collections, will oversee digitization of
Astrodome-related items and will implement a method of harvesting partner collections
for aggregation in a combined online system. He will also coordinate development of one
or more interactive multimedia exhibits with content contributed by project partners and
key stakeholders.
-
Amber Seely, manager of Cataloging and Metadata Services, will oversee metadata
creation for digitized Astrodome-related items and will coordinate the encoding of
finding aids for inclusion in Texas Archival Resources Online.
The Houston Public Library staff participating in this project have substantial experience with
similar projects. In particular, they were all involved in the successful Houston Oral History
Project, a collaboration between the Houston Public Libraries, the Office of the Mayor under
Mayor Bill White, and historians from the University of Houston, Rice University, and Texas
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Southern University. This project demonstrated tools that can be used for presentation of audiovideo materials and also implemented complex rights and permissions management. The project
was funded in part with grants from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the
Texas State Library and Archives Commission under the provisions of the Library Services and
Technology Act.
The project partners and their key staff are:
-
Harris County Archives. Sarah Canby Jackson, Harris County Archivist, will work with
other County employees, particularly those in the public infrastructure department, to
identify Astrodome-related materials in County records. She will work with the other
project partners to identify and contact key stakeholders. As the Harris County Archives
does not have a content management system for digitized material, she will work with the
Houston Public Library and other partners to put items from the Harris County Archives
online, following appropriate digitization and metadata standards.
-
University of Houston Libraries. Valerie Prilop, Special Collections Librarian for Digital
Collections, will work with Special Collections staff and staff from the University of
Houston Libraries Digital Collections unit to make items from University of Houston
collections available online using established standards and to enable harvesting of
metadata and thumbnails from University of Houston collections. Pat Bozeman, head of
Special Collections, will work with the other project partners to identify and contact key
stakeholders and will work with project partners to plan the stakeholders meeting, hosted
by the University of Houston Libraries.
-
Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University. Amanda Focke, Assistant
Head of Special Collections, will work with staff from the Rice University Libraries and
the Center for Digital Scholarship to make items from Rice University collections
available online using established standards and will enable harvesting of metadata and
thumbnails from Rice University collections. She will work with the other project
partners to identify and contact key stakeholders, particularly Rice University faculty.
She will assist the other project partners in development of multimedia exhibits and
interactive content, with which she has prior experience.
Each of the formal project partners will provide:
-
Administrative support for the project within their institutions
-
Contribution of collections-level reports on all Astrodome-related collections held by
their institutions
-
Minimal-level arrangement and description of unprocessed Astrodome-related
collections, with additional processing as needed for particularly important collections
-
Digital surrogates and metadata for representative items in these collections (approx. 50200 items per partner). Limited support for conservation and digitization, particularly of
large or special format materials will be available
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-
Assistance with preparation of collection-level reports on collections held by key external
stakeholders
-
Attendance at all partner meetings
-
Attendance at stakeholder meeting
Additional project support will be provided by one or more consultants, to avoid delays in
project activities caused by the need to hire temporary staff. Activities to be outsourced to
consultants include:
-
Assistance with documentation required for grant reports, including facilitation of up to
six (6) partner meetings
-
Facilitation of one (1) stakeholder meeting and preparation of a report discussing the
results of the meeting
-
Production of needs analysis survey and facilitation of key informant interviews, and
preparation of a needs analysis report, including outcomes-based evaluation and
sustainability recommendations
An initial set of qualifications for the project analysis consultant(s) has been provided in
Attachment 3(a).
Legal assistance for development of the intellectual property clearance process guide will be
provided by a consultant. Gretchen McCord of Digital Information Law has provided an estimate
of the base fee for preparation of this guide. Ms. McCord was selected based on her credentials,
reputation, and familiarity with Houston and the project partners as a former employee of the
University of Houston Libraries. Her resume is included in has been provided in Attachment
3(b).
Exhibit design will be outsourced to a consultant under the supervision of Preservation Houston.
The exhibit designer will be expected to have previous experience developing online exhibits;
experience with the Omeka content management system will be preferred. An initial set of
qualifications for this consultant is provided in has been provided in Attachment 3(c).
5. Timetable
The timetable for the “Astrodome Memories” project is necessarily complicated, since it
involves multiple partners and activities. The first activity will be the development of stakeholder
support. Four months of the one-year planning phase will be dedicated to this activity. Partners
will identify key stakeholders, including representatives of Astrodome tenants and Houston-area
news and media companies as well as representatives of archives. This activity will culminate in
a stakeholder meeting hosted by the University of Houston Libraries, facilitation of which will
be performed by a contractor.
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The second activity will be the preparation of a needs analysis. This work, performed primarily
by a consultant, will require approximately three months to complete, and will overlap with the
first activity. The needs analysis will include a report on the stakeholder meeting and also
include results from an online questionnaire and key informant interviews.
The final activity, which will span the entire duration of the planning phase, is sharing
Astrodome-related collections through an online resource. This activity includes collection
identification, arrangement, and description; selection of items for digitization, and development
of a website through which partner collections and multimedia exhibits can be accessed. A
significant sub-activity will be the creation of the intellectual property clearance process guide.
This work will overlap with the second activity and will be performed primarily by an outside
consultant.
A graphic timeline for the first phase of the “Astrodome Memories” project has been provided as
Attachment 4. Chronologically, project activities include:
●
●
●
September-October 2014:
○
Administrative: press release disseminated; partner contracts negotiated; project
management consultant RFP and contract completed. Partners participate in Shaping
Outcomes training. First project partner meeting in Houston.
○
Stakeholder support: stakeholder identification; selection of date and venue for
stakeholder meeting; issuance of invitations to meeting (individual contacts by project
partners preferred).
○
Online resource: collection identification; harvest of initial content (already
digitized); implementation of Omeka content management system.
