Managing Digitization Activities · 17
Survey Questions and Responses
The SPEC survey on Managing Digitization Activities was designed by Rebecca Mugridge, Head of
Cataloging Services, Pennsylvania State University. These results are based on data submitted by 68 of
the 123 ARL member libraries (55%) by the deadline of March 20, 2006. The survey’s introductory text
and questions are reproduced below, followed by the response data and selected comments from the
respondents.
Increasingly, academic and research libraries are becoming involved in both reformatting materials from their collections to cre-
ate digital content and also providing access to that content through metadata. As these digitization efforts grow and mature,
they have a significant impact on libraries’ budgets, organizational structures, and staffing. Funding needs must be determined
and strategies realized, regardless of whether that funding comes from the library, parent institution, a funding agency, or a do-
nor. Work that crosses organizational boundaries and requires a high level of cooperation and collaboration must be integrated
into already established organizational structures and workflows. And, because the nature of the work related to digitization
efforts is similar to but different from that of traditional library activities, staff need to be reassigned and retrained.
Digitization activities require different models for funding, collection development (to provide broad access to otherwise inac-
cessible materials), acquisitions (the material being digitized is already part of the collection), cataloging (metadata standards
may differ depending on the material being digitized), preservation (migration of formats between software platforms and file
formats is critical), and systems office support (for a suite of software instead of just the integrated library system).
During the current economic climate of budgetary challenges, it is important for libraries to manage their activities in the most
effective way possible. This survey is intended to address the budgetary and organizational impact of libraries’ participation in
digitization efforts, particularly those related to the reformatting of library or archival material, rather than the development of
“born digital” items.
In an effort to better understand how libraries manage their digitization budgeting processes and organizational structures, this
survey will explore:
The purposes of libraries’ digitization efforts.
Where the funding comes from to support those efforts.
What percentage of the budget is spent on materials, operations, staff, equipment, software, etc.
How academic and research libraries are organized to manage digitization activities and create metadata.
How funding, staffing, material selection, and other priorities are determined and monitored.
Whether staff are full-time or part-time and how many are dedicated to selection, cataloging, scanning, etc.
Whether libraries are outsourcing to vendors or doing the work in-house.
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