Initiative Review Group VIII Final Report June 30, 2001

Investigate and develop an in-house program for digitizing the Libraries' unique resources.

Members:

Andrea Cantrell (leader), Todd Cantrell, Jane Foster, Mikey King.

1. Briefly describe the background, present setting/structure which applies to this initiative:

A proposal for an Arkansas Digital Library, including digitization of significant resources held by the University Libraries and other libraries around the state, was prepared in October 1998 and submitted to the Arkansas General Assembly. Though the project was not funded, portions of the proposal will be important in future planning for this topic.

A current project to digitize five hundred photographs of images of the University of Arkansas campus and in the Fayetteville community is currently underway, funded in part by a grant from the Happy Hollow foundation. Planning and implementation of this project includes personnel from Special Collections Division, Systems Department, Cataloging Department, Technical Services Division, and the libraries' webmaster. Equipment acquired with funds from this project will make important contributions to future digital projects involving scanning. The first of these include an Epson Expression 1640XL color scanner with a scanning bed of 12 1/4" by 17 1/2." A color printer capable of printing 11" x 17" paper will be acquired in the near future. Systems personnel have installed a Dell OptiPlex GX 200 computer with PhotoShop 6.0 software. We will also need use of digital collection management software, i.e. a database. We have received a trial use of "CONTENTdm" developed by the University of Washington. The Happy Hollow project group are evaluating its usefulness for applications in this library.

Future projects of possible relationship to the work of this group:

Electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs): This topic is being treated by Review Group #9. It relates mostly to theses and dissertations submitted in electronic format. Review Group #8 would be involved if existing paper theses or dissertations were selected for digitization.

Electronic books: These are being acquired mostly through acquisition procedures for electronic materials. Review Group #8 would be involved when books held by the University Libraries are selected for digitization.

2. Develop an inclusive list (in ranked order of importance) of issues that must be addressed/considered for this initiative:

Defining the goals of the group's work, short term and long term, in relation to the University Libraries' mission statement and to identified patron needs.

Funding is of critical importance, for the work of this group as for others, but funding needs for this group cannot be identified until projected work is detailed and related costs can be estimated.

Resources required for projects will include:

personnel

training for personnel as needed

equipment

software

for example, scanning text will require improved Optical Character Recognition software

computer storage/memory for both public access files and backups

Survey, identify, and evaluate unique resources that should be considered. With input obtained through the review process (next item), establish priorities for digitizing surveyed resources. Materials will be digitized both from this initial selection process and from ongoing review process as new needs or new resources are suggested. Unique resources identified so far are listed in Appendix 1.

Develop process for reviewing/selecting materials to be digitized.

a review group is recommended (see Appendix 2)

a review/evaluation form is recommended (see Appendix 3 for a first draft)

Identify various approaches to providing access to the intellectual content of digitized materials (cataloging, indexing, metadata, search options) and identify means of assigning appropriate approaches to specific materials or groups of materials.

Make available standards and specifications for assuring the security and integrity of files.

Clarify copyright and property rights issues for work of the group and for notices to patrons. Develop "copyright categories" or something informative but clearly not offered as legal advice (perhaps similar to the University of Texas System's set of "Rules of Thumb" for use of copyrighted material, http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.html)

3. Briefly describe how this initiative fits into the long-term goals and/or fulfills the mission of the University Libraries:

Digital information is regarded by many of our users as "fundamental university library resources and services."
Digital information resources can assist distance learners and can expand access to existing materials.
Digital resources will help the library maintain and upgrade access to its unique information resources. It will be critical to keep up with mainstream technologies (for example, which browsers work with software needed, which formats can be accessed by the largest number of patrons, etc.).

Digital resources will assist the University Libraries in performing its roles in interlibrary cooperation and expansion of statewide access to library and information services.
Current feedback indicates that goals from client groups include increasing access to resources digitally "especially in terms of convenience and cost to users." We expect to learn more about this during coming planning phases.

4. Indicate other of the initiatives that should be considered in connection to, coordinated with, or that may overlap the initiative.

IRG #1 (needs of users): The needs of users will be important in selecting materials to digitize and in technical decisions affecting nature of access.

IRG #2 (effectiveness of existing library programs): When the work of this group has started, we will need the feedback from evaluation of library programs for future planning.

IRG #3 (shift existing staff resources): Personnel with specific expertise will be needed for digitization work. Most of the planning, selecting, and managing the program may be accomplished by personnel from several library departments. As volume increases, personnel may need to be added for the routine scanning procedures.

IRG #4 (preservation/conservation): Digitizing selected materials can contribute to preservation of originals by providing alternative access and thereby reducing wear and tear on originals, though preservation microfilming is still considered the long-term preservation medium.

Also, digitizing materials will create new preservation issues for the library in terms of maintaining backup files and of upgrading/migrating digital files as files degrade or as technology changes.

IRG #5 (space requirements): Work space for digitization will be needed, both for use of equipment (scanner, computer, file storage, etc.) and for "staging areas" where material prepped for digitization can be placed and where materials that have just been digitized can be placed until they are re-shelved.

IRG #6 (collection development program): The collection development program is critically important to prioritizing materials to be digitized.

IRG #7 (full-text resources): They may identify (through their work) materials needed in digital form which we can digitize in-house.

