From Project to Program: Building Sustainable Digital Collections

Building Sustainable Digital Collections: From Project to Program Emily Gore, NC ECHO Project Manager [email_address] Amy Rudersdorf, NCSU Digital Technologies Librarian [email_address]

Digital Project (Program?) Planning

What is a “Digital Project”? “Digital Program”?

Why digitize?

What does a digital project involve?

Build a timeline

Understanding costs

Delivery considerations

Moving from Project to Program

What is a “Digital Project/Program”?

Projects

Eastern North Carolina Digital Library

http://digital.lib. ecu . edu/historyfiction/

Digital Forsyth

http://www. digitalforsyth .org/

North Carolina Postcards

http://www.lib. unc . edu/dc/nc_post/

Green ‘N’ Growing

http://www.lib. ncsu . edu/specialcollections/greenngrowing/

Programs

Collaborative Digitization Program (began as Colorado)

http://www.cdpheritage.org/index.cfm

NYPL Digital

http://www.nypl.org/digital/index.htm

Digital Library of Georgia

http: //dlg . galileo . usg . edu/

UNC - Documenting the American South

http: //docsouth . unc . edu/

Digital Project

From New York Public Library :

Converts printed, manuscript, and pictorial information into electronic images for use in computer-based applications.

From Harvard Law School Library :

Conversion/digital reformatting projects

Online exhibits

Electronic publications and research guides

Web publishing and archiving projects

Digital Program

Long-term, mission-driven, funded, administratively/ organizationally supported, systematized, planned, documented, staffed

Definition of “Digital”

Of, pertaining to, or using digits; spec. applied to a computer which operates on data in the form of digits or similar discrete elements (opp. analogue computer )

First used 1938 by C. CAMPBELL U.S. Pat. 2,113,612 9/1 (OED)

Why Digitize, or, What is a Digital Program

A means for sharing your holdings more broadly

Highlight your unique, “star” collections

Opportunity to

provide new services for current users

draw in new user base

A means for providing access to your collections

Access through context and other added value

Descriptive context

Histories , biographies, bibliographies

Enhanced metadata

Subject terms, descriptive fields

Interesting means for delivery

Video display , etc.

An opportunity to enhance material you already have

You’ve already got:

Catalog records

Finding aids

Card catalog

With a digital project, you could make them better!

If the information does not already exist, however, these tasks can be time intensive and very expensive.

What a Digital Project/Program IS NOT, or, why NOT to digitize

A quick fix to get information on your holdings out to the public

A cheap way to provide access to your holdings

An easy way to impress your boss/board/trustees

A way to preserve material and make space for items not often used

What does a project involve?

Steps:

Identifying project goals/requirements

Selection

Metadata creation

Reformatting

Quality control

Context creation

Delivery

Long-term maintenance

Each step takes about the same amount of time. Don’t underestimate!

1. Identifying project goals/requirements

Develop project mission/scope of project

What do we want to achieve? Can we do that?

How can we build on others’ success?

What/who will we need? Who is responsible?

Who is our audience?

What materials will we digitize?

Formalize answers on paper! This is your reality check!

From Arizona State Library: http://www.lib.az.us/digital/dg_a2.html

2. Selection

Size, physical condition, needs, abilities

How will it be done? Who will do it?

How long will it take? (a long time)

Example – NC Maps

3. Metadata creation

Required for discovery of objects

Staff needs to have information about the objects that will be digitized (who?)

Found on photographs, letters, books, cassette tapes, and/or created by subject experts

Often entered into a database or spreadsheet to be displayed online with digital objects

Don’t start your metadata until selection is complete!

4. Reformatting

Scanning, digital photography, enhancement, OCR, or other means of creating digital objects for sharing

Requires technology, support, staff, storage

Digitize according to accepted standards of DL community (do you know them?)

Often reformatting happens after or at the same time as metadata

Possible scenario:

Specialists/librarians create metadata and assign filenames

Once metadata is complete, students/volunteers can be given list of filenames and directory structure for reformatting

4. Reformatting – OUTSOURCING as an alternative to in-house production

When to consider?

Small staff

No support for equipment purchase/maintenance

Concerns

Quality - Make sure you select a reputable vendor who will supply references

Keep in mind

Conduct a representative pilot test

Timeframe

Need to write a bid? Samples inspection? Vendor’s schedule? How long will it take to review work? What if there are problems?

