Present:    Panelists:  Barnes, Callcott, Callum, Carr, Chapelle, Dorsey,
                    Flanagan, Ridgway
                Staff: Papenfuse, Russo, Lepore, Kizer Ball

1.  The meeting began with an overview of the goals and methodology being
followed:
        For the original print volumes of the Archives of Maryland
        1.  To make them accessible on-line
        2.  To add value through cross-analysis & linkages
        3.  To provide context through introductions
        To add new records in the mold of "volumes"
        1.  Providing branches in a web-based way to historical themes

2.  Present plan of work
    a.  All legislative series (printed on rapidly deteriorating paper)
    b.  All Maryland manuals
        historical context for history of Maryland government
        starting with biographical material
            following precedent of Senates Past biographical work
    c.  All documents relating to the constitutions of Maryland
            current focus on 1967-68
        basic documents for understanding Maryland's government
    d.  All compilations of laws
    Goal: searchable text, with images (better than microfilm) as a first step

3.  Methodology for implementing the above plan (supervised by Lepore and
Kizer Ball)
    four intern positions have been assigned to the work this summer
    a.  Writing biographies of 1867 convention members; then moving to
members of preceding conventions [should finish at least half the 1867 member
biographies]
    b.  1967 proceedings (this will finish the constitutional conventions
series)
    c.  Maryland manuals, starting with the present manual and working back
to the first
    d.  House and Senate proceedings and session laws, finishing 19th century
material [should be able to complete through 1872/3]

4.  Questions and Discussion
    a.  Funding
        Project was begun with a $100,000 grant from the Technology
Investment fund, which paid for equipment and the summer 1999 interns;
$100,000 is available for FY 2001 as well.  Funding will be a line item in
the budget from this point.
        This funding provides a base for seeking additional grant support,
with eventual hope of obtaining Mellon Foundation funding
        The project currently has one full-time staff member; the goal is to
have a core editorial staff fully-funded as Archives employees.
    b.  On-line images
        Material can be accessed for on-line viewing and non-reproduction
quality printing.  Control over access can be managed to retain income from
permissions and reproduction-quality prints.
    c.  Introductions and indices
        Introductions are one of the value-added editorial improvements that
can be provided for the on-line volumes.  The panel passed a resolution
recommending that the Archives seek funding for honoraria that could be given
to outside scholars who contribute introductions in their areas of expertise.
        The search engine available on-line allows for keyword searches of
all or selected volumes.  Contextual indices would be valuable additions for
volumes that do not have them, but would be a very expensive improvement.
    d.  Printed v. manuscript source material for future volumes
        This is an area where the staff seeks advice and input from the panel
in sorting out priorities.  Options discussed included the following:
        1.    Expanding the PG slaves statistics project to other counties;
to seek funding for this as a specific project; link to work already
completed on black Civil War veterans.
        2.    To think in terms of upcoming state anniversaries as vehicles
for guiding future projects (as was done with the study of the 1700, 1800,
and 1900 legislative sessions).
        3.    Veterans records represent one area of current interest;
perhaps to have veterans groups or the veterans department fund scanning.
        4.    State roads administration records date back to the beginning
of the 20th century, numbering about 20,000 volumes that are not well
monitored
        5.    State agencies in general might be encouraged to fund
preservation of their own records
        6.    History of the activities of the Glendening administration;
precedent for future administrations as well.

5.  Technological obsolescence issue
     A potentially serious problem that the staff is trying to minimize by
        - using generic standards for images
        - using open standards for text files
        - having excessively redundant backups (the entire web-site can be
regenerated in a very short period of time, if necessary)

6.  Long-range funding
    Perhaps through a private friends foundation; the site www.mdaf.com
contains some exploratory ideas for such a foundation.

7.  Advisory Panel input
    Members of the advisory panel are encouraged to use the site and to make
the Archives staff aware of any problems encountered and any suggestions for
improvements in layout, navigation, etc.  Suggestions for records to be added
to the Archives of Maryland are always welcome.  You may e-mail them to
jvlrmd@aol.com or mail them to me at the Archives; I will share them with
other members of the panel for additional comment.

    Suggestions received so far (not already mentioned) include:
        Calendar of Maryland State Papers (red, black, brown, & misc.)
        County judicial records (in addition to Somerset)
        Probate records

Our thanks to each of you for participating as a member of the Advisory Panel.

Jean Russo
4/19/00

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