The Digital Commonwealth is an open-access online platform for digital collections representing Massachusetts' cultural heritage, involving collaboration among libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions. It provides a repository for member organizations to store and share digitized resources while offering guidance on digital technologies and annual conferences. Members can participate in the Boston Public Library's digitization program, contribute to statewide policy-making, and share metadata for wider discoverability through national efforts like the Digital Public Library of America.

1. Introducing …
Kim Cochrane, CAGS, MLS
kcochrane1@framingham.edu
Debra DeJonker-Berry, MLS, CAS
ddejonker-berry@clamsnet.org
Digital Commonwealth Outreach Committee
March 11, 2014

2. Mission Statement
The Digital Commonwealth serves as the open-access online
discovery platform to the digital objects representing the breadth and
depth of the rich cultural heritage of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. Its member institutions are located all over the state
and are comprised of libraries, archives, historical societies,
museums, and cultural institutions.
Working for victory
Lawrence CLU AFL
From Lawrence
Public Library

3. Digital Commonwealth Is…
• Collaboration of cultural organizations in
Massachusetts that want to make digitized versions
of their collections widely accessible
• 501c 3 organization (Pending)
• Website (current system) providing access to
digitized collections
• Website (future new system) administered by the
Boston Public Library providing access to digital
content

4. Digital Commonwealth
organizational structure
• 5.01(c)(3) non-profit Pending
• Board of Directors
• Standing committees
•Conference
•Portal, Repository, Technology and
Standards
•Outreach
•Nominating
•Development
• BPL is partner and
technology provider
Buckland Center School students and teachers, 1893
from Buckland Historical Society

5. Members of Digital
Commonwealth
FY2013 100+ members
• Public Libraries
• Museums
• Historical Societies
• Universities and colleges
• Archives
• Special libraries

6. • Web Portal Access to
Digital Library
Collections in Mass
–contains only the
metadata that enables the
discovery of the digital
objects; it does not
contain the actual digital
objects.
Core Services
Children working with hay, Charlemont, Mass.
From Jones Library Special Collections

7. Core Services
• Repository for
Storage of Digital
Collections created
by member
organizations
- stores and maintains both
metadata and digital objects
according to a framework of
policies and standards. By
means of its technological
infrastructure, the repository
provides access to the digital
content.
Recruiting at the State Armory in Cambridge Massachusetts, 1916
From: MA National Guard Museum and Archives Worcester

8. Core Services
Guidance, instruction and assistance on applying appropriate
technologies used in the production of digital library resources.
Hosting an annual conference in Massachusetts on digital
library issues
Cranberry picking, Yarmouth, Mass. From: Jones Library Special Collections

9. What Can You Find? Collections
https://search.digitalcommonwealth.org/collections

10. Who we are - Participants
https://search.digitalcommonwealth.org

11. Who we are – Members
http://members.digitalcommonwealth.org/directory

12. Digital Commonwealth–Searching
https://search.digitalcommonwealth.org Search term “hurricane”

13. Digital Commonwealth -
Behind the Scenes
https://admin-hydratest.bpl.org Need username/password

14. Digital Commonwealth
 Contribute to a statewide initiative. The Digital Commonwealth is a membership-
supported statewide collaboration. Members have the opportunity to shape
statewide policy making around the digitization, preservation and presentation of
historic materials.
 Participate in the Boston Public Library's free digitization program. The BPL
will help you select, digitize and create metadata for your historic materials and
other documents.
 Post your materials to the Digital Commonwealth's Repository. The Digital
Commonwealth, in partnership with the Boston Public Library, is creating a next-
generation file repository for members to store their materials in. The BPL also has
a relationship with the Internet Archive; many digitization program participants get
their monographs posted on the IA.

15. Digital Commonwealth
 Share your metadata in the Digital Commonwealth's
Portal. The Digital Commonwealth, in partnership with the
Boston Public Library, is a creating a next-generation Portal.
Members contribute metadata about their digital assets in
this aggregated search portal through:
 Having their collections harvested into our Portal from their
existing OAI-harvestable feeds.
 Working with the BPL to have their collections harvested from
the DC's Repository.
 Participate in the Digital Public Library of America.
Digital Commonwealth members will have their content
harvested into this national effort to collect “the riches of
America’s libraries, archives, and museums.”

16. Promote Discoverability- DPLA
http://dp.la

17. Promote Discoverability–
Internet Archive
https://archive.org/details/texts

18. Lesson Plans
http://digitalcommonwealth.memberlodge.org/lesson-plans

19. Opportunities for members
• BPL digitizing grant
• Workshops
• Training
• Get involved!
• Help test new portal/repository
• Outreach committee
• Help organize upcoming training and/or
roundtable discussions
• Conference committee

20. Join the Digital Commonwealth
http://digitalcommonwealth.memberlodge.org

21. Practically Digital: Doing What It
Takes: 2014 Conference
http://digitalcommonwealth.org/blog/?p=221

22. Questions?
Kim Cochrane, CAGS, MLS
Curriculum Librarian
Co-Director, NASA Educator Resource Center
Coordinator, Curriculum and Instructional Technology, Education Technology
Henry Whittemore Library
Framingham State University
kcochrane1@framingham.edu
Debra DeJonker-Berry, MLS, CAS
Director
Eastham Public Library
ddejonker-berry@clamsnet.org
Digital Commonwealth
digitalcommonwealth@gmail.com