Digital Library Part Two - Guidelines to Consider
In researching existing literature for guidelines and suggestions on what is involved in planning for a digital library, there were a few resources that were particularly useful. There are many resources about what is involved in creating a digital library, from the Library of Congress’s Challenges to Building an Effective Digital Library to texts such as How to Build a Digital Library. Suiting my personal curiosities, I found the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2010) publication Planning Tool for Developing a Digital Library of Monitoring and Evaluation Resources to be particularly useful and it serves as a basis for much of what I have presented below.
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The following are considerations to be made when planning a
digital library. Even though this post provides a basic set of guidelines and
information for establishing a digital library, the final details will depend
upon the actual planning and development process for a given digital library
and will be determined by its target audience and needs.
1. Who Are the Patrons?
It is of great importance at the onset of the
project to define the digital library’s target users. Once these users and
their communities are identified, it is then essential to establish their
needs, abilities, and access related to the library.
2.
Collaboration
For the library concept to develop and eventually
succeed it is essential to identify stakeholders and collaborators who will be
instrumental in establishing and maintaining the library and in developing and
applying the criteria for content inclusion and to acquire the holdings.
3. Operating
and Managing
Determine the organization structure, operation,
and sustainability of the library.
4. Digital
Library Technologies
Identify and address issues related to the
digital existence and operations of the library. This includes such
considerations as hardware, software, meta-data structure, and converting
non-digital media to digital media.
5. Accessibility
and Usability
Identify and address issues related to the
usability of the library including functionality issues, the user interface,
the user experience, and policies that govern the use of a digital library.
6. The Content
Decide upon the content and the materials to be contained
in the digital library.
7. Maintenance
Determine what is needed for the short-term and
long-term upkeep of the digital library.
8. Legal
Concerns
Define and address the legal implications of
providing materials in the library including copyrights, intellectual property
rights, and fair use of materials
9. Access and
Security
Incorporates the issues to be addressed when
determining who will access the library, how they will access it, and what
security needs to be considered to safeguard the library and its patrons.
10. Support
Support
requirements and mechanisms for the digital library and its patrons.
11.
Professional Development and Training
Identify library staff and patron development and
learning needs.
12. Communications
/ Media
Establish the means for internal and external
communications such as announcements, notifications, contacts, discussions and
feedback
13. Cost
Implications
Identify the key factors affecting the cost of
developing and maintaining a digital library.
14. Outreach
Create a social media plan, a marketing strategy
and external partnerships.
Reflection
Point – A library is not a luxury, but of the necessities
of life. ~Henry Ward Beecher
