Constructing the Memories

Creating a Digital Collection

Linda J. White, Digital Project Coordinator

Constructing the Memories

Creating a digital collection is more than just putting something online. It requires planning, funding and a lot of work.

Things to Consider

AudienceSelectionFunding Institutional and Collegial Support Timeline

Selection Policy and Process

Selection Policy and Process

Things to considerCopyright and Privacy IssuesPhysical Condition Availability of cataloging informationCost of digitizationTime required to digitizeTechnology neededSupport for other institutional activitiesAudience for the collections

Developing Your Work Plan

Developing Your Work Plan

Entire collection vs. selectionsCollection conditionCollection OrganizationProviding Access to the collections

Digitizing the Collections

Who does the digital capture? Do you do the work in-house?

What scanning equipment do you need to obtain?Do you have staff that can do the work?

Do you have to hire new staff?Can you train existing staff?

Where do you put your set up?

Digitizing the Collections

Who does the digital capture? Selecting an outside vendor

Will they be on or off site?Will need to develop RFP’s and contract standards.How to insure quality.How to insure the safety of materials to be digitized.

Digitizing the Collections

Whether you work in-house or notColor, black and white or greyscaleUnique formatsScanning Equipment Targets and instructions Text captureBack-ups and storage of imagesWhat kind of products you want

Digitizing the Collections

Digitizing the Collections

Quality Review

Did you get everything you were supposed to?

Did you get what you want?

Presentation

Presentation Framework Documents

What kind of contextual information should be available for users?

What other kinds of information is already available that can be used?

PresentationDetermine how the collection should behave

and how things should link togetherSearch EnginePage TurnersThumbnail imagesPlug-ins to be used

PresentationCopyright Issues

If institution does not hold copyright or item is not in public domain must get permission to use.

Must also deal with privacy issuesHow to inform the users

Presentation

Final StepsFinal Quality Review

Editing for Style and ContentLook for broken links

Final testing on non-public area of serverRelease to Public

Publicity Issues

The Collection is Up. Patrons love it.

But the work is not done….

Maintenance

Fixing broken linksUpdating online materialsArchiving online collectionsOther Allied ProductsReference Issues

Articles and Papers

For more information:

http://memory.loc.gov/