California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives

I visited the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives (CEMA), which is a division of the Special Collections Department of the University Libraries at the University of California. The collection is meant as a scholarly collection of primary research materials, and is made available for use in many contexts.

1) Selection Decisions

The images used on this website are a "representative sampling" of the archival slides held by the CEMA, and includes 1,362 images. These images were chosen as a representative cross-section of the larger archive of 14,000 slides. It is stated that the items were selected based on consultation between CEMA and the cultural centers from whose collection the images came. It is not clear what factors were used in deciding which items were digitized, but it is implied that items were chosen to provide an overall understanding of the larger collection.

2) Metadata

Succinct and comprehensive metatdata is provided for the items listed in the digital archive, and includes artist, title, date, medium, where the item is located, and a brief description of the work. If applicable, it also describes the number of slides used and the dimensions of the item. The information is displayed in a consistent manner for all of the items, and is easily read and understood.

3) Object Characteristics

The images in the archive are scans of slides from a variety of cultural centers. The resolution of the images is 72 d.p.i.. The website states that there are higher resolution copies (600 d.p.i. and 1350 d.p.i.), but these are kept off the web and remain the property of the copyright holders. The visual quality varies due to the varying quality of the slides from which they were pulled. Most slides are digital photographs of the items, and often show background. It is possible to enlarge the images by clicking on them, and on some items you can zoom in to see more detail.

4) Intended Audience

The stated aim of the digital collection is to "make Chicano art more accessible to the general public". The images available would be useful to both casual viewers who have a developing interest in Chicano art, and to students (maybe of art history) who are looking for access to items they are studying. There is enough metadata provided to encourage scholarly use of the images.