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

2. November 2018: Who Are We Now?
University Library

3. 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."
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4. 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
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5. 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.
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6. History of Digital Initiatives @ ISU Library
2005-ish: IHDC, Luna, Preservation oversight
2003: DI conceived
2004: CTS oversight & DI Steering Group
: DI further development
2011-ish: DARC Team
2008: CONTENTdm
2016 to 2018:
Distinct unit with permanent staff members
December 2016: Avian Grant Funded (2 staff members)
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7. History: Beginnings Organization Staff Projects Communication
Worked…but not perfectly
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8. Formation of a Working Group
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9. Do major stakeholders in the digitization process meet as a large group at your organization?
Yes No
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10. 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?
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11. 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
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12. 2016: Digital Initiatives Unit is Formed
Centralized unit with a head
Staffing of 6
2 grant-funded
4 permanent
CC By 2.0
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13. 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?
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14. 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
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15. 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
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16. Defining Roles Within Digital Initiatives
Positions
Head
Production Coordinator
Digital Initiatives Archivist
Digital Initiatives Web Designer
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17. 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
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18. 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

19. 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?
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20. 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
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21. 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
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22. 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
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23. 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!!
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24. Developing Workflows: Challenges
Decentralized Environment
Working across departments
Duplicated Effort
Functional supervision
Communication
Duplicated Effort
Multiple projects at once
Production Coordinator role
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25. What workflow challenges do you face?
University Archives

26. 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/ Accessed 11/1/2018
University Archives

27. Project Management Software: Meistertask
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28. 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
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29. Came a little later, anticipation of project proposals (again, the surprises!)
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30. How Do You Handle Requests for Digital Collections?
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31. Digitization Project Plan
Project Abstract
Project Description (scope, use, unique features, collection(s), time constraints)
Metadata and Description
Scanning and Preservation
Outreach
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32. University Library

33. 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?

34. 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
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35. Outreach and Promotion
Internal
Presentations
Announcements
Person to person 
External
Blogs
Social media of other units
Press releases
Reaching out to individuals
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36. 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
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37. QUESTIONS? Laura Sullivan Digital Initiatives Archivist Iowa State University Library
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