Rebecca Bernthal, Associate Professor, Love Library – University of Nebraska-Lincoln An overview of UNL’s plans and various considerations for digitizing 18,000 master’s theses in-house to enhance their accessibility through the university’s DigitalCommons institutional repository.

1. What About Those Theses and Dissertations?
The University Libraries’ Theses Scanning Project
Rebecca Bernthal – May 16, 2014

2. Background:
•UNL has Institutional Repository/Digital Commons available
•Pre-1922 and 2010 – 2014 Theses already digitized and in DC
•Estimated 18,000 theses titles not electronically available
•Pieces located at all locations, some with more than one copy
•Considered outsourcing project
Title: Theses Scanning Project

3. Cast of Characters: Stakeholders
Major Stakeholders:
•Digital Commons: Paul Royster and Sue Ann Gardner
•Technical Services Department
•Variety of Other Library Departments/Staff
•Authors of Theses not Currently Digitized
Other Stakeholders:
•Various College Departments and Offices at UNL
•Various Library Locations: Branches, Archives, Remote Storage

4. Funding, Props, Scenery, Permission, Actors, and
Promotion (Consider: What You Need vs. What You Want)
•Equipment – Epson (J181A) & Zeutschel (OS 12002 C Advanced)
•Copyright Issues
•Timeline/Goals
•Staffing and Training Issues – “Art of Scanning”
•Workflow
•Communication with Stakeholders
•Metadata & Abstracts – Enhancing Access
•Quality of End Product
Staging the Production:

5. Dress Rehearsal & The Show Opens:
• Rave Reviews and Positive Feedback
• Rewrites and Continued Support
• Full House
• Getting Better With Time

6. Reviews: What Could Go Wrong?
•Changes in Actors
•Zeutschel Equipment
•Other Unplanned Problems/Issues

7. Behind the Scenes:
• “Art of Scanning” by Paul Royster
• “Basic Scanning Manual” by Sue Ann Gardner
• Copyright: Compliance for 1923 to present. Need to get
author’s permission to allow open access of the thesis.
Samples of pages for author’s permission from Texas A&M:
https://repository.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/129207
http://scholarlycommunication.library.tamu.edu/retrospective-theses-alt.html
• Advertising – Alumni publications, departments, etc.

8. Another Opening, Another Show:
• “Competition” With Other Work
• Making Adjustments in Workload and Relying on Others
• Other Projects Under Consideration & Vying for Attention
• Priority With Other Projects Underway

9. Closing and Cast Party: (2018)
Conclusion
Questions?
Contact Information: Rebecca Bernthal, Love Library
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-4100
phone: 402-472-4404
e-mail: rbernthal1@unl.edu

10. Closing and Cast Party: (2018)
Conclusion
Questions?
Contact Information: Rebecca Bernthal, Love Library
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-4100
phone: 402-472-4404
e-mail: rbernthal1@unl.edu