Michael Popham Oxford Digital Library

Outline What makes a project “sustainable”? Two (mass-)digitization projects at Oxford Electronic Ephemera Oxford-Google Digitization Partnership Review recommendations from EU and JISC

What makes a project “sustainable”?

Two (mass-)digitization projects at Oxford

Electronic Ephemera

Oxford-Google Digitization Partnership

Review recommendations from EU and JISC

What do we mean by “sustainable”? “ Whether a project is ‘sustainable’ or not depends entirely on how sustainability is defined” Sustaining Digital Resources....(July 2009) “ ...having a mechanism in place for generating, or gaining access to, the economic resources necessary to keep the intellectual property or the service available on an ongoing basis” Sustainability and Revenue Models....(May 2008)

“ Whether a project is ‘sustainable’ or not depends entirely on how sustainability is defined” Sustaining Digital Resources....(July 2009)

“ ...having a mechanism in place for generating, or gaining access to, the economic resources necessary to keep the intellectual property or the service available on an ongoing basis” Sustainability and Revenue Models....(May 2008)

JISC JISC Mass Digitization programme Phase One: 6 projects began in 2004 Phase Two: 16 projects (= £12 M ) began in January 2007 The application process 2 stage (April '06, August '06) Examples of other Phase II projects WWI Poetry Archive, C19th Pamphlets, BL Newspapers, Welsh journals etc.

JISC Mass Digitization programme

Phase One: 6 projects began in 2004

Phase Two: 16 projects (= £12 M ) began in January 2007

The application process

2 stage (April '06, August '06)

Examples of other Phase II projects

WWI Poetry Archive, C19th Pamphlets, BL Newspapers, Welsh journals etc.

Why the John Johnson? JISC criteria exposing a “hidden collection” of interest to a wider community large, fragile, constraints on physical access Previous digitization work Toyota City Imaging Backstage ODL Development Fund (x2)

JISC criteria

exposing a “hidden collection”

of interest to a wider community

large, fragile, constraints on physical access

Previous digitization work

Toyota City Imaging

Backstage

ODL Development Fund (x2)

Ephemera ‘ the minor transient documents of everyday life…’ Maurice Rickards ‘ the ephemera of today becomes the evidential data of tomorrow ...’ John de Monins Johnson

John de Monins Johnson (1882-1956)

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/johnson/johnson.htm

Project content Entertainment : theatre material (mainly by venue) and non-theatrical material (mainly by genre). Mainly 19 th -century, as much 18 th -century entertainment material is already available through the Oxford Digital Library at: http://www2.odl.ox.ac.uk/gsdl/cgi-bin/library Booktrade : publishing material (e.g. prospectuses of books and journals) and bookplates Noteheadings and Popular Prints : record of locations, landscapes and topography, architecture, events, and popular tastes for artistic works and humour Crime, Murders, and Executions : detailing aspects of the judicial system and its punishments Advertising : in all its printed forms

Entertainment : theatre material (mainly by venue) and non-theatrical material (mainly by genre). Mainly 19 th -century, as much 18 th -century entertainment material is already available through the Oxford Digital Library at: http://www2.odl.ox.ac.uk/gsdl/cgi-bin/library

Booktrade : publishing material (e.g. prospectuses of books and journals) and bookplates

Noteheadings and Popular Prints : record of locations, landscapes and topography, architecture, events, and popular tastes for artistic works and humour

Crime, Murders, and Executions : detailing aspects of the judicial system and its punishments

Advertising : in all its printed forms

Project method the JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) provides funds and a project framework the Bodleian manages the content development aspects of the project: sorting & shelfmarking cataloguing conservation tracking digitisation (Capita) ProQuest are responsible for delivery of the resource, and its associated services, on the web

the JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) provides funds and a project framework

the Bodleian manages the content development aspects of the project:

sorting & shelfmarking

cataloguing

conservation

tracking

digitisation (Capita)

ProQuest are responsible for delivery of the resource, and its associated services, on the web

i2010 European Digital Libraries Initiative Sub-group on Public Private Partnerships (May 2008), critical success factors: Partners clearly state their strategic objectives and the benefits for the citizen to be achieved through the project The partnership fully utilises the experience and expertise of the partners , and brings complementary contributions The partnership maximises public access and takes into account long-term preservation and sustainability issues The partnership operates within the framework of applicable copyright and intellectual property law

Sub-group on Public Private Partnerships (May 2008), critical success factors:

Partners clearly state their strategic objectives and the benefits for the citizen to be achieved through the project