5. Quality control

“ Editorial process”

The perfect is the enemy of the good

Do as you go or all at once?

5. Quality control

Typically involves two levels of checking:

initial & basic quality check for spelling; formatting/technical issues

final and complete check for subject term consistency; data consistency; “correctness” of information

Does object match metadata?

This will take longer than you think. I promise.

6. Creating context

The “stuff” that goes on the website

Supporting documentation – essays, bibliographies, biographies, or simply enhancing records

Lesson plans

Are you going to do it? Why not? If you are, do you have subject specialists on staff?

7. Delivery

The means by which you will provide access to your digital collection

Web pages (new or existing?)

Online database

Research, research, research

Circulating CD/DVDs

Relatively inexpensive alternative, but does it satisfy your users?

Do you have staff, technology, and specialists in place to do what you plan to?

8. Long-term maintenance

Of digital objects

Of website

Of metadata

Of your sanity

File backups – do you have server space to store working copies?

Standards suggest three “archival” copies

Server storage – ideal (at this point)

CDs, DVDs – good, but more transitional media

No matter what, at some point you’ll need to migrate your data

8. Long-term maintenance

Standards still developing, needs will change over time

If you leave, will your replacement understand how to maintain?

Building a digital project timeline

A nearly impossible task?

Work backwards from drop-dead date

Some work can happen concurrently

Holidays, vacations, and “snow” days

You can’t plan for everything…

…But consider the time it takes to care for a single item…

Housing

Accessioning

Scanning

Resizing

Creating a catalog [metadata] record

Applying file to system

Long term maintenance and migration

To begin, allow*:

5 minute/item for selection/planning

15 minutes to describe an image or page in Dublin Core

15 minutes to reformat an image or page on a flat-bed scanner

5-10 minutes/item for quality checking

90 minutes per web page

5 minutes/item for miscellaneous

What’s missing?

* CAVEAT: These are VERY general numbers. With time, you’ll better understand your institution’s requirements. These shouldn’t be applied to projects that include digital photography, audio, or video production.

Activity #1

My library or archive will be digitizing its first collection to coincide with the opening of our new local history room. The collection is comprised of 500 photographs. The opening is scheduled for May 15th, and our project URL will be published in the program given out that day. We plan on creating five contextual web pages.

According to the estimates on the previous slide, when should I start working on this project?

Activity #1

My library will be digitizing its first collection to coincide with the opening of our new local history room. The collection is comprised of 500 photographs. The opening is scheduled for May 15th, and our project URL will be published in the program given out that day. We plan on creating five contextual web pages.

According to the estimates on the previous slide, when should I start working on this project?

5 minute/item for selection/planning

15 minutes to describe an image or page in Dublin Core

15 minutes to reformat an image or page on a flat-bed scanner

5-10 minutes/item for quality checking

90 minutes per web page

5 minutes/item for miscellaneous

Step 1 – minutes/process

2500 minutes for selection/planning

7500 minutes for metadata

7500 minutes for scanning

4000 minutes for quality (8 min)

4500 minutes for web pages

2500 for misc

TOTAL 28,500 minutes/60 = 475 hours

Step 2 – how much time do you really have?

vacation/holiday; other responsibilities

At 20 hours per week, 475 hours = 23.75 weeks

Add one week for spring break/vacation = 24.75

Add two weeks for winter holidays = 26.75

Always round up = 27 weeks

Months (27 / 4 weeks) = 6.75 months

Always round up = 7 months

Step 3 – look at a calendar

Any other due dates to figure in during that time? Trips to Europe? New staff training?

If not, October 15

Making an assumption that IT staff will be concurrently taking care of your tech needs …. Hmmm, maybe we should add few more months?

Understanding costs, or, WHAT??!!

Considerations:

Staffing: hidden or hiring? Subject specialists ain’t cheap!

Technology: do your current computers have what it takes?

Software: how are you going to view those TIF files?

Understanding costs, or, WHAT??!!

Considerations:

Storage: will the IT department share their storage space – for free? Or, is it time to buy lots and lots and lots of CD/DVDs?

Facilities: is the digitization staff, technology, and stuff you want to digitize all going to fit in your current space?

Discerning costs, or, WHAT??!!