November 2014:
○
Administrative: partner meeting in conjunction with stakeholder meeting; contract for
legal assistance completed
○
Stakeholder support: meeting of stakeholders, facilitated by outside consultant; key
informant interviews
○
Needs analysis: development of online needs assessment questionnaire, initial draft of
environmental scan
○
Online resource: ongoing collection identification; development of intellectual
property clearance process; collection arrangement and description; alpha release of
online resource (coincides with stakeholder meeting)
December 2014:
○
Administrative: Partner meeting to review stakeholder meeting; RFP for exhibit
design
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●
●
●
●
○
Stakeholder support: report on stakeholder meeting delivered
○
Needs analysis: online needs assessment questionnaire live; environmental scan
delivered
○
Online resource: initial draft of intellectual property clearance process guide
delivered; ongoing collection arrangement and description; existing partner content
added to online resource; selection and prioritization of additional items for
digitization
January 2015:
○
Administrative: Contract(s) for outsourced digitization in place; process for hiring
interns in place; exhibit designer contract completed
○
Stakeholder support: contracts negotiated with one or more stakeholders for
additional content to be added to online resource
○
Needs analysis: needs analysis delivered
○
Online resource: final intellectual property clearance process guide delivered;
ongoing collection arrangement and description; existing partner content added to
online resource; selection and prioritization of additional items for digitization
February 2015:
○
Administrative: interns hired; partner meeting to review results of needs analysis;
draft application for phase 2 of project developed if needed
○
Online resource: ongoing collection arrangement and description; ongoing
digitization of collection items; partner content added to online resource; storyboard
for interactive exhibit delivered
March 2015:
○
Administrative: first grant report delivered to TSLAC; application for phase 2 of
project delivered to TSLAC if needed
○
Online resource: ongoing collection arrangement and description; ongoing
digitization of collection items; partner content added to online resource; selected
stakeholder content added to online resource to support interactive exhibit
April 2015:
○
Administrative: partner meeting to review progress and allocate remaining grant
funds
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○
●
●
●
●
Online resource: collection finding aid(s) contributed to TARO; draft of interactive
exhibit delivered; ongoing digitization of collection items; partner content added to
online resource; selected stakeholder content added to online resource to support
interactive exhibit
May 2015:
○
Administrative: press release announcing beta release of online resource; optional
exhibit design RFP issued, depending on remaining grant funds
○
Online resource: beta release, including interactive exhibit
June 2015:
○
Administrative: additional interns hired, depending on remaining grant funds;
optional exhibit design contract completed
○
Online resource: optional interactive exhibit storyboard delivered; selected partner
and stakeholder content added to online resource to support interactive exhibit(s)
July 2015:
○
Administrative: partner meeting to review progress
○
Online resource: version 1.0 of online resource delivered, including optional
interactive exhibit
August 2015:
○
Administrative: final grant report delivered to TSLAC
6. Evaluation
Project partners have agreed that evaluation and assessment activities will be an essential part of
this project. In order to promote cooperative evaluation and assessment activities, during the first
two months of the project the project partners as a group will work through material from the
ShapingOutcomes.org course developed by Indiana University with support from IMLS.
Although individual partners have previous experience with outcomes-based evaluation, group
participation in this course will give partners a chance to discuss outcomes-based evaluation and
assessment options in the context of this project. A preliminary evaluation plan for future phases
of the project will be reviewed at the stakeholders meeting.
Initial evaluation of the planning phase of this project will follow the stakeholders meeting.
Project partners have identified a single outcome for this meeting:
p. 14 of 22
-
Key stakeholders in this project will feel increased confidence in the collaboration
opportunities of this project, as measured by an increase in the number of collection
owners who agree to contribute materials to the project and the diversity of types of
collections included in the project.
We will ask stakeholders to make a formal commitment to contributing to the project at the end
of the stakeholders meeting, though we anticipate that some stakeholders will ask for additional
materials, possibly including legal review of partnership agreements, prior to making any
commitment. By the conclusion of the planning phase of this project, the project partners hope to
add a minimum of two additional formal partners to the project and to have established a method
for acquiring copyright permissions from a minimum of two key stakeholders with substantial
Astrodome-related collections.
Additional project outcomes and outputs are directly related to the Texas LSTA Five-Year Plan
for 2013-2017:
●
LSTA Goal 1: Texans will have access to shared library resources to meet their learning
and informational needs.
○
Project Sub-Goal 1: Formalize relationships among project partners and other key
stakeholders for the purposes of sharing information and making archival
resources more widely accessible.
§
§
○
Outputs:
-
Number of partnership agreements and stakeholder agreements completed
-
Model partnership agreement made available through University of
Houston and/or Rice University institutional repositories
Outcomes:
-
All partners will feel increased confidence in the collaboration
opportunities of this project, as reported in the final project evaluation and
review
-
Key stakeholders in this project will feel increased confidence in the
collaboration opportunities of this project, as measured by an increase in
the number of collection owners who agree to contribute materials to the
project and the diversity of types of collections included in the project.
Project Sub-Goal 2: Increase the number of Astrodome-related materials available
to the public through digitization and preservation of digital materials
§
Outputs:
•
Number of Astrodome-related collections identified and described
p. 15 of 22
§
•
Number of Astrodome-related items digitized
•
Number of items made accessible through the “Astrodome Memories”
online resource
Outcome:
•
●
LSTA Goal 2: Texans and Texas communities will have access to Internet connected
resources and services through Texas libraries to meet community and personal goals and
the support they need to use them successfully
○
Project Sub-goal 3: Implement tools that allow researchers, students, and
community members to interact with and contribute to preserving the cultural
history of the Astrodome
§
Output:
•
§
Number of methods for interaction and user contribution to the online
resource implemented during the project period
Outcome:
•
●
At least 70% of Astrodome stakeholders surveyed at the conclusion of the
first phase of the project will feel that the information provided on the
“Astrodome Memories” online resource increases their knowledge of and
appreciation for the Astrodome.
At least 70% of users of the “Astrodome Memories” online resource will
have positive general impressions of the site and confidence in using the
interactive tools, based on user testing of a small number of representative
users (no more than 15) during the beta testing.
LSTA Goal 5: Texans will receive responsive library services
○
Project Sub-goal 4: Establish a model process for obtaining necessary copyright
permissions that can be reused by other libraries working with in-copyright
materials.