IRG #9 (collaboration...to digitize): We will overlap in many ways. After April 30, we should meet with Group #9 to clarify directions and identify areas of cooperation.

IRG #10 (fund-raising program): Group #10 may help supply some funding for Group 8's work. Also, digital projects might be attractive as focal points for fundraising.

IRG #11 (data collection): We will need to document material digitized and to establish means of obtaining statistics on use of digital sources

IRG #12 (budget . . .collection development): n/a at this time

IRG #13 (consortial relationships): Possibly in conjunction with IRG #9 for collaborative projects.

IRG #14 (operational policies . . . on the web): We may be recommending that much of the work of Group #8 (certainly initially) be done by a "virtual" department, so adding its policies and procedures to the Web pages would be very important (and appropriate!).

IRG #15 (departmental Web pages): Departmental web pages will help increase public awareness of, access to, and use of the digital products created. Providing documentation (and public access to it) of digitization work is important.

IRG #16 (staff development): We have already started this in a small, informal way with the Happy Hollow project. We may need to expand training as more digital resources are developed.

IRG #17 (budget process): n/a at this time

IRG #18 (scholarly efforts of library faculty): Digital publishing has many pros and cons, but some scholarly work of library faculty (for example, specialized indexes) may be excellent candidates to become very helpful digital resources for our patrons.

5. Note any initiatives or considerations that are lacking . which may be essential to the planning and redefining process.

None identified so far.

6. Recommended individuals: Maintain current membership, plus add someone from Interlibrary Loan and from Collection Development (when possible). Assure representatives (for planning and early review stages) from:

Special Collections
Systems
Cataloging
Audio Visual
Add when possible: Interlibrary Loan
Collection Development
Involve when appropriate:
Home Page Committee
Preservation
Outside library, as needed

7. Recommend the amount of time that will be required to effectively develop the plan for implementing the initiative:

Because this work can start small (but could grow exponentially) and because some work in this area is starting with the Happy Hollow Project, we will complete an implementation plan as soon as possible, but no later than December 31, 2001. We hope for an earlier date, but the beginning of fall semester is always tight time-wise because of training workstudy employees, orienting new users, etc.

8. Recommend the priority level to be assigned to this initiative:

Level two - at least to begin the most obvious and "do-able" projects identified as needed.

Progress in this area will flow from needs identified by other planning endeavors and by user demand. Technological changes make it inadvisable to make detailed plans for equipment or software except for imminent implementation, but the need for an established process to evaluate materials recommended for scanning and to set priorities among materials to be scanned will not change.

Appendix 1.

Unique resources for possible digitization identified so far (specific items would be reviewed through a review process, for which a draft description is attached as Appendix 2).

In the Audio Visual Department:

Music reserves (streaming audio)
Recordings of folk music and non-song interviews from the Mary Celestia Parler Randolph collection in Special Collections
Out-of-print recordings which are still frequently requested
Programs on campus, including concert series

In the Special Collections Division, selections from:

Photographs
Oral history interview transcripts, recorded interviews, and related photographs or documents
Manuscript items/collections
Architectural drawings?
Maps
Rare Arkansas publications
Rare Book collection items

In the Reference Department:

The Arkansas Periodical Index database (in InMagic database)

Microfilm:

Mostly in Periodicals Room, possibly some in Special Collections. This will require additional equipment.

Appendix 2. Process for review of material recommended for digitization

Persons wishing to recommend material for digitization should complete section __ of the attached review form and submit the form to ________________.
___________ will complete any missing information on the form and submit the form to the Digital Library Review Committee for consideration.
The Digital Library Review Committee shall consist of the following members:

_________________ Collection Development

_________________Special Collections

_________________Public Service, Reference, Interlibrary Loan

_________________ Systems

_________________Preservation*

*either a member or a sign-off on decisions

After material is reviewed/approved for digitization:

Make two copies of the completed review form if the material is approved for digitization,

Or, make one copy the completed review form if the material is not approved for digitization,

File the original review form in the "Digitization Approved" file or the "Not Approved for Digitization" file maintained __________.

Send one copy of the review form back to the person who initiated review of the material.

Send the second copy of approved review forms to ________________ for the material to be retrieved and taken to the digitization work area. The digitization work area will have two shelves for incoming material. One marked INCOMING and the second marked INCOMING - RUSH.

Material will be digitized.
Material will be placed on "to be re-shelved" shelves.
Material will be re-shelved.

Appendix 3

REVIEW OF PUBLISHED MONOGRAPH RECOMMENDED FOR DIGITIZATION

IDENTIFICATION OF MATERIAL
Title:
Author:
Date of publication:	Publisher:	Call number
City/state/country of publication:
Number of pages:
Size:
Other physical description
Condition statement

REASON(S) MATERIAL IS RECOMMENDED FOR DIGITIZATION (To improve access for which target group or program, etc.):

RECOMMENDATION MADE BY : DATE:

REVIEW FACTORS	Answer or Comments	Initials
Is title available digitally elsewhere?
If yes, can we buy/lease access to it ?
Acceptable similar title available digitally?
Copyright level
Technical digital or format issues
Other:

REVIEWED BY:	COMMENTS	YES or NO

DECISION

(check one):

Digitize now RUSH

Digitize now priority ________

Digitize later priority ________

Do not digitize

aec DRAFT 4/26/01