DAM'ed if You Do, DAM'ed if You Don't: Using Generative AI to Support a Digital Asset Manager Migration

DAM’ED IF YOU DO, DAM’ED IF YOU DON’T Using Generative AI to Support a Digital Asset Manager Migration R.C. Miessler, Gettysburg College DLF Forum 2025, November 18, 2025 CC-BY 4.0 DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule IT’S A PERFECTLY CROMULENT PRESENTATION This presentation isn’t: •A call to replace library workers with some sort of AI •An attempt to convince you that AI solves all your library problems and should be used uncritically •Anti-AI DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule A PRETTY BIG WHEEL DOWN AT THE CRACKER FACTORY •Digital Initiatives Librarian •Not a developer •Not a cataloger/metadata librarian •Not a digital asset manager DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule I TIED AN ONION TO MY BELT •CONTENTdm shop for around 20 years •Increasing dissatisfaction with CONTENTdm •Staffing changes meant no dedicated digital collections manager •Migration to AM Quartex with go-live of June 1, 2025 •No IT or developer support to automate DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule WE`VE TRIED NOTHING AND WE`RE ALL OUT OF IDEAS •Assets on network storage are not organized or named for a migration •Metadata is inconsistent and ugly •CONTENTdm API not incredibly intuitive on its own •Lyrasis Cdmtools provides tools to leverage the API, but designed for migrations to Islandora DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule (QUARTEX)CELLENT •Images in compound objects (assets) need to be foldered together when uploaded to Quartex •Compound object images and folders need to have their unique identifier as the filename •Asset and image metadata are separate ingests •Non-OCR transcripts have to be named with the unique identifier before uploading and foldered together •PDFs can’t be part of a compound object DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule GOOD LORD, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THERE •TSV files exported from CONTENTdm •JSON files: 0.json, 1.json, 2.json, 3.json, 4.json, etc. •Images: 0.jp2, 1.jp2, 2.jp2, 3.jp2, etc. •PDFs •CPD “files” DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule $20 BUYS MANY PEANUTS •Previous experience using ChatGPT to develop R scripts for sentiment analysis •Build flowcharts to determine connections and workflows •Provide example scenarios •Visualize final results •Upgrading to ChatGPT for $20/month allowed for better results Compound object JSON file (4.json) Image JSON file (0.json) Files on network drive downloaded from CDM DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule S-U-C-C-E-E-S •Beat our go-live date –https://gettdigital.gettysburg.edu •Modern digital asset manager and public interface •Cleaner metadata (but still sort of messy) •Pain points involved human input and decision-making •I know a lot more about prompt engineering and code DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule I’M LEARNDING •Saves time and allows for more nimble approach •Possible solution for institutions without access to developers •Still have to understand code and development environments •AI may not be able to deal with more complex problems DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule SO IN CONCLUSION: GEN MEANS GENERATIVE AND AI MEANS AI •“Technology is the active human interface with the material world.” - Ursula K. Le Guin, A Rant About Technology •AI changes how we work and think •Where is it getting this code from? •How many gallons of water did I burn through? •WTF do I do with the code? •Is this moment with AI and libraries akin to a “moral panic”, a fundamental shift, or just another bump in a long line of changes? Thanks! Questions? Simpsons images: https://frinkiac.com DAM’ed if You Do, DAM’ed if You Don’t // DLF Forum 2025 // R.C. Miessler // @iconodule