§
Output:
•
§
Model intellectual property clearance process guide made available
through University of Houston and/or Rice University institutional
repositories
Outcome:
p. 16 of 22
•
All project partners demonstrate confidence in the intellectual property
clearance process guide by implementing elements of the process during
the period of the project.
7. Budget (20 points)
1. Personnel
•
Houston Public Library staff:
o Judith Hiott, Chief of the Houston Area Library Automated Network, will serve as
the primary administrative contact for the grant and will complete and submit all
required grant documentation and reports. She will attend meetings of the project
partners and will coordinate the activities of HALAN related to the project. 2.5%
FTE. Salary from City of Houston pay schedule.
o Elizabeth Sargent, Manager of the Houston Metropolitan Research Center (HMRC) at
the Houston Public Library, will assist with stakeholder identification, the stakeholder
needs analysis, and with collection identification. She will attend meetings of the
project partners and will coordinate the activities of other MHRC staff, not listed, in
collection processing, arrangement, and description. 7.5% FTE. Salary from City of
Houston pay schedule.
o Roland Lemonius, Manager of Digital Collections at Houston Public Library, will
coordinate the digitization of HMRC collections and the online presentation of
Houston Public Library and partner collections in the Digital Astrodome site, hosted
by HALAN. He will test and prototype tools for interactive exhibits and other
visualizations as directed by the Grant Steering Committee. 7.5% FTE. Salary from
City of Houston pay schedule.
o Amber Seely, Manager of Cataloging and Metadata Services at Houston Public
Library, will coordinate metadata production for HMRC collections and will work
with HMRC staff to produce finding aids for HMRC collections in EAD as required
for inclusion in the Texas Archival Resources Online aggregation. 7.5% FTE. Salary
from City of Houston pay schedule.
•
Grant partner staff:
Each of the formal grant partners will contribute staff time required to perform
administrative activities for the grant, including attendance at stakeholder and partner
meetings and preparation of required grant reports. These activities are estimated to
require approximately 40 hours per partner; however, to simplify reporting, specific
amounts are not required from any partner. Additional partner staff time required for
collection identification, processing, and description, will also be included in partner
reports.
p. 17 of 22
•
Student Internships:
$5,000 has been designated to support 5 one-month student internships or capstone
experiences. Students will be expected to be enrolled in master’s-level library or archival
programs of study. Student interns may assist project partners with collection processing
and description, digitization, and metadata creation, as needed. Partners will be
responsible for recruiting internship candidates, and funds to support internships will be
added to partner contracts as approved by the project partners.
2. Fringe Benefits
Houston Public Library will contribute fringe benefits on salaries of staff listed in section 1.
The rate is 26% of salary, as determined by the City of Houston.
3. Travel
No travel support requested
4. Equipment/Property
No equipment/property support requested
5. Supplies
No supplies support requested
6. Contractual Services
•
Digitization
Houston Public Library will receive up to $2,000 to support outsourcing for digitization
of materials in special formats. Such formats may include moving images (film or tape)
requiring equipment not available to HPL staff. Houston Public Library may use an
additional $3,000 to digitize items identified by project partners.
•
Conservation
Houston Public Library will receive up to $1,000 to support conservation of collection
items considered to be otherwise ineligible for digitization based on condition. This may
include preservation microfilming of newspapers to support digitization. Houston Public
Library may use an additional $2,000 for conservation of items identified by project
partners.
•
Needs Analysis and Meeting Facilitation:
One or more consultants will be engaged to perform a needs analysis and to facilitate
partner and stakeholders meetings. Specific tasks to be performed include:
p. 18 of 22
o Assistance with documentation required for grant reports, including facilitation of up
to six (6) partner meetings
o Facilitation of one (1) stakeholder meeting and preparation of a report discussing the
results of the meeting
o Production of needs analysis survey and facilitation of key informant interviews, and
preparation of a needs analysis report, including outcomes-based evaluation and
sustainability recommendations
Houston Public Library has obtained estimates from multiple consultants as a guide to
preparing a preliminary budget for these services. However, regular procurement
processes will be followed to ensure best value to the City of Houston. The time
estimated to issue an RFP and hire a consultant is estimated at one month. Costs will not
exceed the amounts listed.
The time to provide these services is estimated at 325 hours over the course of a year,
with the majority of the work occurring in the first four months of the project. The hourly
rate charged by the consultant(s) for these services will not exceed $75 per hour, for a
total contract amount not to exceed $25,000.
•
Intellectual Property Clearance Process Guide Preparation
Gretchen McCord of Digital Information Law (http://www.digitalinfolaw.com) has
provided an estimate for developing and documenting a process for obtaining copyright
clearance, either permissions or actual transfer of intellectual property, for mid to late
20th century materials, such as the ones expected to be included in this project. This
process will include an option for risk assessment and fair use estimation in the event that
a copyright owner cannot be identified or located. It will also address issues of privacy
law that might arise for projects involving living people. The process will be based on
processes developed by Hathi Trust, the Library of Congress, the Society of American
Archivists, and others, and will reflect national best practices, insofar as those can be
identified based on existing law.
The time to develop this process is estimated at 85 hours, using Ms. McCord’s standard
rate for libraries of $195 per hour. Specific activities include:
o Definition of process for conducting fair use analyses and making final
determinations on fair use
o Establishment of language to be included in future deeds of gift
o Establishment of language to obtain any rights not addressed in past deeds of gifts
o Definition of process for obtaining permission when necessary (including specific
language)
o Definition of process for addressing orphan works
p. 19 of 22
o Definition of process for addressing other specific, frequently occurring situations
such as:
§
photos of protected works displayed in publicly accessible places
§
photos of individuals
§
public records that may be protected by copyright
§
bootleg recordings of games or performances occurring in the Astrodome
o Identification of related issues such as right or publicity and privacy, and third party
resources to be used in analyzing these issues
In addition to these activities, Ms. McCord will provide specific guidance and
consultation to project partners on an as-needed basis. Approximately 30 additional hours
of support have been budgeted for specific consultations. The total contract amount will
not exceed $25,000.
