This document outlines plans for the Seed Saving Digital Library (SSDL) project. The SSDL will be a single online source of information about seed saving, including history, practices, organizations, and how to save specific types of seeds. It will obtain content from seed saving organizations, libraries, publishers, and individual seed savers. The project will last one year and involve planning, development, and pre-launch phases to develop the digital library platform and populate it with content and user feedback. The goals are to inform people about seed saving and support related organizations and libraries.

1. Seed Saving
Digital Library
IST 676
Kara Moran Kugelmeyer

3. What is Seed Saving?
• Seed Saving is the practice of saving seeds (in all forms,
seeds, tubers, nuts, etc.) from vegetables, grains, herbs,
and flowers, so that you can reuse these seeds for future
crops/seasons.
• Seed Saving promotes genetic diversity and crop
sustainability.
• Did you know why seed saving and genetic diversity are
important? “Seventy-five percent of all the seeds ever used in agriculture
are estimated to have become extinct by 1990. Ninety five percent are
expected to be extinct by the year 2000. We are depleting our genetic base
by overdependence on too few highly specialized varieties.” Jeavons (1995)

4. SSDL Concept:
• The concept for a digital library on Seed Saving (SSDL)
originated in part because there is no single and
comprehensive content source or digital repository on
Seed Saving.
• Providing a single source for a wide variety of
information on Seed Saving will not only support this
important ecological practice, but also help promote the
concept.
• The SSDL will also support a growing public library
service as well, seed sharing.

6. Goals:
The goals of the SSDL project are as follows:
Informational
•To create a single point of access for relevant and
authoritative information on Seed Saving
Support
•To support the overall Seed Saving mission, including
public libraries vision as well
Preservation
•To help preserve information and resources on Seed
Saving
Unite
•To bring together Seed Savers across the nation and
globe

7. SSDL Objectives:
•Content aggregation and curation
•Digitization of content
•Creation of robust metadata
•Interface that is easy to use and understand
•Fair treatment of intellectual property
•Dissemination/Outreach for SSDL

8. Users:
•The SSDL will provide information for those interested
in Seed Saving such as:
•Gardeners
•Environmentalists
•Botanists
•Companies that produce and sell heirloom seeds
•Commercial growers
• Seed Saving Organizations
•Librarians
•Students
•Researchers

9. Users Needs Assessments:
•Creating a service that meets the needs of its users is a
foundational goal for the SSDL project and key to its
long-term sustainability as a viable resource.
•To help ensure that user needs are identified and met
the SSDL team will undertake the following:
•Surveys to help assess user needs for: content, design
features and functions.
•Creation of user profiles
•Interviews with power users.
•Guide content creation and acquisition, core functionality and
ensure that key navigational and search features and functionality
have been identified.
•Usability and design feedback testing.

10. Content:
•The SSDL will offer content on:
• About Seed Saving
• History
•Practice(s)
•Practitioners
• Saving Seeds
•Common, scientific name of seed(s)
•Descriptions of the seed
•How to grow, harvest and save them
•Seed Saving Organizations
• Who
• Where
• Why

11. Content Sources:
•The SSDL will get content from:
•Seed Saving Organizations
•Libraries
•Seed Savers
•Publishers
•Books
•Journals
•Magazines
•Articles
•Blogs
•News Organizations

12. Content Formats:
•The SSDL will offer content in variety of formats
•Text
•PDF
•Video
•Audio
•Images: jpeg, gif, tiff, etc.

13. SSDL Technology:
•Because the SSDL will be a very small resource compared to many
digital libraries and the staff will be limited the best recommendation of
the SSDL is to license and use digital library cloud hosted software.
• Examples like Greenstone and Veridian, or partnering with a library or library technology
provider that already has a stable digital library platform, who would be willing to “rent” space
for the SSDL
•Basic features and functionality that will need to be part of the
software includes:
•Webpage creation/modification
•Software for imbedded reader
•Robust search/indexing features
•Robust metadata features
•Ability to add, delete and modify content
•Security/Access
•Analytics feature to track usage
•Sophistication of software – will it be improved upon as time goes on, stay
abreast of current technological advancements in digital libraries
•Interoperablity

14. SSDL Project Plan
• The total project timeline is 1 year, broken down into three phases:
Planning – 3 Months
Select vendor for software and hosting - 1 Month
Content identification and acquisition – 3 Months
Gathering User Feedback – 3 Months
Creating Project Plan – 3 Months
Outreach and Marketing Plan Creation – 3 months
Development – 6 Months
Content digitization – 5 months
Uploading content, metadata mapping and tagging – 6 months
User interface and design – 4 months
Launch of marketing and outreach
Pre-Launch– 3 Months
Testing/QA in house and user testing– 1 month
Ongoing marketing
Metadata refinement – 1 month
User design modifications - 1 month (happens after testing and metatdata refinement)
Beta Softlaunch – one month after user design modifications

15. SSDL Budget
Pre-Launch
•Digital Library License Fee - $10,000
•Equipment for digitization - $10,000
•Software for digitizing - $5,000
•Staffing - $25,000
•Content Acquisition - $10,000
•Marketing - $10,000
Post-Launch
•Annual Staff - $15,000
•Annual License Fee - $7,500
•Annual Content Fees - $5,000
•Annual Marketing $10,000

16. SSDL Outreach/Marketing Plan
•Creating value proposition piece for SSDL
•Identification and marketing to sister-groups/organizations –
building a network with organizations dedicated to Seed Saving
is essential to spreading the word and getting new content.
•Creating both an elevator speech and marketing materials that
outline the who, what, whys of the site and tell about the value
proposition of the site are essential. Also working with them to
market the site to their users.
•These sister organizations include but are not limited to: Seed
Saving organizations, libraries, higher-education institutions that
have horticultural and agricultural divisions, seed-companies.
•Means to contact them would include:
•Emails/Letters
•Phone calls
•Meetings
•Marketing direct to users
Search engine marketing
Face Book

17. SSDL Sustainability Plan
• Offer a unique and authoritative source of
information on Seed Saving
• Offer users a site that is intuitive and fun to use
• Use current and flexible technologies
• Create a flexible staffing model to control costs
• Fund project through multiple sources
•Continuous and “aggressive” outreach and
marketing

18. Questions?