In a few weeks, I will have been in my position here for four months. If there is one project that I hope to complete before my first year, it is to successfully create a sustainable digitization process for our library!
With feedback from the digital/web librarian who attempted to create a digitization policy about two years ago and a lot of reading, I created four documents to get our digitization “task force” talking about our project process. These documents, in draft form, are as follows:
- Digital Collection Development Policy: This document is modeled after the original policy document. It describes types of digitization projects, defines a “digitization advisory group” that decides what projects to do and who will be part of the projects, as well as project selection criteria.
- Digital Project Life Cycle: This document describes the process of identifying and implementing a digital project. Team roles are described, as well as technical and metadata specs (still in development).
- Digitization Project Proposal: This is a very short form that groups can fill out to propose a digital project to the “digitization advisory group.”
- Project Proposal Checklist: This is the checklist that the “digitization advisory group” would use to help the group decide on and prioritize digitization projects. Adapted from Syracuse University Library’s “Digital Library Project Proposal Checklist.”
There are other forms and policies, such as a work order submission form and copyright research policy — I have some great guidance from the Society of Georgia Archivists’ Forms Forum, which has a lot of excellent examples. Some of the other resources I consulted and adapted include:
- Cornell University’s “Digital Imaging Tutorial“
- East Carolina University’s “Digital Collection Development Policy“
- The NINCH Guide to Good Practice in the Digital Representation and Management of Cultural Heritage Materials
- NEDCC’s Handbook for Digital Projects
- The Claremont Colleges’ “Dublin Core Metadata Elements Best Practice“
- Suzanne Preate’s “Digital Project Life Cycle“
For me, the development policy and life cycle documents are the most important. Once our “task force” comes to agreement on these documents, they can serve as the backbone for our projects, as well as evidence that we all support a long-term, collaborative digitization effort. Feedback and suggestions are welcome. Thank you for reading!
As an unrelated note, Touchable Archives is the blog of the month for May 2010 at Simmons’ GSLIS!