•
Online Exhibit Design and Writing
Houston Public Library will work with Preservation Houston to identify and hire a
consultant to design and write a minimum of one exhibit for the “Astrodome Memories”
resource during the first phase of the project. Possible themes for the exhibit include
“Building the Dome,” “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” “Sport and Spectacle,” “Rock
and Rodeo,” and “The Dome’s Future.” Each exhibit will include a variety of content in
multiple media formats and will include between two and five sub-pages.
Houston Public Library has obtained estimates from multiple consultants as a guide to
preparing a preliminary budget for these services. However, regular procurement
processes will be followed to ensure best value to the City of Houston. The time
estimated to issue an RFP and hire an exhibit designer is estimated at one month. Costs
will not exceed the amounts listed.
The time to provide these services is estimated at 200 hours over the course of three
months. The hourly rate charged by the consultant for these services will not exceed $60
per hour, for a total contract amount not to exceed $12,000.
7. Other
In accordance with LSTA Competitive grant guidelines, indirect costs are not included in
requested grant funds. The indirect on the first $5,000 of every contact funded with grant
funds is included as cost share using Houston Public Library’s default federal rate of 15%
(base of $28,000). Separate rates for the partners have not been negotiated, but in no case
will grant funds provided to grant partners include indirect costs.
p. 20 of 22
The indirect on cost share provided by Houston Public Library and grant partners is included
as cost share using Houston Public Library’s default rate of 15% (base of $19,984).
The total indirect that will be contributed by Houston Public Library as cost share is
$7,197.60.
8. Sustainability
The partners in the “Astrodome Memories” project have agreed to continue support for the
“Astrodome Memories” online resource for a minimum of three years following the conclusion
of grant support. Written agreements between the partners will specify the level of support to be
provided. Longer-term sustainability will be determined by evaluation of continued need for the
resource and use of the site.
In order to build long-term support for the project, partners will maintain extensive
communication with key stakeholders and the community. A press release will be issued at the
beginning of the initial phase of the project, including contact information for the project
partners. Communications with stakeholders will continue throughout the planning phase of the
project in order to solidify existing partnerships and establish new partnerships and permissions
procedures.
An early alpha release of the “Astrodome Memories” online resource, including some items
already digitized by project partners, will similarly provide stakeholders and potential
contributors with information about the project and will provide opportunities for marketing and
promotion. This will be followed with a beta release of the resource, to include at least one
multimedia exhibit by the end of the first phase of the project. Although community interaction
is not part of the initial phase of the project, the resource will be designed to allow community
contributions and comments and discussion of collection items and exhibits. Usability testing
will ensure that this functionality is available in the beta and final releases of the resource and
that the resource will meet user needs.
The initial phase of this project is by necessity limited in scope, and full implementation of the
project will depend on identification of ongoing support. As the initial phase of the project
concludes, the project partners will communicate with key stakeholders, including stakeholders
within their organizations, to identify both internal and external support for additional phases and
specific activities that should be undertaken during those phases. In a preliminary meeting of the
project partners, there was general agreement that the project is tied to the core missions of each
of the partner organizations and thus should be continued using internal resources, if no other
means of support can be identified.
Products of the initial phase of this project, including deliverables such as the intellectual
property clearance process documentation and the model partnership agreements, will be shared
with other organizations and contributed to institutional repositories at the University of Houston
and Rice University in order to ensure ongoing access. This will contribute to sustainability of
the larger program of which this is a part, which involves ongoing cooperation between and
p. 21 of 22
among archival institutions and external stakeholders in the greater Houston region. The
“Astrodome Memories” project will be a demonstration of this type of cooperation.
p. 22 of 22
ATTACHMENT 1:
Archival Collections with Astrodome-Related Material
Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library
Judge Roy Hofheinz Papers
Relevant contents: 40 linear feet
Unprocessed collection with scrapbooks related to the building of the Astrodome.
Relevant contents: unknown
Evelyn Norton Anderson Papers
Relevant contents: 18 folders of Colts and Astrodome uniform designs (uniform designs
have been removed from their original binders, and material samples that were stapled to
the designs have been detached and given individual housing in the same folder as the
relevant design)
Katrina Relief Effort in Houston Collection
Relevant contents: unknown
Database of Architectural Records
Relevant contents: 47 records related to Astrodome
Frank E. Mann Collection
Relevant contents: Astrodome lease, 1971-1972
KHOU-TV Film Collection
Relevant contents: Fat Stock Show & Rodeo - 1st Year Astrodome, Astros 12/22/65,
Astrodome Cycle Races 01/28/72
Ben T. Reyes Papers
Relevant contents: 1 folder, Convention Center & Astrodome; Hotel Taxes; 1981
Dale S. Cooper Collection
Relevant contents: Mechanical, electrical, air conditioning, and engineering plans of the
Astrodome.
Republican National Convention 1992 Collection
Relevant contents: Scrapbooks and various documents documenting the 1992 Republican
National Convention held in the Astrodome.
Houston Post and Houston Chronicle Negatives
Relevant contents: Photographic images depicting the diversity of events that occurred in
the Astrodome from its building to rodeos and sporting events. Unknown number of
images related. Copyright permissions not secured.
1. Archival Collections (Rev. 6/10/2014)
p. 1 of 5
Harris County Archives
Harris County Judge Jon Lindsay Records
Subject Files (1961-1992) document the responsibilities of Harris County Judge Jon
Lindsay. The records include minutes, reports, correspondence, memorandums, printed
materials, manuals, budgets, maps, building plans, newspaper clippings, and photographs.
E. A. “SQUATTY” LYONS PAPERS
Twenty-two scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings, printed materials,
correspondence, photographs, and political ephemera, along with certificates, plaques,
and photographs document the political career and interests of E. A. “Squatty” Lyons and
provide a record of Harris County government from 1943 - 1990.
Harris County Records Management (CR04)
Katrina Message Boards, 2005. Forty-five message boards created by evacuees from
New Orleans in the Houston Astrodome document the search for displaced persons after
the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of the city.
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin
Robert J. Minchew Houston Astrodome Architectural and Engineering Collection
Extent: 21 ft.
