supply and demand: special collections and digitisation

RLG Programs

Supply and Demand: Special Collections and Digitisation

Ricky Erway, RLG Program OfficerOCLC Programs and Research

JISC CNI MeetingTransforming the User ExperienceBelfast, Northern IrelandJuly 10, 2008

My Checkered Past

RLG Programs Supply and Demand: Special Collections and DigitisationRicky Erway - JISC CNI Jul 2008

3

““It is not the It is not the

strongest of the strongest of the

species that species that

survives, nor the survives, nor the

most intelligent most intelligent

that survives. that survives.

It is the one that It is the one that

is the most is the most

adaptable to adaptable to

change.”change.”——Charles DarwinCharles Darwin

Image: Auckland Museum


4


5

Yale University


6

Image: from the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”


7

Marsh’s Library, Dublin


8

Princeton University Archives

RLG Programs

Digitization Matters Symposium


10


11 Yale University Archives vault

Digitize for access


12

Selection has already been done

Woodcut from Sebastian Brant, “Stultifera…” The ship of fooles… 1570At University of Edinburgh Library


13

Don’t get further behind

Trinity College Dublin


14 University of Aberdeen

Stop thinking about item-level description

RLG Programs


16

Quantity over quality

Images: labs.live.com/photosynth/


17 Image: Library of Congress

Build permanent infrastructure


18


19

“At this stage, no new effort should be undertaken without a sense of how it will be merged with other existing collections and where the resources for long-term maintenance will come from.”

--Cornell University digital projects librarian

Ongoing programs, not projects


20

Funding for sustainable workflow at scale


21 Scribe book scanner

Encourage development of format-specific gear


22 University of Glasgow

Learn from your users

Linen Hall Library, Belfast


23


24

Be where the users are

Image: informationarchitects.jp/web-trend-map-2008-beta/


25 Image: Charles Tilford (flickr)


26

Images: Harry Ransom Center, UT Austin


27


28

Combine approaches


29

Process not projects


30


31

Do it all

Images: A View to Hugh (blog)


32

Share your findings

Images: A View to Hugh (blog)


33 Images: various


34

The Stokes Imaging System

Images: Stokes Imaging


35


36

Funding for streamlined processes


37


38

Preserve Right to Reuse/Remix


39

Work with partners to get what you want


40

Get going!


41

Say it out loud

“During the next five years, the Library will strengthen further its distinctive work in two areas: digital information technology and special collections.

At the same time, [we] will work collaboratively with both internal and external partners to increase access to these exceptional tools, systems, and resources; support new modes of teaching, learning, research, and scholarly communication; and preserve, store, and manage traditional and digital materials for future generations.”


42

Let your goal be discoverability


43

Discovery happens elsewhere – be there


44

Think big thoughts


45


46Images: RLG Cultural Materials


47

Resources

• Shifting Gears http://www.oclc.org/programs/ourwork/collectivecoll/harmonization/specialcollections.htm

• Blog http://hangingtogether.org/• Web www.oclc.org/programs• Ricky Erway [email protected]

• Thanks to Jennifer Schaffner, Merrilee Proffitt, Karen Calhoun, and other OCLC contributors.

supply and demand: special collections and digitisation

Business

quality images

findings images

university of glasgow

princeton university

stokes imaging system

university of aberdeen

library of congress

yale university archives