This project involved the skills of a number of Lehman College staff.
Dr.Yi Sheng, from Lehman College Library, handled all technical details of the project including selecting hardware, peripheral equipment and software. He scanned the images and documents, set up the project software CONTENTdm, mapped the metadata fields, input the digital specifications captured, and migrated metadata originally input in Excel into the program. He additionally created the attractive web pages.
Professor Galina Letnikova helped upload the web site designed by Dr. Sheng to the Library’s server and home page.
Mr. Raymond Diaz and Mr. Wayne Halliday helped with software installation and resolving attendant computer and printing glitches.
Ms. Nicolette Montano, a student assistant in the Library’s Special Collections division, supported the project by verifying facts and street locations for the descriptive metadata. Since most Bronxites strongly identify locales with street and avenue names, a real attempt was made to be as clear and accurate as possible in descriptions of the images.
Mr. Florian Penev, from Lehman’s Office of Media Relations, cleared extensive cropping lines from the web page photograph showing the Grand Concourse & E. 188th St. One of the busiest shopping locations in the Bronx, the site shows Wertheimer’s (later Alexander’s department store) that now houses CUNY on the Concourse, administered by Lehman College, Bronx Community College, and Hostos Community College.
Two project consultants also worked with us on this project.
Dr. Helene Silverman (now retired) from Lehman’s Dept. of Early Childhood & Childhood Education used Bronx Business for Everybody as source material to create short, engaging projects for children and young adults. Lehman prepares students for teaching careers, and trains working teachers through its graduate programs. Generating ideas for interesting educational activities for young children and students is important. This web site supports document-based initiatives, helps students discover their community, and encourages them to take what they have learned and expand their knowledge.
Bronx Borough Historian Emeritus Lloyd Ultan also worked with us on this project. His review of this site, especially for the photographs, enriched the descriptions; corrected misinformation; and oftentimes clarified locations and gave reasonable estimates of dates.
In 2023, this site was redesigned, updated, and migrated to the CUNY Academic Commons platform by Prof. John DeLooper, Web Services – Online Learning Librarian.
