SPEC Kit 335: Digital Image Collections and Services · 13
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
The growth of digital image collections has provided
new opportunities for teaching, learning, and research
at research institutions and has transformed the role of
ARL member libraries with respect to the provision of
visual resources and services. The last decade has seen
the transition from analog to digital images and the
growth of digital images available from commercial
vendors and/or created within institutions or their
libraries. This is in large part a response to increasing
demand for digital multimedia to augment teaching,
learning, and research endeavours across an array of
disciplines.
The purpose of this survey was to examine how
research libraries and their parent institutions have
responded to these developments. It gathered infor-
mation about current practices relating to the develop-
ment and management of institutional digital image
collections and the acquisition and use of licensed
image databases. It explored the infrastructure and
support provided by research libraries and/or their
institutions with respect to the creation and use of
digital images in teaching, learning and research
including systems and platforms, cataloguing and
metadata, access and training, services and service
points, and copyright and other rights issues. It also
sought to identify collaborative strategies amongst
ARL member institutions for the provision of digital
images.
Eighty-one libraries at 72 of the 125 ARL member
libraries submitted a survey between April 15 and
May 27 for a response rate of 58%. The survey revealed
a vast range of activities relating to digital images at
these institutions, from the digitization of analog col-
lections to the creation of born-digital images. Digital
images are created and/or purchased in a wide range
of disciplines and used by a broad range of users
across institutions. Archives and Special Collections
units are heavily involved in digitizing local col-
lections and actively promoting these collections.
There appears to be a shift away from an emphasis
on the creation of images for teaching purposes to the
creation of images promoted as institutional assets.
Responsibility for the management of digital images
varies from institution to institution with relatively
few respondents reporting a coordinated and inte-
grated approach.
Digital Asset Management Plans
Digitization and preservation are the most common
activities comprising digital asset management plans
(DAMP). Only 30 respondents (37%) indicated that the
institution has an overarching digital asset manage-
ment plan. As might be expected, activities falling un-
der these plans that were common to all respondents
include the digitization and preservation of existing
analog collections (100% and 80% respectively). After
that, less frequently addressed activities include li-
censing of commercial digital image products, and
acquiring digital images through gifts (16 responses
each, or 53%). Ten plans (33%) address purchasing of
digital image collections. Other activities include cata-
loguing digital images and placing images in online
databases.
Of the 30 institutions that have an existing digital
asset management plan, the unit(s) or department(s)
responsible for the implementation of the plan are
distributed across an array of sectors. Eleven respon-
dents identified some variation on Archives and
Special Collections. Not surprisingly, 21 respondents
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