Relevant contents: Construction files, research files, legal documents, financial
documents, newspaper clippings, films, magazines, photographs, drawings, blueprints
and correspondence document the career of Robert J. Minchew and his work on the
Houston Astrodome and other construction projects. The bulk of the material focuses on
the Astrodome, originally called Harris County Domed Stadium, in Houston, Texas.
Skipper Lee Frazier Papers
Relevant contents: partial box, publicity and correspondence relating to the KOOL Jazz
Festival (sometimes known as the Astrodome KOOL Jazz Festival).
Shel Hershorn Photograph Collection
Relevant contents: restricted slides, 35mm: Bull fighting, Astrodome, Houston, Texas
#11391 (312); Motorcycle race, Astrodome, Houston, Texas (359)
Bob Bailey Studios Photographic Archive
Relevant contents: Prints - Astrodome under construction; Moving image - Marching
Band in Astrodome, ca. 1952/72 (color, no sound, print)
Michael A. Andrews Papers
Relevant contents: Legislative files, 1985-1986: Astrodome renovation project, 1986;
Legislative files, 1983-86: Houston Astrodome, Tax Free Bond Issue, expansion, 1986
Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., Papers
Relevant contents: Speech and Speechwriter files: Agri-Business luncheon, Astrodome,
Houston, Texas, November 1, 1974; Legislative Staff Files, Sam Sessions files:
Astrodome, October 1987
p. 2 of 5
Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries
George Kirksey Papers
Relevant contents: 19 folders (Houston Sports Association, 1957-1966 clippings and
miscellaneous), 152 folders (Photographs, baseball), 2 scrapbooks (baseball, football),
one box (Houston Sports Association newspapers, 1962).
Kirksey Photographs
-
2 boxes containing approximately 175 photographs
about half are definitely commercial (include photo credits, etc.)
the rest are unidentified but look like promotional photographs used for
publication or display, possibly by HAS
includes 10 autographed publicity photos of ballplayers that are likely low risk
includes 20 photographs made by NASA, which would be in public domain
Kirksey Documents
-
3 boxes of assorted clippings, Houston Sports Association documents, and
correspondence
much of the material is mixed together with clippings, documents, and other items
stuffed in a single folder
clippings are primarily from Houston Chronicle and Houston Post
earlier clippings include national publications such as Sports Illustrated,
Newsweek, and Buffalo Evening News
some folders include whole sections of newspapers
Houston Sports Association documents are quite interesting and include planning
docs, Exec. Comm. docs, financial, publicity, etc.
correspondence from George Kirksey, Roy Hofheinz, football player Bobby
Layne, and others
Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University
William Lukes Collection of Houston Photographic Research Materials
Relevant contents: 1 folder, Astrodome complex (n.d.)
Ralph Anderson Jr. Papers
Relevant contents: To see the architectural drawings from Ralph Anderson's career, see
the list of contents in Map Drawer 2. Included in the drawings are personal dwellings,
medical clinics, banks, schools, T. V. Stations and the Harris County Sports Stadium
(Astrodome) built in 1965.
Marguerite Johnston Barnes Research Materials for Houston, The Unknown City, 18301991
Relevant contents: 1 folder, Astrodome (Subject file, incl. clippings and secondary
materials)
Rice University athletic records, 1930s-2000s
p. 3 of 5
Relevant contents: 1 folder, Stadium chart, Astrodome
Gus S. Wortham family and business records
Relevant contents: unknown ("Along with other 8-F members, he played an important
role in Houston's civic affairs, including the building of Rice University's football
stadium in the 1950s and the Harris County Domed Stadium (the Astrodome) in the
1960s.")
Texas State Archives
Tourist Development Agency scrapbooks
Relevant contents: Unknown author, article about Astrodome
Texas Tourist Development Agency: Audiovisual material
Relevant contents: Astrodome, Houston, TX [33 35 mm slides]
DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University
Blackie Sherrod papers
Relevant contents: 1 folder, general news articles (Astrodome [no original number])
Robert Yarnall Richie photograph collection
Relevant contents: Houston skyline, Texas(color and b&w) -5122, aerials, Astrodome &
astrocity -5357:1-69
Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University
Southwest Athletic Conference Records
Relevant contents: Assistant Commissioner's Files: Houston Astrodome Plan, undated
Library of Congress
Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/tx1045/
New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection (Library of
Congress).
Digital Collections:
University of Houston
Surviving Katrina and Rita in Houston Project (Carl Lindahl and Pat Jasper)
p. 4 of 5
http://www.survivingkatrinaandrita.dgs-sites.com/whoweare.php
Houston History Project
http://www.history.uh.edu/public_history/houston_history_project/houston_history_proje
ct.html
Rock in Houston (Bruce Kessler)
“After decades of keeping a very tight lid on his work, Bruce finally decided to make his
photographs available when his son asked him what he was supposed to do with all of the
pictures and memorabilia when Bruce was gone.”
Includes Houston Astrodome venue
http://rockinhouston.com/
Houston Chronicle Online
The Astrodome then (photos)
http://www.chron.com/news/gallery/The-Astrodome-then-41243.php
The Astrodome now (photos)
http://www.chron.com/news/gallery/The-Astrodome-now-41244.php
Houston Astros
Houston Astros History
http://mlb.mlb.com/hou/astros50/index.jsp
Astros 50th Anniversary Photo Galleries
http://mlb.mlb.com/photos/gallery.jsp?content_id=27498512&c_id=hou
Our Astrodome
Facebook page established by National Trust for Historic Preservation. Launched 2013,
includes roughly 120 photographs of the Astrodome as Astrodome-related events (rights
unknown), plus comments. 2,685 “Likes”
https://www.facebook.com/OurAstrodome
Houston Texas Astrodome - The Eighth Wonder of the World
Flickr group established 2007. 207 photos (rights unknown), 22 members.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/astrodome
p. 5 of 5
ATTACHMENT 2(a):
Letter of Support: Harris County
2. Letters of Support (Rev. 6/10/2014)
p. 1 of 3
ATTACHMENT 2(b):
Letter of Support: Rice University
p. 2 of 3
ATTACHMENT 2(c):
Letter of Support: University of Houston
p. 3 of 3
ATTACHMENT 3(a)
Project Facilitation/Needs Analysis Consultant
Request for Proposals
The City of Houston, by and through the Houston Public Library (HPL) seeks sealed proposals
to establish a contract or contracts for providing meeting facilitation, environmental scanning,
and needs analysis research as part of a project to capture and preserve aspects of the cultural
history of the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, TX, in accordance with the specifications
contained in this Request for Proposal (RFP).
