24 March 2010 Atlanta, Georgia

Passing it on:Notes on digital initiative sustainabilityMarty KurthHBCU Library Alliance – Cornell University Library Digital Initiative

Each of us is an expert on our own experience

Much of what I will present is illustrative rather than definitive. Nothing can substitute for thoughtful inquiry guided by your own circumstances and experience.

Aspects of digital initiative sustainability

Design and planning: Resource strategies

Selectively building staff expertise

Best practices: Well-managed collections

Marketing: Nurturing stakeholders

Digital lifecycle

“A Framework” for today’s remarks

A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collectionshttp://framework.niso.org/

A good digital initiative . . .

Has substantial design and planning

Has staff with expertise

Follows projectbest practices

Has an evaluation component

Markets itself and shares process and outcomes

Considers the digital lifecycle

Design and planning: Why plan?

To present a clear picture of goals to ensure clear communication and to get support

To surface sustainability and long-term viability issues

To measure the organization’s abilities and commitment

To enable assessment and evaluation

Components of a plan

Initiative description and objectives Service model Needs assessment

Market analysis and plan Risk assessment and contingency planning

Management team Fiscal information and forecasts

Resource strategies to support staffing, facilities, equipment

Communication plan Assessment and evaluation

Resource strategies: Fixed resources

Allocating funds differently

Assessing opportunity costs (trade-offs)

What activities must be given up or scaled back to support the initiative?

How to ensure that the opportunity cost is as low as possible?

Resource strategies: Increased resources

External funding sources (donations, grants)?

Fees for service or use?

Collaborative or business relationships across organizational boundaries?

Staffing: Selectively building expertise

Director

Grant writer(s)

Curators

Project manager

Metadata specialist

Scanning specialist

System administrator

Interface designer

Marketing specialist

Other production tasks

Assessment specialist

Best practices: Well-managed collections 1

Follow digital content creation best practices (e.g., use common standards and avoid proprietary formats)

Document decisions (how files were created, technical specs, copyright issues)

Create a registry of digital collections Identify a team and assign

responsibilities

Best practices: Well-managed collections 2

Have a unified storage plan (inventory, backups)

Regularly assess what you are doing and how you can improve

Use reliable access to support preservation

Join consortial initiatives to replicate content

Marketing: Nurturing stakeholders

Building a core group of stakeholders increases the likelihood of ongoing success

Stakeholders may be part of the organization, parent institution, or partners in the initiative

Promoting initiatives to stakeholders

Identify ways in which the initiative helps fulfill institutional mission and goals, such as: Supports instruction or research Supports community outreach and public

relations Increases user base Increases revenue (through sales or donations) Improves stewardship of institutional resources Helps preserve original materials (less wear

and tear)

Select

Digital lifecycle

Copyright

Prepare

Process

Benchmark

Digitize

Metadata

SystemInterface

Deliver

Store

Assess

Update

Archive

Publicize

DRM

Considering the digital lifecycle

Considering the digital lifecycle implies institutional commitment and reinforces the connection between development and sustained access

Recognizes that every initiative has ongoing phases – they are not one-time efforts

Places equal emphasis on planning, development, and maintenance

Final thought: Where are our users in all this?

“Digital collections must now intersect with the user’s own context—within the course, within the research process, within the leisure time activities, and within the social networks that are important to the end user.”A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections

Discussion questions

What are your opportunities and challenges in sustaining a digital initiative?

What are your institution’s strengths in sustaining a digital initiative?

Which areas need additional capacity and resources?

What training needs remain?

With thanks to Oya Rieger, Mary Woodley, the Library of Congress, and the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services for content used in the preparation of this presentation.