Ithaka S+R, in collaboration with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), has been awarded a grant by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grants Program to study how libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies are sustaining digitized special collections.

This two-year two-phase research project will focus on members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), 126 institutions in the United States and Canada; and 120 digitized special collections projects at 68 institutions that have received grants from the IMLS National Leadership Grants Program to create or enhance digitized special collections.

Background

Over the past decade, public and private funders, universities, research libraries, archives, and other entities have invested tens of millions of dollars in the digitization of rare and unique holdings held by the nation’s libraries and cultural institutions often referred to as “special collections” content. While the act of digitization itself constitutes a significant step toward ensuring the long-term availability of this content, much less attention has been paid to the ongoing activities and costs needed to keep this rare and unique content up-to-date, accessible, and valuable to users.

This study aims to

• identify the full range of activities and costs that libraries and cultural institutions currently undertake to create, manage, enhance, and preserve digitized rare and unique content on an ongoing basis;
• better understand how effective these practices and activities are in supporting digitized special collections that are accessible to, and meet the needs of, users, identifying trends that will be important to those in the academic and cultural heritage communities who manage digitized collections, as well as to those who fund them.

Phases

The study consists of two phases:

• Phase 1: Web-based survey of ARL institutions and IMLS grantees
  The survey consists of three separate parts so that we can gather information about practices and attitudes from the institutional level and the departmental level, as well as from the point of view of leaders of specific projects (the “specific collections” level). 
• Phase 2: Case Studies
  Once the survey has been completed, the project team will select ten digitized special collections projects from among those reported on through the surveys for follow-up interviews with project leaders and other key stakeholders. This will allow us to study projects in much greater depth and illustrate a range of archetypal sustainability problems and methods for addressing them.

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Read more:

• Webinar Recording
  • Participant's Guide to the Sustainability of Digital Special Collections Study for ARL members (November 7, 2011)
• Webinar Slides
  • Participant's Guide to the Sustainability of Digital Special Collections Study for ARL members (November 7, 2011)
• Webinar Recording
  • Participant's Guide to the Sustainability of Digital Special Collections Study for IMLS Grantees (November 28, 2011)
• Webinar Slides
  • Participant's Guide to the Sustainability of Digital Special Collections Study for IMLS Grantees (November 28, 2011)
• Methodology
• Project Team
• Advisory Board
• FAQs
• Related Studies by Ithaka S+R
• Suggested Readings