University Library Digital Initiatives Changing Tides Revitalizing and Creating Collaborative Workflows in the Digital Initiatives Unit at Iowa State University

November 2018: Who Are We Now? University Library

Digital Initiatives Mission The Digital Initiatives Program (DIP) at the Iowa State University Library draws from across the University Library's rare, unique, and uncommon local collections to develop digital resources that support scholarship, teaching, and learning. We enhance access to archives and cultural heritage materials held by the Library, support the development of digital scholarship projects, and manage the Library's curated digital exhibits. We embrace the Library's mission to "make the collections as accessible and open as possible to support lifelong learning and the pursuit, creation, sharing, and application of knowledge." University Library

Curation Services Digital Scholarship and Initiatives Special Collections and University Archives Digital Scholarship and Initiatives Preservation and Stacks Management Digital Initiatives Program Scholarly Publishing Services Digital Collections, Digital Exhibits Digital Repository University Library

What We Do: Access, Understanding & Experiment Creating shareable and reusable online access to unique resources of the library which both DI and beyond can experience, learn from, and experiment with. University Library

History of Digital Initiatives @ ISU Library 2005-ish: IHDC, Luna, Preservation oversight 2003: DI conceived 2004: CTS oversight & DI Steering Group 2014-2015: DI further development 2011-ish: DARC Team 2008: CONTENTdm 2016 to 2018: Distinct unit with 2..3..4 permanent staff members December 2016: Avian Grant Funded (2 staff members) University Library

History: Beginnings Organization Staff Projects Communication Worked…but not perfectly University Library

Formation of a Working Group University Library

Do major stakeholders in the digitization process meet as a large group at your organization? Yes No University Library

For what reasons do stakeholders meet? As a working group to provide updates and address any and all questions, issues, etc. Before each project to agree on/discuss the project plan? Selection of proposed projects? Only if a specific need arises? Other? University Library

Changes Staff turnover Digitization projects significantly reduced Experimentation: Grant which incorporated navigational elements at the collection level Adding patron requests to University Photographs digital collection Highlighted how digital collections had outgrown the existing structure University Library

2016: Digital Initiatives Unit is Formed Centralized unit with a head Staffing of 6 2 grant-funded 4 permanent CC By 2.0 University Library

How many of you work in an organization which has digital collections as a centralized unit, overseeing all, or most, staff (directly or indirectly) within the digital collections workflow? University Library

Challenges Oversight of digital collections work spans different units within the library Volume increases Workflows become more complex New positions are added to the Library Clear communication becomes vital CLIR/avIAn Grant University Library

Unit Goals Become a well understood unit within the library and university Gain full support of the library administration Increase use of the collections Define and develop: Roles Workflows – collaborative workflows Project management and planning University Library

Defining Roles Within Digital Initiatives Positions Head Production Coordinator Digital Initiatives Archivist Digital Initiatives Web Designer University Library

Project Planning: DI Staff Roles DI projects may be initiated by anyone, but are created in conjunction with DI processes and working with DI staff. In general, there are four major roles: project originator(s), content lead, logistics lead, and web lead. Standing Responsibilities Role Description DI staff w/responsibility People who may perform the role on a project Project originator The person(s) who are driving the development of the project. Digital Initiatives Archivist or Lead, Digital Scholarship and Initiatives Digital Initiatives Archivist or Lead, Digital Scholarship and Initiatives, or anyone in consultation with one or both of them Content lead The person who selects the materials, assesses rights, shapes the project, and promotes the end result. Digital Initiatives Archivist Digital Initiatives Archivist, or anyone in consultation with her Logistics Lead The person who oversees the workflows, uploads the content, performs QA, and oversees standard descriptive work. Digital Initiatives Production Coordinator Web Lead The person who designs and implements the web site(s), tests accessibility, and manages promotional graphics. Digital Initiatives Web Designer University Library

Defining Roles of All Library Staff Stakeholders Digital Initiatives Special Collections and University Archives Head Curators Lead Processing Archivist Preservation Conservator Metadata Metadata Librarian Staff doing metadata work University Library

Where does oversight of digital collections work (selection, stabilization/conservation work, scanning, metadata, etc.) reside within your organization? All within the archives? All within a single unit, but outside of the archives? Different people & units are involved throughout the organization? Different people & units are involved within one specific division of the organization? Within a single working group, each one different for each new project? Other? University Library

Digital Collections Workflow Step 1 Concept of the digital collection and/or online exhibit is developed Step 2: Items are selected for the digital collection or online exhibit University Library

Digital Collections Workflow Step 4 Rights assessments are completed and recorded for each physical object being digitized Step 5: Items are transferred from SCUA or General Stacks to Preservation Step 6: Items are assessed for preservation needs and scanning needs University Library

Digital Collections Workflow Step 7: Items are scanned Step 8: Administrative metadata is applied Step 9: Descriptive metadata is applied and MD records are quality-checked University Library

Digital Collections Workflow Step 10: Metadata records and images are uploaded to CONTENTdm and made available on the web through CDM Step 11: DI Web Designer is notified that items are uploaded; website design is completed, objects are linked, and website is launched. Step12: Outreach and Promotion!! University Library

Developing Workflows: Challenges Decentralized Environment Working across departments Duplicated Effort Functional supervision Communication Duplicated Effort Multiple projects at once Production Coordinator role University Library

What workflow challenges do you face? University Archives

Collaborative Workflows: A Definition “Collaborative workflow is a hybrid system produced by the confluence of two previously separate software models: social software (such as chat, instant messaging, and document collaboration) and service management (workflow) software.” Igal Hauer “Collaborative Workflow: Social Software on a Mission” Enterprise Systems Journal, 5/28/2012 https://esj.com/articles/2012/05/28/collaborative-workflows.aspx Accessed 11/1/2018 University Archives

Project Management Software: Meistertask University Library

Documentation: Policies, Procedures, Guides, Templates… Selection Spreadsheet Consistent rights statements based on RightsStatements.org Postmortem (survey & anonymized results) Metadata Guidelines (based on format type) Metadata Styleguide Project Plan Digital Collection Development Policy Selection Criteria Permissions Form Template Orphan Works Procedures Digital Project Proposal & Memorandum of Understanding And more… I’m going to highlight a few of these in the upcoming slides, but will briefly mention a few which you might also be interested in. Postmortem, metadata guidelines, metadata styleguide, digital project proposal Jumped into because of requests/potential for collaboration: orphan works procedures, permissions form template University Library

Came a little later, anticipation of project proposals (again, the surprises!) University Library

How Do You Handle Requests for Digital Collections? University Library

Digitization Project Plan Project Abstract Project Description (scope, use, unique features, collection(s), time constraints) Metadata and Description Scanning and Preservation Outreach University Library

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Who else has a way to document selection criteria for digital collections, and how do you document it? Is it for internal use, public use, or both?

Selection Spreadsheet Structure reflects: Workflow structure Needs of units along the workflow (color coded for efficiency) Purposes: Describe item selected: call#, box, folder, title, description, date, document type Information for scanning process: scan count, file name, DOI Exhibit information (if for physical exhibit): use, dimensions, display instructions, label(s), exhibit case Background information for metadata: people, organizations, themes Rights statement University Library

Outreach and Promotion Internal Presentations Announcements Person to person  External Blogs Social media of other units Press releases Reaching out to individuals University Library

Closing Comments Embrace change, and even look for it Pursue the opportunities challenges provide – they can be a window into what might need change Take the time to step back and assess future steps University Library

QUESTIONS? Laura Sullivan Digital Initiatives Archivist Iowa State University Library lsulli12@iastate.edu University Library