Digital Library Center Blog | UF

“Ramping It Up: 10 Lessons Learned in Mass Digitisation” is an excellent report by Rose Holley on  the National Library of Australia’s (NLA) large-scale digitisation program. The program aimed to start at one million newspaper pages to ensure all supports were in place for ramping up digitization  to an even higher level for newspapers, books, and journals. The report summarizes 10 key lessons learned, and the full report is online here.

It’s great to see these key lessons highlighted so succinctly. The lessons from the report are:

1. Storage: purchase upfront or as soon as needed
2. Quality assurance: differs greatly when done for access instead of preservation
3. Quality assurance: workloads are uneven, requiring supports to utilize flexible staffing
4. Digitization contractors: multiple are needed because some will have delays or will be unable to deliver; working with multiples increases the project coordinator’s workload
5. Digitization contractors’ volume: many cannot quickly handle a large volume even if they assure that they can
6. OCR contractor setup: is difficult, and NLA knows more about the process than the contractors
7. Managing digitization contracts: because vendors may deliver late, impacting workflows and incurring costs, contract enforcement and penalties may be required
8. Mass digitization workflows: are highly complex and still evolving
9. Transparent processes and progress: creating documentation and sharing it widely is helpful for internal and external groups, and it saves time overall
10. Public involvement: the public will help if given the opportunity to do so

Storage is an enormous issue because it impacts each and every area. Lack of storage is devastating for processing, breaking workflows and grinding work to a halt. It sounds extreme, but it’s fairly common. And, even when more storage is added, it takes days to move large amounts of content. One of the many (many, many) great things about being at the University of Florida is that the University of Florida is one of the largest schools around. The computing need and computing services are scaled appropriately, with commodity-style storage costs, allowing for stable and easily scaled up storage.

The UF Libraries conduct digitization for preservation, so we haven’t experienced the quality assurance issues related to digitization for access. For vendors and anyone else doing digitization, it isn’t easy and small problems can dramatically impact delivery dates and deliverables overall. The importance of transparency – in sharing and promoting knowledge – is thus essential for all involved. The public is ready to be involved and to assist for all projects, and even more helpful when given great tools like NLA’s OCR text correction (which the UF Digital Collections hope to emulate in the not-too-far future).  Congrats to Rose Holley on publishing this and sharing NLA’s experience, and congrats to NLA on great work on the project and in service of digital libraries overall!

From Temple University Libraries:

Head of Digital Library Initiatives

Temple University Libraries

The Temple University Libraries seek a Head of Digital Library Initiatives, an opportunity to lead a new service department in a library in the midst of dynamic growth, located in Philadelphia on the main campus of a vibrant, urban research university that is among the most diverse in the nation. For more information about Temple and Philadelphia, visit www.temple.edu/about/.

Description:

The Head of Digital Library Initiatives will aggressively expand the digital library program at Temple, providing vision and leadership in the creation and delivery of digital content. The incumbent will work closely and collaboratively with senior administrators, special collections, technical services, computing staff, and others to ensure fast-paced development of digital library initiatives which respond to the needs of Temple’s community and align with collections and preservation priorities. These include digitization of special collections and other library materials in text, image, and video formats, the development of digital repository systems to preserve and make accessible the intellectual output of Temple University, and the implementation of discovery tools related to these initiatives. In particular, the individual will

• hire additional information technologist staff;
• supervise full-time staff, as well as student assistants;
• plan, prioritize, and coordinate or manage digitization production;
• investigate and establish appropriate standards (technical, metadata, etc.) and quality control procedures;
• coordinate the library’s web services;
• maintain awareness and develop in-depth knowledge of new technology, relevant national standards and best practices, assessing and integrating these into library practices for best results as appropriate.

Compensation:

Competitive salary and benefits package, including a relocation allowance. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Required:

Master’s degree in Library Science, Information Science, Computer Science/Systems Management, Public History, or other allied discipline. At least four years progressively responsible experience with the concepts and software/hardware applications used in organizing and presenting digital information. Demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, and implement effective programs, complex projects, and services. Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to handle complex analytical and detailed work. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a complex and rapidly changing environment.

Preferred:

The ideal candidate will present a strong combination of demonstrated experience and knowledge in the following areas: Metadata and associated functional standards, including XML/XSLT. Experience with developing interfaces for Web resources including knowledge of database management principles and software. Familiarity with one or more major digital content management systems appropriate for institutional repositories. Knowledge of current digital library technologies, standards, and best practices. Experience with obtaining grant funding and managing grant-funded projects.

Application:

To apply for this position, please visit www.temple.edu, click on Jobs@Temple, and reference TU-13131. For full consideration, please submit your completed electronic application, along with a cover letter and resume, by May 15, 2010.