HPL reserves the right to award contract(s) to one or more Respondents. HPL will make its
award based on what best serves the needs of the project. An individual or firm with the
necessary expertise may submit proposals to cover one or more sections of the project. Proposals
that address multiple sections will be awarded additional points.
The “Astrodome Memories” project is an effort to develop tools to allow researchers, students,
and community members to interact with and contribute to preserving the cultural history of the
Astrodome. The project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library
Services to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission under the provisions of the
Library Services and Technology Act.
The focus of this RFP is to assist with a comprehensive needs analysis of the greater Houston
community and specific stakeholders with interest in the Reliant Astrodome, a facility located in
Houston, Texas, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Information about the
Reliant Astrodome is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliant_Astrodome.
HPL is seeking a firm or individual for each of the service sections to be responsible for
providing the types of services necessary performing a comprehensive needs analysis. In
particular, the types of services requested herein and to be provided under any contract(s)
awarded as a result of this RFP are for:
•
•
Assistance with documentation required for grant reports, including facilitation of up to
six (6) partner meetings. Each meeting will last between two and four hours and will be
held in Houston, Texas. Participants will include one representative from each of the
following project partners: Houston Public Library, Harris County Archives, the
University of Houston, and Rice University. Facilitator will assist in preparation of
meeting agenda and act as a neutral party in helping project partners reach agreement on
project goals, and objectives, and activities. Following each meeting, facilitator will
produce a report summarizing the outcomes of the meeting to be incorporated into
required reports to the granting agency.
Facilitation of one (1) stakeholder meeting and preparation of a report discussing the
results of the meeting. The meeting will last six hours and will involve between twentyfive (25) and forty (40) participants. Participants may include individuals with strong
personal connections to the Astrodome facility, representatives of key Astrodome
stakeholders such as the Houston Astros, the Houston Texans, the Houston Livestock
Show and Rodeo, Harris County Commissioners Court, and the Office of the Mayor as
3. Project Consultants (Rev. 3/3/2014)
p. 1 of 8
•
well as representatives from organizations such as the Houston Chronicle. Facilitator will
assist in preparation of meeting agenda and activities design to elicit stakeholder
sentiments regarding development of an online resource allowing researchers, students,
and community members to interact with and contribute to preserving the cultural history
of the Astrodome. Following the meeting, facilitator will produce a report summarizing
the outcomes of the meeting to be used in refining project goals, and objectives, and
activities.
Production of a community-wide needs analysis, including an environmental scan, online
community survey, and facilitation of key informant interviews. Consultant will perform
an environmental scan to identify similar projects nationwide to assist with identification
of best practices. Consultant will prepare and administer an online needs assessment
questionnaire, asking community members to identify specific elements of Astrodomerelated activity which should be included in the scope of the project. Key informant
interviews, nominated by project partners, will provide additional feedback regarding
deliverables essential for successful implementation of the project. Following the
completion of these activities, consultant will prepare a needs analysis report for project
partners, including outcomes-based evaluation and sustainability recommendations.
Proposal Elements
1. Project Approach Narrative. When preparing the Project Approach Narrative,
Respondent must discuss approach to the specific section or sections applicable to their
proposal: Partner Meeting Facilitation, Stakeholder Meeting Facilitation, and
Community-wide Needs Analysis. Identify unique and significant complexities of each
component of working with stakeholders from diverse institutions and address how
Respondent intends to address items involving living persons and controversial subjects
including the possible demolition of the facility.
The capability of the individual or team to commence and complete the project in a
timely manner should be expressed. Respondent must include a timeline/schedule of
work for the completion of each task included in the project, to the extent practicable, as
well as a timeline for the completion of the project. Ability to complete project in a
timely manner is critical to the success of this project. Meeting facilitation must take
place in Houston, Texas, at locations to be determined. Respondent must offer options to
ensure effective communication between Respondent and HPL’s project manager
regarding scheduling of meetings and preparation of meeting agendas and activities.
2. Experience and Qualifications. Describe experience and qualifications of individual
Responder or key members of a team that demonstrates your organization’s capacity to
carry out each of the proposed service sections to which your organization responds.
Elaborate on experience and qualifications that are relevant or unique to this project.
Include resumes for all personnel who will be responsible for the management and work
production of the products/services solicited in this RFP.
The Evaluation Committee will consider those past projects that have qualities that most
closely resemble the desired elements of current project.
p. 2 of 8
3. Samples. Furnish evidence of adequate experience to perform this contract(s) by
providing at least three (3), but no more than five (5) samples of previous work similar to
that specified in each section of this proposal. Previous work samples will be returned to
the Respondent on request at Respondent’s expense. Samples submitted to verify
specifications prior to making award may be retained for the duration of the contract for
later comparisons with items delivered. Do not attach samples to proposal pages.
4. References. Include a minimum of three (3) references from clients for whom similar
services were performed or products were provided. Include project description, contact
names, position, and company name and telephone number for each reference listed. The
Evaluation Committee, at their discretion, may follow up on references provided in
material submitted for consideration. Negative responses or inability to contact listed
references using contact information in the proposal will be considered non-responsive
and ma y be grounds for disqualification.
