Cory BrandtMamadou Lamine Ndoye Building Partnerships for African Digital Libraries: The Senegalese model for developing a West African Digital Library

Cory Brandt Mamadou Lamine Ndoye

Building Partnerships for African Digital Libraries:

The Senegalese model for developing a West African Digital Library Network (WADiLiN)

IATUL 2002

Kansas City, KS



Rationale for a West African DL Consortium

• Imbalance in distribution of info. tech. – Exacerbates North/South economic imbalances

– Marginalises educators, researchers and students

• West African Cultural Institutions– Motivated to embrace new technologies

– Disconnected from fee-for-service content

– Lack capacity to digitize proprietary content


Rationale for a West African DL Consortium

• Northern Consortia – Cost reductions through consortial purchasing of online

content

– Germination of DL activity

– Partnerships for online content development

• West African Consortia– Strategies not effectively applied

– Model can be disseminated through• Existing regional and sub-regional consortia

• North-South partnerships


Barriers to DL Development

• Shared Barriers Severe financial constraints compounded by lack of training in

strategic planning and grant writingInadequate facilities infrastructure (i.e. electrical wiring,

telephone lines, buildings and grounds etc.)Outdated or non-existent hardware, software, and network

connectivityNeed for staff training opportunities and adequate training

facilitiesHarsh environmental conditions damaging collections and

accelerating equipment depreciationInadequate salaries and difficult working conditions


Barriers to DL Development

• Additional compounding factors may include: Ill-defined or inappropriate mission and goalsLack of clearly formulated strategic plansContentious relations between staff and managementDivisional rivalryInterpersonal conflictMisdirection of project funds


DL Activity in Senegal

• West African Research Center (WARC)

– WARC’s DL mission:• Assist West African libraries and archives in the

creation of DL’s

• Digitize important documents from private research collections

• Provide scholarly access to West African DL content


DL Activity in Senegal - WARC– Digitizing private scholarly content

• i.e. colonial reports, photos, unpublished manuscripts

– DL training program• Face-to-face training and remote mentoring• On-site follow-up activities and guidance• Requires some prior experience and computing equipment

– Key Training topics• image capture and manipulation• Web development• DL metadata standards

– Ongoing technical assistance– Collaborative Fundraising


DL Activity in Senegal• West African Museums Programme

– Different strategy• Lack of prior computing experience in museums

– Staged Approach• Build skills before installing equipment• Distribute digital cameras• Basic image capture, manipulation, and ftp training• Create relationship with cybercafe for Internet access and ftp• Images sent to WAMP for processing and inclusion in database

– Follow-up projects• Can assume some prior experience• installation of computers and networking


Senegalese Partner Institutions

• Universite Gaston Berger– Dissertations relating to Senegal River area

• Direction des Archives National du Senegal– Postcard Collection, 1900-1959 (3000)

• Institut Fondamental de l’Afrique Noire – Various research collections

• Centre de Recherche et de Documentation du Senegal– Explorers Accounts, 1644-1900 (25)


US Partner Institution

• Michigan State University– MATRIX and African Studies Department– NSF Funding– African Digital Library Project

• Standards compliant database development• Development of Web based cataloguing interface• Range of metadata options for partner institutions• Technical assistance for digitization of sound and video


DL Model for Resource Poor Environments

• Conclusions are suggestive, not definitive

• Emerging model stresses– Institutional readiness– Role of catalyst institutions– Importance of extra-regional partners– Need for effective professional networks in support of

DL development


Institutional Readiness• Assessment (or self-assessment) of:

Financial capacity and accountabilityStaff motivation and preparednessAdministrative supportAppropriateness of collectionsExisting technical infrastructure and ability to maintain new technical

infrastructurePrior experience with digitization or related projectsProject management and strategic planning capacityExperience and prior success in fundraisingTrack record re: previous projects with external fundingFacilities readiness


Institutional Readiness

• Assesment determines– Potential for follow-through– Degree and type of external assistance required– Potential to sustain DL activity after initial funding is

completed

• Ex. WARC and WAMP strategies– Differ based on differing readiness assessments– Museums vs. libraries/archives


Catalyst Institutions• Provide

– Institutional readiness assessment

– Model of the DL development process

– Training and access to training opportunities

– In-house and remote mentoring

– Project and strategic planning assistance

– Technical assistance including equipment and facilities specifications

– Organizational development consultation for administrators

– Formative and summative evaluation including clearly stated benchmarks for success

– Assistance in fundraising and identification of funding opportunities

• Reduce intimidation factor - handholding


Catalyst Institutions

• Develop typology West African content– Documents– Objects

• Aids in cataloguing– Development of standardized online metadata forms

• Act as intermediary– Facilitate communication with extra-regional partners


Extra-regional Partners

• Help ameliorate lack of– Computing and facilities infrastructure – Technical expertise– Prior DL experience– Funding

• May provide– Access to standards compliant DB for online delivery

• Temporary pending development of local expertise

• Need for multiple extra-regional partners– Guards against over dependence



• Rights issues– Fears about unfettered access to proprietary content– Exacerbated by historic North/South imbalances

• Control of information• Access to cultural heritage resources

– Should access be free when African institutions face economic barriers in accessing DB content from abroad?

– Need for clear rights statements• Content remains property of repository institution• Extra-regional partner provides non-exclusive vehicle for online delivery



• Rights issues– Need to explore

• Fee-for-use systems to generate revenue in support of West African digitization projects

• Cooperative agreements providing West African institutions with free access to content from database vendors in exchange for access to their content


Professional NetworksWADiLiN

• DL Consortia are effective in– Sharing experience and expertise– Defraying costs through economies of scale– Raising funds for digitization activity

• West African library consortia– Already exist at national and international levels– Development of DL consortium can build on existing structures


West African Professional Networks

• DL Consortia are effective in– Sharing experience and expertise– Defraying costs through economies of scale– Raising funds for digitization activity

• West African library consortia– Already exist at national and international levels– Development of DL consortium can build on existing structures


WADiLiNWest African Digital Library Network

• Consortial entity to support DL activity in West Africa– Develop formal links with existing local and regional

professional networks

– Apply Senegalese model on a regional basis

– Create representative Advisory Board

– Offices at WARC to provide project coordination, training, and fundraising support


WADiLiNWest African Digital Library Network

• Partners needed– Northern institutions can be linked directly with West African

partner institutions for specific projects

– Northern consortia can be linked with WADiLin to help realize the vision for a regional entity in support of DL work

– For more information• Contact [email protected] or [email protected]• Visit the WADiLiN Website at: www.warc-croa.org/wadl.htm