24 March 2010Atlanta, Georgia Passing it on: Notes on digital initiative sustainability Marty Kurth HBCU 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 Collections

A good digital initiative... ✤ Has substantial design and planning ✤ Has staff with expertise ✤ Follows project best 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 System Interface 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.