5. Proposal Budget. The Respondent shall submit a cost proposal in response to this RFP by
estimating all costs associated with each specific section(s) applicable to their proposal,
Partner Meeting Facilitation, Stakeholder Meeting Facilitation, and Community-wide
Needs Analysis, and that the total proposal price will cover those expenses. All such costs
will be at the expense of the awarded Respondents(s). Respondents shall include all
expenses associated with performing each section including administrative and related
services, and all other out-of-pocket expenses.
p. 3 of 8
ATTACHMENT 3(b):
Intellectual Property Consultant
Mary M. (“Gretchen”) McCord
Attorney at Law
Digital Information Law, http://www.digitalinfolaw.com
512.470.8932 (phone)
[email protected]
Education and Licensing
● Certified Information Privacy Professional, 2008-present
● State Bar of Texas, admitted 2001
● J.D., 2001, The University of Texas at Austin
● M.S.I.S., 1992, University of North Texas, Denton
● B.A., 1991, Rice University, Houston, Texas
Professional Experience
● Attorney at Law and Consultant, Digital Information Law, March 2010 – present
○ Provide legal counsel and training tailored to the needs of the client in the areas of
copyright and privacy law, focusing on issues of particular relevance to libraries,
educational institutions, and non-profit organizations.
● Attorney at Law, Wong, Cabello, Lutsch, Rutherford, & Bruculerri, L.L.P. (Austin
Office), October 2007 – February 2010
○ Served as firm’s expert in copyright and privacy matters, working with clients of all
sizes, from multi-national corporations to university systems and non-profit
organizations to sole proprietorships and individual authors, in a wide range of
industries, including biotechnology, software, hardware, financial institutions, higher
education, restaurant and hospitality, music and entertainment, and service industries.
○ Engaged in wide range of transactional copyright, privacy, right of publicity, and
trademark work, including domestic prosecution of copyrights, licensing of
copyrights and trademarks, consultation regarding compliance with various privacy
laws and regulations, negotiation of settlement agreements and co-existence
agreements, management of copyright ownership, international trademark
transactions, international and domestic prosecution of trademarks, domain name
disputes.
● Associate Attorney at Law, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. (Austin Office), September 2001
– October 2007
○ Engaged in wide range of transactional copyright, privacy, right of publicity, and
trademark work, including domestic prosecution of copyrights, licensing of
copyrights and trademarks, consultation regarding compliance with privacy laws and
regulations, negotiation of settlement agreements, management of copyright
ownership, international trademark transactions, international and domestic
prosecution of trademarks. Assisted litigators in complex copyright infringement
cases, including drafting briefs, complaints, discovery requests, and other litigation
documents.
● Adjunct Professor, The University of Texas at Austin School of Information, fall 2006,
spring 2010.
○ Designed and taught 3-credit-hour course addressing copyright, privacy, and First
Amendment law.
p. 4 of 8
Professional Leadership
● Member, State Bar of Texas, Intellectual Property Law Section (2001-present)
○ IP Section Editor, Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal, 2004- 2006
○ Chair, Copyright Committee, 2006 -2008
● Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association (2002-2010)
○ Copyright Law Committee, 2004-2009
○ Women in IP Law Committee, 2004-2009
● Member, American Library Association (1992-present)
○ Committee on Legislation, Copyright Subcommittee, 2011● Member, Texas Library Association (1992-present)
○ President, 2005-2006
○ Chair, Library Friends, Trustees, and Advocates Round Table, 2008-09, 2012-13
○ Chair, Intellectual Freedom Committee, 2007-08
○ Legislative Committee, 1994- 2010
○ Bylaws and Resolutions Committee, 1994-1997
○ Mentor, TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute, 2004, 2005
● Friends of the Texas State Library & Archives Commission
○ President, Board of Directors, 2012-present
● Texas Library Political Action Committee
○ Executive Board Member, 1997-1998, 2004● City of Austin Library Commission
○ Commissioner, 2008-2011
Selected Publications
● Privacy Laws and the Educator. Santa Barbara: ABL-CLIO (forthcoming).
● “Licensing Societies: What Can the CCC, ASCAP/BMI/SESAC, and MLUSA/MPLC Do
for You?” The Copyright and New Media Law Newsletter (Fall 2007).
● Copyright in Cyberspace 2: Questions and Answers for Librarians. New York: NealSchuman Publishers, Inc. 2005.
● “Ethical Behavior in the Copyright Context,” Texas Library Journal 80:4, 110 (Fall
2004).
● “Recent Developments in Copyright Law,” Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal 12:1
(Fall 2003).
● “What Every Librarian Should Know About Copyright (a four-part series),” Texas
Library Journal 78:2, 56 (summer 2002) through 79:1, 12 (spring 2003).
● Copyright in Cyberspace: Questions and Answers for Librarians. New York: NealSchuman Publishers, Inc. 2001.
Selected Presentations and Workshops
● “Copyright Issues in a Digital World,” Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS, Jan. 13, 2012.
● “Copyright in a Tiny Nutshell,” Assoc. of Children’s Museums, Houston, TX, May 20,
2011.
● “Copyright for Librarians,” webinar series, NEFLIN, Inc., spring 2011.
● “Getting a Handle on Copyright,” webinar series, Texas Library Association, 2010.
● Plenary I: Intellectual Property Panel Discussion, Networked Digital Library of Theses
and Dissertations Annual Conference, Austin, June 17, 2010.
● “Copyright in Cyberspace: What Every Business and Finance Librarian Needs to Know,”
Special Libraries Assoc. Annual Conference, New York City, June 7, 2003.
p. 5 of 8
ATTACHMENT 3(c):
Online Exhibit Designer
Request for Proposals
The City of Houston, by and through the Houston Public Library (HPL) seeks sealed proposals
to establish a contract or contracts for providing research, writing, and exhibit design for the
development of an online exhibit for the public featuring archival collections and themes related
to the construction and use of the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, TX, in accordance with the
specifications contained in this Request for Proposal (RFP).
HPL reserves the right to award contract(s) to one or more Respondents. HPL will make its
award based on what best serves the needs of the project. An individual or firm with the
necessary expertise may submit proposals to cover one or more sections of the project. Proposals
that address multiple sections will be awarded additional points.
The “Astrodome Memories” project is an effort to develop tools to allow researchers, students,
and community members to interact with and contribute to preserving the cultural history of the
Astrodome. The project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library
Services to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission under the provisions of the
Library Services and Technology Act.
