142 · SPEC Kit 294
http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/digitalselection.html
Cornell University
A. Project Criteria. Criteria to help determine how to prioritize collections or intellectual groupings of materials for targeted
digitization, applied by library staff, consulting subject experts.
B. Production Criteria. Procedures governing automated, or production digitization that would proceed systematically by non-selector
driven criteria, such as by library shelf location, or upon demand by faculty or researcher request.
In establishing both sets of selection criteria, we drew extensively on the work of other research institutions and policy groups (see Appendix
1 for a bibliography).
IV.A. Selection Criteria for Project Digitization
Cornell Library’s experiences with a variety of digital projects over the past decade—e.g. math books, Southeast Asian traveler’s accounts,
19th century American books and serials, core agricultural literature—are that selection for digitization is driven by a program whose
purpose is to widely distribute materials that enhance scholarship and learning. The Task Force found it difficult to conceive of digitization,
even mass digitization, of traditional materials without first establishing programmatic parameters that take value and utility into account.
We also agreed that such programmatic parameters would need to be developed by collaborative teams of professionals, project by project,
even though project implementation might be delegated to non-professional staff.
The following list represents the Task Force’s recommended criteria for project-based digitization:
1 Value
· Collections of unique materials or subjects of supreme strength at Cornell
· Materials that provide exceptionally broad or deep coverage of a subject or theme
· Materials not well represented in other digital collections or projects
· Collections that provide potential for generating revenue for CUL (per Goal I.3B)
· Collections that offer potential to attract development opportunities
2 Utility
· Demonstrated or potential demand
· Responsive to Cornell research and teaching needs
· Responsive to regional, national, or global research and teaching needs
3 Access
· Provides value-added enhancements such as search capabilities, text manipulation, interpretive commentary, or bibliographic apparatus
· Offers synthesized virtual collection, linking geographically dispersed originals
· Provides surrogate access to fragile originals for preservation purposes
4 Innovation
· Provides opportunity for building innovative relationships among institutions
· Provides opportunity to forge new delivery models, metadata standards, technological advantages, entrepreneurial models, or modes of
scholarly communication
5 Continuity
· Considers the inventory of Cornell’s current digital holdings and projects in preparation and builds on them, where possible
Prioritization:
We concluded that all targeted digitization projects should demonstrate at least some elements of items 1 &2: Value and Utility. But that of
the hundreds of possible projects that would meet this test, the strongest projects—and those deserving highest priority—will also feature
elements of 3 and/or 4: Access &Innovation.
IV B. Production Criteria for Systematic Digitization
The Task Force struggled to conceptualize how production digitization could take place safely and logically without professional or curatorial
participation. We imagined two scenarios under which this kind of digitization might take place: on-demand by faculty or researchers or
systematic, mass digitization of the stacks. The Task Force concluded that production digitization without significant selector intervention
might be undertaken under the following production parameters:
http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/digitalselection.html
Cornell University
A. Project Criteria. Criteria to help determine how to prioritize collections or intellectual groupings of materials for targeted
digitization, applied by library staff, consulting subject experts.
B. Production Criteria. Procedures governing automated, or production digitization that would proceed systematically by non-selector
driven criteria, such as by library shelf location, or upon demand by faculty or researcher request.
In establishing both sets of selection criteria, we drew extensively on the work of other research institutions and policy groups (see Appendix
1 for a bibliography).
IV.A. Selection Criteria for Project Digitization
Cornell Library’s experiences with a variety of digital projects over the past decade—e.g. math books, Southeast Asian traveler’s accounts,
19th century American books and serials, core agricultural literature—are that selection for digitization is driven by a program whose
purpose is to widely distribute materials that enhance scholarship and learning. The Task Force found it difficult to conceive of digitization,
even mass digitization, of traditional materials without first establishing programmatic parameters that take value and utility into account.
We also agreed that such programmatic parameters would need to be developed by collaborative teams of professionals, project by project,
even though project implementation might be delegated to non-professional staff.
The following list represents the Task Force’s recommended criteria for project-based digitization:
1 Value
· Collections of unique materials or subjects of supreme strength at Cornell
· Materials that provide exceptionally broad or deep coverage of a subject or theme
· Materials not well represented in other digital collections or projects
· Collections that provide potential for generating revenue for CUL (per Goal I.3B)
· Collections that offer potential to attract development opportunities
2 Utility
· Demonstrated or potential demand
· Responsive to Cornell research and teaching needs
· Responsive to regional, national, or global research and teaching needs
3 Access
· Provides value-added enhancements such as search capabilities, text manipulation, interpretive commentary, or bibliographic apparatus
· Offers synthesized virtual collection, linking geographically dispersed originals
· Provides surrogate access to fragile originals for preservation purposes
4 Innovation
· Provides opportunity for building innovative relationships among institutions
· Provides opportunity to forge new delivery models, metadata standards, technological advantages, entrepreneurial models, or modes of
scholarly communication
5 Continuity
· Considers the inventory of Cornell’s current digital holdings and projects in preparation and builds on them, where possible
Prioritization:
We concluded that all targeted digitization projects should demonstrate at least some elements of items 1 &2: Value and Utility. But that of
the hundreds of possible projects that would meet this test, the strongest projects—and those deserving highest priority—will also feature
elements of 3 and/or 4: Access &Innovation.
IV B. Production Criteria for Systematic Digitization
The Task Force struggled to conceptualize how production digitization could take place safely and logically without professional or curatorial
participation. We imagined two scenarios under which this kind of digitization might take place: on-demand by faculty or researchers or
systematic, mass digitization of the stacks. The Task Force concluded that production digitization without significant selector intervention
might be undertaken under the following production parameters:
