Success factors and strategic planning: Rebuilding an academic library digitization program

This paper discusses a dual approach of case study and research survey to investigate the complex factors in sustaining academic library digitization programs. The case study involves the background of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries’ digitization program and elaborates on the authors’ efforts to gain staff support for this program. A related survey was administered to all Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members, seeking to collect baseline data on their digital collections, understand their respective administrative frameworks, and to gather feedback on both negative obstacles and positive inputs affecting their success. Results from the survey, combined with the authors’ local experience, point to several potential success factors including staff skill sets, funding, and strategic planning

From Temporary to Transformative: Leveraging Externally-Funded Special Collections Projects as Organizational Learning and Development Opportunities

This poster proposes an academic library approach to addressing temporary project staffing in Special Collections and Archives with a focus on organizational transformation, professional development, and mentoring. The strategy includes both managerial perspective and insights from a visiting faculty librarian on key aspects of hiring, supporting, and leveraging temporary professional staff for impactful organizational development. While the focus of temporary projects is often completing deliverables on time, this poster presents three areas of layered learning outcomes that leverage project work as a catalyst for organizational development, managerial development, and new professional mentoring

Insights into the Cultivation and Sustainability of Academic Library Digitization Programs: Success Factors and Challenge Threats

Many academic libraries have invested time and resources into the creation of library digitization programs, and at this point in time there is a growing need to evaluate the impact and success of these efforts. What factors determine whether institutions achieve goals and experience long-term success or face challenges in staffing, funding, and strategic vision? This poster presents the results of a comprehensive survey administered to ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Library digitization managers to help provide a cross section of the current state of a diverse group of programs. Presented along with the survey results, the authors delve deep into the process undertaken at the UNLV Libraries to develop a strategic vision and decision-making structure to revitalize the library’s digitization unit and create increased buy-in from staff and partners. Such work entailed two reorganizations, various workshops presented to library staff, drafting of a comprehensive digitization white paper, and establishing an administrative structure to review and prioritize digitization project proposals. These two methods of investigation are presented side-by side to reflect patterns and point to several factors that contribute to success and sustainability of digitization efforts in academic libraries

Transforming digital collections into linked data: The rise of missing links

Goals Study the feasibility of developing a common process that would allow the conversion of our collection records into linked data preserving their original expressivity and richness Publish data from our collections in the Linked Open Data Cloud to improve discover-ability and connections with other related data sets on the We

Using CONTENTdm to Compliment K-12 Curriculum: Southern Nevada--The Boomtown Years

Setting the Stage for Boomtown •2006, Libraries revamp digitization program and begin staff reorganization •2007-2008 Implement Digitization Advisory Committee and Project Teams Launch Nevada Test Site Oral History Project: http://digital.library.unlv.edu/ntsohp/ •2008 awarded $95,000 LSTA grant to create large hybrid collection on Southern Nevada during 1900-192

Managing the Transition from Large-Scale Oral History Research to Digital Archive: The Digital Librarian’s Perspective

We live in an increasingly digital world. Preparing for this conference I composed my paper in word-processing software, e-mailed the draft to my co-presenters, selected digital images and screenshots for our presentation, and announced my travel plans on the library staff blog. Cultural materials are also riding the wave to go digital and oral histories provide intimate pathways into the stories of our world. Despite experience in digitizing other formats, many institutions (such as UNLV) are just beginning to explore partnerships with oral historians, IT departments, and libraries to tackle the work of mounting transcripts, images, audio, and video into online collections. This paper will highlight some of the project design and workflow decisions that were considered while planning and building the digital archive of the Nevada Test Site Oral History Project

Changing the Way We Work

Changing the Way We Work, Boule’s resource-packed Library Technology Report, contains a thoughtful discussion of technology-enhanced work presented with concrete examples, lessons learned, and specific technology resources for library evaluation. The book’s first chapter highlights five case studies that distill the experiences of early adopters who have utilized technology tools on major projects