Context
Created
April 2024
Assignment
System Integration - Analyze
Roles
- Described the records and systems as play within a collection: Computer and Video Game Archive (CVGA) at the University of Michigan
- Analyzed and reflected on elements including:
- Interactivity & Description
- User Experience
- Expertise and Labour Behind Records
- System Interactions, Overlap and Impression
Sample
LIBR509: System Integration - Analyze - CVGA by Joseph Watson-MacKay
Reflection
What does the activity mean to you?
Getting to do a deep-dive into the front and back-end systems of a library like the University of Michigan was thrilling, especially given that I was propelled to explore a collection based around computer and video games, a topic I find it easy to contextualize and resonate with.
I would love to continue exploring and contrasting different approaches to metadata, linked-open data, and classification of media being done by information professionals, archivists and researchers for video games. Recently I've found myself more curious about retro-video game video essays, collections and communities, and am excited to check out more local programming and projects with what I've learned through this activity.
What other activities it is connected to?
This assignment was integral to my conceptual understanding and structuring of the iSGM Systems Integration - Create assignment. Meticulously reviewing all catalogue elements, interfaces and diagrams behind the CVGA collection primed me to consider, relate and visualize a range inputs and outputs for the project and knowledge systems I was trying to integrate through Notion. The path to creating systems integration at a smaller scale felt far less daunting after I had described, analyzed and communicated the framework of a sophisticated, large scale and well-documented systems integration that is the CVGA.
What did you do in this activity that made you uncertain?
The University of Michigan's transparency regarding their open-source overlapping systems, information policies (like language remediation for metadata) and record elements drawn from controlled vocabulary was both exciting and intimidating to familiarize myself. The diagram of their front, middleware and backend systems in particular was a helpful anchor to return to while thinking through the overlap and interactions of complex systems I was initially overwhelmed by.
What might you do next time to improve the activity or your experience?
While the CVGA catalogue collection is interesting and expansive, I was disappointed by how little artistic expression is reflected in the online catalogue, given how stylistically diverse video games can be. It was convenient to parse through the online catalogue to narrow the scope of descriptive and analytical points, but I may not have found more nuanced observations if I had the chance to interacting with the games, stations and people at the CVGA the collection in-person.I would choose definitely choose a local collection the next time I analyze systems of this nature.