The partnership fully utilises the experience and expertise of the partners , and brings complementary contributions

The partnership maximises public access and takes into account long-term preservation and sustainability issues

The partnership operates within the framework of applicable copyright and intellectual property law

i2010 European Digital Libraries Initiative (cont.) Sub-group on Public Private Partnerships critical success factors : The partnership does not establish exclusive agreements. Where exclusive agreements are necessary to provide a service in the public interest, that such exclusive arrangements are time-limited , regularly reviewed and transparent. The partnership is transparent, accountable, and managed through a formal governance structure The partnership is formally established through a memorandum of understanding or contract. Public domain content in the analogue world should remain in the public domain in the digital environment . If restrictions to user’s access and use are necessary in order to make the content available at all, these restrictions should only apply for a time-limited period.

(cont.) Sub-group on Public Private Partnerships critical success factors :

The partnership does not establish exclusive agreements. Where exclusive agreements are necessary to provide a service in the public interest, that such exclusive arrangements are time-limited , regularly reviewed and transparent.

The partnership is transparent, accountable, and managed through a formal governance structure

The partnership is formally established through a memorandum of understanding or contract.

Public domain content in the analogue world should remain in the public domain in the digital environment . If restrictions to user’s access and use are necessary in order to make the content available at all, these restrictions should only apply for a time-limited period.

Why ProQuest? ProQuest’s experience and expertise Chadwyck-Healey brand Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) Knowledge of the potential audience Design skills (visual literacy + HCI) Promotion and marketing Helpline and documentation

ProQuest’s experience and expertise

Chadwyck-Healey brand

Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP)

Knowledge of the potential audience

Design skills (visual literacy + HCI)

Promotion and marketing

Helpline and documentation

Why ProQuest? Business model JISC Consortium Agreement between partners ProQuest manages digitization by a third-party Commercial experience; protects Oxford Sustainability ProQuest licenses access to non-UK subscribers Revenues generated to cover ProQuest’s costs Royalty payments made to Bodleian Up-front data preservation costs (@Oxford) covered by grant Bodleian commitment to maintaining resource “in perpetuity”

Business model

JISC Consortium Agreement between partners

ProQuest manages digitization by a third-party

Commercial experience; protects Oxford

Sustainability

ProQuest licenses access to non-UK subscribers

Revenues generated to cover ProQuest’s costs

Royalty payments made to Bodleian

Up-front data preservation costs (@Oxford) covered by grant

Bodleian commitment to maintaining resource “in perpetuity”

Thomas Bodley’s Vision Bodleian founded 1602 Universal library – Bodley’s “Republic of Letters” Legal deposit privilege since 1610 ~60% of Bodleian readers not members of Oxford University >95% users of online collections from outside ox.ac.uk

Bodleian founded 1602

Universal library – Bodley’s “Republic of Letters”

Legal deposit privilege since 1610

~60% of Bodleian readers not members of Oxford University

>95% users of online collections from outside ox.ac.uk

Why partner with Google? The synergy between missions: Bodley’s “Republic of Letters” Google’s “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” Emphasis is on access not conservation Oxford University Library Services: opening-up our closed stacks Google: “…the next generation of the card catalog” Bring more Oxford-held content into the digital landscape making it available for scholarly and public benefit. Builds on the work of the Oxford Digital Library (ODL)

The synergy between missions:

Bodley’s “Republic of Letters”

Google’s “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”

Emphasis is on access not conservation

Oxford University Library Services: opening-up our closed stacks

Google: “…the next generation of the card catalog”

Bring more Oxford-held content into the digital landscape making it available for scholarly and public benefit.

Builds on the work of the Oxford Digital Library (ODL)

What to digitize? Direct discussions with Google since 2003 Mutual benefits for both parties Identified extensive holdings of out-of-copyright material (vast majority out-of-print ) Oxford differs from most other partners in this aspect of our agreement (Michigan vs Harvard) Decision made to begin with the 19 th century material Scope = approximately 1+ million items Formal contract(s), covered by Non-Disclosure Agreement

Direct discussions with Google since 2003

Mutual benefits for both parties

Identified extensive holdings of out-of-copyright material (vast majority out-of-print )

Oxford differs from most other partners in this aspect of our agreement (Michigan vs Harvard)

Decision made to begin with the 19 th century material

Scope = approximately 1+ million items

Formal contract(s), covered by Non-Disclosure Agreement

What we both wanted…..and got A massive amount of digitized content Opening up collections to new readers and uses Staying on the right side of UK © law Little/no wear and tear on collections Going beyond catalogue records towards full-text searching (n.b. variable accuracy) New ways to add value to content and services

