The Digital Public Library of America and the Commonwealth: Exploring options for a Virginia Service Hub Virginia Library Association, October 2016 Genya O’Gara (VIVA)

Outline Background Background Reassessing/Shifting Gears Timeline VIVA, DPLA, and Virginia’s statewide needs Early efforts Reassessing/Shifting Gears Talks with consortia VIVA survey Re-engagement Current approach LAC proposal to SCHEV Doctoral hub initiative December LAC meeting

Timeline Background Fall 2014, White paper to LAC Aug. 2015, Virginia Heritage Meeting Sep. 2015, VIVA SCHEV Funding Proposal Jan. 2016 VAMPS Mellon Proposal Spring 2016, Investigation consortial models Jun. 2016, VIVA DPLA Survey August 2016 LAC proposal to SCHEV Sep. 2016, Doctorals investigate staffing Dec. 2016, LAC meeting Anne

What is VIVA? Background VIVA provides equitable, cooperative, and cost-effective access to library resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s nonprofit academic libraries serving the higher education community.

VIVA Members Background Public Colleges and Universities Public Community and Two Year Colleges Private Nonprofit Institutions Educational and Research Institutions

VIVA Background State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Library Advisory Committee VIVA Program

DPLA Background The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA, http://dp.la/) is a free national online resource that centralizes the cultural heritage material found in libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. DPLA works through close collaboration with Content and Service providers. These providers are made up of library, museum, archive, and cultural heritage institutions from across the US that contribute their unique and rare digital and digitized materials to this central effort. DPLA’s current national network includes over forty state/regional digital libraries and many large digital libraries throughout the US.

DPLA Background

DPLA Background DPLA has two types of “Hubs”. Content Hubs and Service Hubs. Currently UVA serves as the only Content Hub in VA, and there is no Service Hub to allow for greater participation throughout the Commonwealth.

Early efforts Background White paper (Anne Osterman, VIVA, Bradley Daigle, UVA, Laura Drake Davis, JMU) – distributed model, includes discussion of statewide digitization and preservation model for a Virginia wide DPLA. UVA, with several participating VIVA institutions, forms a working group to begin a preliminary investigation into a distributed DPLA Service Hub. Virginia Heritage and VIVA host a town-hall meeting to discuss a Virginia DPLA model more broadly. Fall 2014, White paper to LAC Aug. 2015, Virginia Heritage Meeting Sep. 2015, VIVA SCHEV Funding Proposal Jan. 2016 VAMPS Mellon Proposal Spring 2016, Investigation consortial models Jun. 2016, VIVA DPLA Survey August 2016 LAC proposal to SCHEV Sep. 2016, doctorals investigate staffing Dec. 2016, LAC meeting Anne

Early efforts Background Following the VA Heritage meeting a small working group submitted a preliminary Mellon grant focused specifically on preservation and digitization, titled VAMPS (Virginia Model for Preservation Services). VIVA Steering Committee authorized submitting, as part of the VIVA budget request to SCHEV to review, additional one-time state funding to support these efforts. Neither of these approaches were successful. Fall 2014, White paper to LAC Aug. 2015, Virginia Heritage Meeting Sep. 2015, VIVA SCHEV Funding Proposal Jan. 2016 VAMPS Mellon Proposal Spring 2016, Investigation consortial models Jun. 2016, VIVA DPLA Survey August 2016 LAC proposal to SCHEV Sep. 2016, doctorals investigate staffing Dec. 2016, LAC meeting

Shifting gears Reassessing VIVA consulted with other consortia (both regional and state) on different approaches Devised a new approach, focusing on “ready to go” content. Surveyed VIVA institutions to ensure high interest remained, as well as to better understand the scope of materials that had appropriate metadata and feeds for easy ingest. Fall 2014, White paper to LAC Aug. 2015, Virginia Heritage Meeting Sep. 2015, VIVA SCHEV Funding Proposal Jan. 2016 VAMPS Mellon Proposal Spring 2016, Investigation consortial models Jun. 2016, VIVA DPLA Survey August 2016 LAC proposal to SCHEV Sep. 2016, doctorals investigate staffing Dec. 2016, LAC meeting

Survey Results Survey 29 respondents. 23 VIVA members, including all doctoral institutions & the Library of Virginia. 5 smaller cultural heritage institutions & the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. VCCS responded on behalf of members that they had special collections materials, but no “ready-to-go” content and so did not participate in the survey. They did identify several notable special collections.

Context for VA Survey 71% of ALL respondents had publicly accessible, online, digital collections, and 82% of VIVA institutions do!

Context for VA Survey The most commonly used metadata standards (Simple Qualified Dublin Core) and available metadata feeds (OAI-PMH).

Context for VA Survey Over 65% of respondents have digitization needs they cannot provide in-house.

Context for VA Survey Over 70% of respondents felt they could provide preservation services for digital objects in-house.

Context for VA Survey Over 50% of respondents would be willing to contribute staff time.

Notable Results Survey 65% have materials that require digitization services that they cannot provide in-house. 71% felt that they could provide preservation services (e.g. active management, policies, & dedicated service space and infrastructure) in-house. 52% of respondents would be able to volunteer staff time to digitization or metadata creation. 270 hours a month was the total staff time responding institutions estimated that they could contribute to this effort -- or 6.75 weeks a month! Most importantly, still a great deal of enthusiasm in Virginia for a Service Hub.

Current Approach Reassessing The Library Advisory Council, after seeing the results of the survey, and getting a request from SCHEV for new initiatives, has submitted a funding request for this as one potential project. Future grants are being considered by the smaller group. Fall, 2014 White paper to LAC Aug. 2015, Virginia Heritage Meeting Sep. 2015, VIVA SCHEV Funding Proposal Jan. 2016 VAMPS Mellon Proposal Spring 2016, Investigation consortial models Jun. 2016, VIVA DPLA Survey August 2016 LAC proposal to SCHEV Sep. 2016, doctorals investigate staffing Dec. 2016, LAC meeting

Current Approach Reassessing UVA, GMU, W&M, VCU , & VA Tech have begun planning to partner together to create a distributed DPLA Service Hub.  Each has committed a certain FTE percentage from their institution. This approach has grown out of the earlier conversations, the survey results, and the consistent focus on a flexible distributed approach. UVA, as the only DPLA Content Hub in the state, is leading this effort. Fall, 2014 White paper to LAC Aug. 2015, Virginia Heritage Meeting Sep. 2015, VIVA SCHEV Funding Proposal Jan. 2016 VAMPS Mellon Proposal Spring 2016, Investigation consortial models Jun. 2016, VIVA DPLA Survey August 2016 LAC proposal to SCHEV Sep. 2016, doctorals investigate staffing Dec. 2016, LAC meeting

Current Approach Reassessing Depending on the outcome of these current efforts the Library Advisory Committee is planning a larger discussion around this topic at their December meeting. Fall, 2014 White paper to LAC Aug. 2015, Virginia Heritage Meeting Sep. 2015, VIVA SCHEV Funding Proposal Jan. 2016 VAMPS Mellon Proposal Spring 2016, Investigation consortial models Jun. 2016, VIVA DPLA Survey August 2016 LAC proposal to SCHEV Sep. 2016, doctorals investigate staffing Dec. 2016, LAC meeting

The End! Questions? Suggestions? Thoughts?

Credits Noun Project “Digitization” By Iconathon, US DPLA “Logo” https://dp.la/ (10.25.2016) DPLA “Screenshot” https://dp.la/ (10.26.2016) DPLA “Hubs” image. https://dp.la/info/hubs/ (10.25.2016)