Strategies For Building Digitized Collections

In April 2000, the Digital Library Federation commissioned three reports to address broader concerns about digital collections in research libraries. This report synthesizes the nearly 10 years' experience that libraries have had digitizing items from their rare, special, and general collections, and making them available online. The report demonstrates that digitization programs work best where their role within a library's collection development strategy is clearly understood, and identifies several roles that such programs can play. The author muses about the extent to which digitally reformatted special and rare collections can actually support scholarly research, and looks at whether leading research libraries in particular might more usefully focus on digitizing general as opposed to special and rare collections. The report opens with points to consider in developing a sustainable strategy. The second section addresses identification, evaluation and selection, discussing polices, guidelines and best practices, and rationales for digitization. The third section focuses on institutional impacts and discusses treatment and disposition of source materials, scalability, intellectual control and data management, coordinated collection development, funding, preservation, and support of users. A final section addresses challenges in evaluating costs and benefits, and offers recommendations. (Contains 47 references.) (AEF)

Libraries recognize the importance of digitizing archival material to improve access to and preservation of their special collections. This book provides a step-by-step guide for creating digital collections, including examples and practical tips that have never been published before. Illustrates concepts with an on-going case study at the end of each chapter Provides detailed technical information and practical experience Discusses practitioners’ insight in digitization Can be used as a guide for creating digital collections

Digital information and networks challenge the core practices of libraries, archives, and all organizations with intensive information management needs in many respectsâ€"not only in terms of accommodating digital information and technology, but also through the need to develop new economic and organizational models for managing information. LC21: A Digital Strategy for the Library of Congress discusses these challenges and provides recommendations for moving forward at the Library of Congress, the world's largest library. Topics covered in LC21 include digital collections, digital preservation, digital cataloging (metadata), strategic planning, human resources, and general management and budgetary issues. The book identifies and elaborates upon a clear theme for the Library of Congress that is applicable more generally: the digital age calls for much more collaboration and cooperation than in the past. LC21 demonstrates that information-intensive organizations will have to change in fundamental ways to survive and prosper in the digital age.

Going Digital: Strategies for Access, Preservation, and Conversion of Collections to a Digital Format offers you succinct and analytic views of the problems and benefits of digital resources in the traditional academic library. Library administrators, collection managers, and librarians will learn the advantages and disadvantages of traditional and digital collections and the costs of providing local access or implementing remote access to digital collections. Originally presented at a series of five symposiums sponsored by the Research Libraries Group, the articles inGoing Digital will help you decide upon a cost-effective collection method that will meet the needs of your library, your patrons, and your budget. The chapters in this text are written by the nation’s leading librarians who pose and answer questions about hardware and software needed for digital libraries, the costs involved, establishing and maintaining access to digital collections, copyright concerns, and long-term preservation problems. Going Digital gives you insight into factors that will help you decide what will best meet the goals of your library, such as: the advantages and disadvantages of preserving microfilm and digital conversion choosing the correct hardware and software for your digital preservation program the changes required from librarians when shifting from collection development to digital resources examining the selection process for collections from perspectives of access, public service, technological requirements, and preservation ways to improve access to traditional collections cost comparisons between digital and hard copy resources devising a technical plan for successful digital conversion of projects involving the user’s wants when selecting collections for digital conversion and recognizing the central parts patrons play in the selection process In light of the changing ways we receive and keep our information, Going Digital discusses new collection preservation criteria and suggests that access and informational values, not just deterioration, should be equal factors in selecting materials to be converted to digital form. Proving that digital collections are changing every facet of library operations, Going Digital shows you the most cost-effective way to begin a digital collection and how to choose what materials to digitize in order to provide your patrons with the information they want and need.

Part of the "Digital Futures" series, this book presents information managers with strategic and practical issues to consider when making the decision to digitize their collections. It runs through the process step by step, and outlines the techniques available to deal with a range of resources.

Equally valuable for LIS students just learning about the digital landscape, information professionals taking their first steps to create digital content, and organizations who already have well-established digital credentials, Purcell’s book outlines methods applicable and scalable to many different types and sizes of libraries and archives.

Whether you are just starting to create a digital repository or your institution already has a fully-developed program, this book provides strategies for building and maintaining a high-use, cohesive, and fiscally-responsible repository with collections that showcase your institution. The book explains how to strategically select projects tied to your institution’s goals, create processes and workflows designed to support a fully-functioning program, and creatively utilize existing resources. The benefits of taking a holistic approach to creating a digital repository program rather than focusing only on individual collections are discussed. Case studies and best practices from various institutions round out the author’s practical suggestions. Focuses on the bigger picture of repository work (creating a unified, cohesive program) but also includes suggestions for effectively implementing digital projects of all shapes and sizes Focuses on doing more with less – strategies that are perfect for smaller institutions or institutions which want to be fiscally responsible when it comes to building and sustaining digital repository programs Includes ready-to-use templates, worksheets, workshop exercises, and assessment tools written by the author