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Digital Library Planning and

Projects Guidelines

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Goals of the Process:• Support Public Access

• Improve Communication

• Develop and Promote Minimum Standards

• Provide Guidance

• Identify Support Resources

• Enhance Planning and implementation

• Improve Coordination/Cooperation

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Structure1. Selecting and Orienting Your Staff/

Team2. Planning Your Project3. Equipment and Software4. Digitizing Your Materials5. Describing and Cataloging Your

Materials

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Structure (ctd.)

6. Organizing Your Materials

7. Presenting Your Materials

8. Long-Term Storage and Maintenance of the Digital File

9. Training/Orientation, FAQ

10. Maintenance and Sustainability

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Orienting Your Staff• Educate your staff and administrators

• Build common goals and understanding

• Improve planning

• Build common expectations

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Planning Your Project

• Why are you digitizing your collection?• Improve access to your unique

collections • Decrease handling of the originals • Increase public visibility• Preservation of the original item/

image

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Equipment and Software

• Guidelines offer general specifications for: • Hardware (computer equipment, scanners)• Software (software to create digital files

and organize them into a database) • Storage media for your files

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Describing And Cataloging Your Materials

• Digital materials need to be described and cataloged effectively to be searched and retrieved • Consistent, comprehensive description and

cataloging• Accurate and consistent, using vocabulary

understood by both cataloger and user

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Organizing Your Materials

• Databases organize catalog information and digital files into structured fields.

• Databases permits users to search and retrieve information.

• Digital files must be organized to be managed.

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Presenting Your Materials

• Making materials available to potential users. • Stand-alone presentation on dedicated computers • CD-ROM’s • Internet/Web

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Long-term Storage and Maintenance of Digital Files

• Digital image files are not “permanent.”

• They are unstable, and use fragile storage media

• All digital files are transient

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Project Planning Mission and Scope

• Purpose

• Audience• Information to be conveyed to that

audience

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What Are Your Goals?

• What do you want the project to accomplish? • Are you expanding outreach, improving

access to a wider audience? • Do you want to improve preservation by

reducing handling of originals? • How do your project goals fit into your

organization's larger strategic plan?

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Who Will Use the Information?

• Design for your intended audience • Keep their needs in mind as you plan and

develop your project. • What kind of information will the users want?• How will they use the information?• How will they want it packaged? • What level are their computer and Internet skills?• What technical specifications will be required to

view/use? • Where are they located?

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What Resources Are Available?

• Hardware and software

• Preserving original materials after digitizing

• Managing back-up files

• Description and cataloging

• Design and development

• Maintaining, revising, and updating

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Leadership and Coordination

• Who will do the work?

• Who is responsible for the project? • One individual:

• Designated to manage the project• Empowered to make final decisions

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How Will Users Get Access?

• In-house use by patrons and staff • Available on the Web• Implications of access

• Cultural sensitivity • Copyright, permissions and

ownership • Technical requirements

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How Will Users Get Access? (ctd.)

• Design questions include: • Protecting files from downloading - do you care? • What software will you use? • Who will create the Website?• Who will maintain the data, equipment and

Website?• How might the project grow and evolve? • Can your current design accommodate?

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Copyright Issues, Who Owns the Rights?

• Varies by country and use• Published items protected under copyright for at least 75

years unless the rights are transferred. • Copyright remains with the producer of the item, his/her

descendants, or designee, such as a publisher or employer, and must be transferred in writing.

• Unpublished material and that published after January 1, 1923, is protected under current copyright law. You should only reproduce such material with permission of the copyright holder.

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Copyright Issues, Who Owns the Rights? (ctd.)

• Donor agreements should include transfer of rights for unpublished material, and published material produced after January 1, 1923

• Verify ownership and permissions before use

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What Material Will You Digitize?

• Prioritization criteria • Popularity• Theme• Size • Physical condition

• Organizing and grouping material can save significant time later in the project

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Preservation• Original materials

• Use project as an opportunity to house/store/preserve your original, paper or source material

• Digital Files• Manage the integrity of the data, not the storage media.• Back-up and business continuity/disaster recovery• Include resources to migrate the data - to verify and

transfer to new media every few years

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What Physical Facilities Are Available?

• Scanning projects require adequate space for computers, scanning devices, printers, peripherals, people and preservation even if only one person is working on the project

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How Will You Store and Maintain the Information?

• Storage media• Format• Back-up of data files • Storage space/file servers • Support staff• Review/revision processes• Hardware and software selection

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Describing and Cataloging Your Materials

• Dublin Core Format

• Goals: to index, organize and maintain resources; and to coordinate access

• Metadata - special vocabulary with shared structure• Information is usually organized and stored in a

database to provide access and permit searching • Develop taxonomy and schema for consistently

describing materials and content

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Database Selection and Organization

• Databases are indexes that enable users to find what they seek.

• Exportability means that your data can be transferred to another database,

• Linking (connecting) your information within the database or with other institutions.

• Simple structure and consistent cataloging and data entry are keys to successful projects

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Metadata/Content Description

• Function - What will metadata do? • Who will create metadata• What metadata scheme will be used?• What encoding/cataloging process/strategy

will be used?• What level of detail/granularity will be used?• What vocabulary will be used?• What authority control will be exercised?

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Description/Dublin Core

• Title• Subject and key words• Description• Publisher• Other Contributors• Date• Resource Type• Format• Resource Identifier

(catalog number, etc.)

• Source• Language• Relation (relationship to

other resources)• Coverage (spatial

location and temporal duration, etc.)

• Rights Management• Notes

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Query Overview

RDBMS(Oracle, SQL Server, etc)

AttributeTables

3D Indexes

Existing Data Access Protocols

(ODBC, JDBC,XML)

3D QueryProcessor

Custom 3DData objects

(Surfaces, Volumes)

Database organizationUser Interface applications(Java, Visual Basic, C++)

Text search Spatial Search

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Presenting Your Materials

• Remember that you are designing for your users and must consider their experience, capabilities and interests in developing your design.

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Organizing the Information

• Intellectual organization• Function, subject, chronology, geography

• Physical organization • Naming, hierarchy, grouping (such as

subdirectories)

• The name of each directory and file should be meaningful

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Design for Usability:

• Screen and interface design are critical effective digital projects

• Use simple and natural dialogue• Be consistent• Provide feedback• Provide orientation, help and

documentation

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Contact Information: Jeremy Rowe

PRISM Executive CommitteeDirector, Research, Strategic Planning and Policy

Information TechnologyArizona State University

Tempe, Arizona 85287-0101480-965-8622

jeremy.rowe@asu.edu