Estimating production costs

Per item cost, based on previously expressed times and at $15/hour wage

Selection = $1.25

Metadata = $3.75

Scanning = $3.75

Quality checking = $2.00

Webpages = $22.50

Delivery considerations - 1/3

How will you present your material to the public? What do your users need?

CD/DVD

(+) Local distribution, circulation statistics, cheap

(-) Local distribution only, replace media, data – high maintenance on large scale

Website

(+) Wide distribution, relatively easy to create

(-) Searchability low, data – high maintenance on large scale

How will you present your material to the public? What do your users need?

Digital asset management system (database)

(+) Good search/retrieve-abilities, data - low maintenance on large scale, often integrated delivery/administration

(-) Expensive, tech support required, still need web pages for context

Digital Asset Management Systems

Package Solutions

ContentDM (OCLC)

MDID (James Madison)

Greenstone (free, open-source)

Other Custom Solutions

Fedora

Dspace (MIT)

Moving From Project to Program

A Digital Program is...

long-term

mission-driven

funded

administratively/ organizationally supported

systematized

planned

documented

staffed

Programs Must

Be integrated into the fabric of library services

Be focused primarily on achieving mission-related objectives

Be funded from predictable streams of allocation, be they external or internal

Include a plan for the long-term maintenance of digital assets

Projects Don’t Equal Programs

However, multiple digital projects centered around a mission or theme often make up part of a digital program

Even if you have a project or a few projects now, you can still develop a program

Projects tend to focus on collection strengths and while programs do the same…

Programs have broader institutional goals

Therefore, your projects may become fully integrated into your program

More About Digital Programs

Can be collaborative or single-institution

Revisiting Examples

Collaborative Digitization Project

Documenting the American South

Why Would You Want to Build or Be a Part of a Program?

Ideas? Have you completed projects in the past? Why is a program better?

Times they are a changin’...

The expectation of users is changing – “everything is/should be online”

Access to special collections material has been fairly restricted -- digitization of this material opens up a world of possibilities

Projects are often not sustained -- there is no one to maintain them or administration/support changes (especially if grant funded)

Projects to Programs

Break down of definition of digital program:

Does the development of a digital program fit within the mission of your library ?

If your mission is to serve your local community or region - how will a digitization program help?

A “program” is something that is long-term

Is your administration willing to make the commitment to a long-term program?

Do You Have the Funding That it Takes?

Digitization is not cheap. Grants are usually supplementary not sustainable. Institutional commitment of funding is the key to the establishment of a program.

In 2000, digital conversion costs for DLF member libraries surveyed with digital programs ranged from $38,000 to $1.1 million

Administrative support is essential for the development and sustainability of a digital library program

Your administration will have to be convinced often , so be ready to provide documentation.

Your program will be integrated into your library

Digital programs require the support of other library units - IT, Cataloging, Special Collections, Archives, etc.

Digital Programs have strategic plans and often have mission statements that clearly define the scope of the program

Mission of the CDP@BCR Program:

“ To achieve high quality digital access to cultural heritage collections. To provide resources and training to create digital surrogates of primary source collections. The CDP works with partners across the western United States.”

-- Digital Library Plan of Carnegie Mellon University

A program is well-documented .

A program adopts or develops best practices in accordance with national standards. Programmatic partners often look to the leading institution to set best practices.

These may include technical specifications, metadata guidelines, and collection development policies

Examples:

NC ECHO Digitization Guidelines

CDP Collection Policy

Syracuse Digital Checklist and Proposal Forms - handout

Last, but certainly not least - a program is staffed .

Building digital programs take people -- yes, typically more than one! They must be talented and engaged with evolving standards, digital asset management system development, digital preservation best practices, etc.

Staffing Examples

Some Jobs in a Digital Program:

Program Manager

Imaging Specialists

Programmer(s)

Web Developer

Metadata (may be in Cataloging unit, but is essential)

IT Support (program updates, server maintanence)

Subject specialists (often in another unit)

Strength in Collaboration

There is strength in collaboration -- more resources, more staff, more collections, more experience

Administrators often look more favorably on sharing costs than taking them all on

If an organization can’t build a digital program on its own, then collaboration might be the only way to build a program (most organizations fall into this category, and it is OK if yours does)

Ready to Build or Join a Program?

Exercise:

Develop strategies for building a digital library program by dissecting the definition of a digital program discussed today. (ie. What would you do to go about seeking funding? Convincing administrators?)