A massive amount of digitized content

Opening up collections to new readers and uses

Staying on the right side of UK © law

Little/no wear and tear on collections

Going beyond catalogue records

towards full-text searching (n.b. variable accuracy)

New ways to add value to content and services

Ithaka Report: Sustainability & Revenue Models Project leaders require a shift in mindset... Assuming that grant funding will always be available is not likely to lead to a successful sustainability plan. Project leaders need to adopt a more comprehensive definition of ‘sustainability’. It is not enough to cover operating costs; projects need to generate capital for ongoing reinvestment in their content and/or technology. The value of a project is quantified by the benefits it creates for users – what it allows them to do that they could not do before. Project leaders need to consider a range of options for long-term governance.

Project leaders require a shift in mindset...

Assuming that grant funding will always be available is not likely to lead to a successful sustainability plan.

Project leaders need to adopt a more comprehensive definition of ‘sustainability’. It is not enough to cover operating costs; projects need to generate capital for ongoing reinvestment in their content and/or technology.

The value of a project is quantified by the benefits it creates for users – what it allows them to do that they could not do before.

Project leaders need to consider a range of options for long-term governance.

Ithaka Report: Sustainability & Revenue Models (cont.) Project leaders require a shift in mindset… The web is a highly competitive environment. Projects must embrace the best operating practices of their competitors for mindshare and resources, a group which includes commercial organisations. Leaders must also embrace the fact that their environment is rapidly changing. OAR project leaders (and their funders) must continually ask whether they are headed in the right direction and be prepared to adapt when necessary. Running a start-up is a full-time job and requires full-time leadership . Innovation depends on experimentation, and project leaders should embrace the fact that there are generally no straightforward solutions.

(cont.) Project leaders require a shift in mindset…

The web is a highly competitive environment. Projects must embrace the best operating practices of their competitors for mindshare and resources, a group which includes commercial organisations.

Leaders must also embrace the fact that their environment is rapidly changing. OAR project leaders (and their funders) must continually ask whether they are headed in the right direction and be prepared to adapt when necessary.

Running a start-up is a full-time job and requires full-time leadership .

Innovation depends on experimentation, and project leaders should embrace the fact that there are generally no straightforward solutions.

Ithaka report: Sustaining Digital Resources... Empower a project leader or a management team to define and articulate the mission of the project and the steps needed to reach goals Craft a strong value proposition Find creative ways to lower the direct costs of running the project Cultivate sources of revenue to cover both direct costs and ongoing upgrades Establish a system of accountability and measurement of the success of the resource and the revenue model.

Empower a project leader or a management team to define and articulate the mission of the project and the steps needed to reach goals

Craft a strong value proposition

Find creative ways to lower the direct costs of running the project

Cultivate sources of revenue to cover both direct costs and ongoing upgrades

Establish a system of accountability and measurement of the success of the resource and the revenue model.

What do we mean by “sustainable”? “ ... Sustainability is the ability to generate or gain access to the resources – financial or otherwise – needed to protect and increase the value of the content or service for those who use it . A sustainable project covers its operating costs through a combination of revenue sources and cost-management strategies and continues to enhance its value based on the needs of the user community.” Sustaining Digital Resources....(July 2009)

“ ... Sustainability is the ability to generate or gain access to the resources – financial or otherwise – needed to protect and increase the value of the content or service for those who use it . A sustainable project covers its operating costs through a combination of revenue sources and cost-management strategies and continues to enhance its value based on the needs of the user community.” Sustaining Digital Resources....(July 2009)

References and links Strategic Content Alliance Ithaka Report on revenue models... (May 2008) Sustaining Digital Resources...(July 2009) Toolkit for the Impact of Digitised Scholarly Resources John Johnson digitization The John Johnson collection: an archive of printed ephemera http://johnjohnson.chadwyck.co.uk/marketing.do Oxford-Google digitization partnership http://books.google.com/googlebooks/library.html http://books.google.com Contact: michael.popham@ouls.ox.ac.uk

Strategic Content Alliance

Ithaka Report on revenue models... (May 2008)

Sustaining Digital Resources...(July 2009)

Toolkit for the Impact of Digitised Scholarly Resources

John Johnson digitization

The John Johnson collection: an archive of printed ephemera

http://johnjohnson.chadwyck.co.uk/marketing.do

Oxford-Google digitization partnership

http://books.google.com/googlebooks/library.html

http://books.google.com

Contact: michael.popham@ouls.ox.ac.uk