The focus of this RFP is to produce content necessary for one or more online exhibits illustrating
the history of the Reliant Astrodome, a facility located in Houston, Texas, and listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. Information about the Reliant Astrodome is available at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliant_Astrodome.
HPL is seeking a firm or individual for each of the service sections to be responsible for
providing the types of services necessary for research and writing of thematic and interpretive
content that encourages in-depth exploration of the topic. In particular, the types of services
requested herein and to be provided under any contract(s) awarded as a result of this RFP are for:
1. Label Writing Services to research and write interpretive text for one hundred (100) items
of digitized archival content, including photographs, blueprints, drawings, video, oral
histories, newspaper clippings, and Astrodome memorabilia that includes an accurate
historical context of each item. Writing style must be appropriate for a seventh grade
audience; while historical accuracy is critical, text is not intended to be a scholarly
historical account but a motivation to interact with historical materials. Text length may
vary from 50 – 200 words per item. Respondents should demonstrate knowledge of
Houston and Texas history. Preferred: Services conform to the Secretary of the Interior's
Professional Qualifications for Historians.
2. Sidebar Writing Services to research and write five (5) thematic sidebar texts, at
approximately 300 - 700 words each. Theme sidebars highlight significant historical and
cultural events, individuals, and groups contributing to the story of the Reliant Astrodome
in Houston, Texas, each incorporating references to a minimum of ten (10) and a
maximum of twenty (20) digitized items. Respondents should demonstrate knowledge of
Houston and Texas history. Preferred: Services conform to the Secretary of the Interior's
Professional Qualifications for Historians.
p. 6 of 8
3. Online Exhibit Design Services include developing a storyboard for an interactive exhibit
on a specific aspect of the Reliant Astrodome, to be developed using the Omeka content
management system administered by Preservation Houston. Specific interactive elements
will be selected based on available Omeka plugins; in no circumstances will custom
interactive elements be created. Required interactive elements include a timeline
Proposal Elements
1. Project Approach Narrative. When preparing the Project Approach Narrative,
Respondent must discuss approach to the specific section or sections applicable to their
proposal: Label Writing, Sidebar Writing and Editing, and Online Exhibit Design
Services. Identify unique and significant complexities of each component of producing
an online exhibit addressing a historically complex subject such as the Reliant
Astrodome, including the need to accurately convey historical relevance on relatively
recent events in a national. statewide, regional and local context for the intended
audience. Address how Respondent intends to address items involving living persons and
controversial subjects including the possible demolition of the facility.
The capability of the individual or team to commence and complete the project in a
timely manner should be expressed. Respondent must include a timeline/schedule of
work for the completion of each task included in the project, to the extent practicable, as
well as a timeline for the completion of the project. Ability to complete project in a
timely manner is critical to the success of this project. While travel to Houston will not be
required, respondent should state how remote work will be performed and offer options
to ensure effective communication between Respondent and HPL’s project manager.
2. Experience and Qualifications. Describe experience and qualifications of individual
Responder or key members of a team that demonstrates your organization’s capacity to
carry out each of the proposed service sections to which your organization responds.
Elaborate on experience and qualifications that are relevant or unique to this project.
Relevant projects are those involving digitized archival material, writing and editing
content for online exhibits and similar projects that are intended for the general public,
demonstrate the fun and wonder of discovering historic objects and the history of the
people connected with those places while demonstrating an appreciation of preservation
of story and place.
Include resumes for all personnel who will be responsible for the management and work
production of the products/services solicited in this RFP.
The Evaluation Committee will consider those past projects that have qualities that most
closely resemble the desired elements of current project.
3. Samples. Furnish evidence of adequate experience to perform this contract(s) by
providing at least three (3), but no more than five (5) samples of previous work similar to
that specified in each section of this proposal. Previous work samples will be returned to
the Respondent on request at Respondent’s expense. Samples submitted to verify
specifications prior to making award may be retained for the duration of the contract for
later comparisons with items delivered. Do not attach samples to proposal pages.
p. 7 of 8
4. References. Include a minimum of three (3) references from clients for whom similar
services were performed or products were provided. Include project description, contact
names, position, and company name and telephone number for each reference listed. The
Evaluation Committee, at their discretion, may follow up on references provided in
material submitted for consideration. Negative responses or inability to contact liste d
references using contact information in the proposal will be considered non-responsive
and ma y be grounds for disqualification.
5. Proposal Budget. The Respondent shall submit a cost proposal in response to this RFP by
estimating all costs associated with each specific section(s) applicable to their proposal,
Label Writing, Sidebar Writing and Online Exhibit Design Services, and that the total
proposal price will cover those expenses. All such costs will be at the expense of the
awarded Respondents(s). Respondents shall include all expenses associated with
performing each section including administrative and related services, and all other outof-pocket expenses.
p. 8 of 8
ATTACHMENT 4:
Schedule of Completion, September 2014 - August 2015
Task/Deliverable
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Administrative
§ Meeting of project partners
§ Press releases disseminated
§ Contracts with consultants completed
§ Contracts with project partners completed
§ Grant report
§ Interns hired
ShapingOutcomes course for partners
Stakeholder Meeting
§ Identify invitees
§ Send out invitations
§ Stakeholder meeting
§ Report on stakeholder meeting delivered
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Task 2: Prepare Needs Analysis
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Task 1: Partner & Stakeholder Support
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Month:
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Environmental Scan
Online questionnaire available
Key informant interviews
Needs analysis delivered
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Task 3: Share Astrodome Collections
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Collection Identification
§ IP Clearance process delivered
Collection Arrangement and Description
§ Finding aids added to TARO
Selection of Items for Digitization
§ Contract(s) for outsourced services in place
Digital Astrodome Website Development
§ Harvest existing digital content
§ Alpha release (existing digital content)
§ Add digital content from partners
§ Add digital content from stakeholders
§ Beta release (with multimedia exhibit)
§ Contract with exhibit designer completed
§ Final release (optional exhibit)
4. Schedule of Completion (Rev. 6/10/2014)
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p. 1 of 1

Astrodome-TSL2014C-2014-03-06

Transcription

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