Project Planning Quick Guide

Selection Criteria

• Are you creating a new collection or adding to an existing one?
• Is the content unique (not available in any other format for free or purchase)?
• Is digitization cost-effective compared to purchasing alternatives?
• Is there demand for this content?
• Does the original material have historical or educational significance?
• Is the material damaged or fragile?

Purpose and Goals

Define the purpose of the project clearly. Examples of purposes include:

• Access: Making materials widely available online
• Preservation: Protecting fragile or at-risk materials
• Special Events: Supporting exhibitions or anniversaries
• Publication: Preparing materials for scholarly works

Projects may serve multiple purposes, such as combining access and preservation goals.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Copyright Clearance

• Is the material under copyright?
• What is the intended use and purpose of digitization?
• Can the material be digitized under Fair Use exceptions?
• Are there limits to what can be served (full item vs. partial item)?
• Have you ensured the project complies with copyright laws?

Access Restrictions

Can the materials be accessed openly, or do they require restrictions?

Types of restrictions:

• IP-based (location-specific)
• User Authentication

Digitization Workflow

Are the items born-digital or do they require digitization?

Consider the following for digitization:

• Standard preservation and dissemination file types -- consult FADGI (Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative) requirements
• Equipment and handling needs for fragile materials
• File transformations (OCR, format changes)
• Structure of the digital object (single image, multi-page document, audio with text, etc.)

Tracking and Naming Conventions

• Implement a tracking system (e.g., spreadsheets or Microsoft Planner) to monitor project progress.
• Use unique and consistent identifiers (e.g., FI[MMDDYY##]).
• Consider future scalability when defining naming conventions.
• Determine if multiple identifiers are necessary and document their usage.

Metadata Creation

• Are there existing metadata records available?
• What metadata schema(s) will you use (e.g., MARC, MODS, Dublin Core)?
• Is a crosswalk needed to convert existing metadata?
• Ensure collaboration with technical staff to preserve data integrity during metadata conversion.

Dissemination and Access

What is the best system for hosting your digital materials? Ensure interoperability for future needs.

Consider:

• Creating Persistent URLs (PURLs) or DOIs for stable access
• Integrating metadata into the catalog or other discovery tools
• Existing intellectual control (finding aids, bibliographic records, indexes)

Preservation Guidelines

• Ensure digital media is stored with proper identification and access mechanisms.
• Adhere to international digital preservation standards for file integrity and accessibility.

Without proper documentation and retrieval mechanisms, digital preservation is incomplete.