Gumberg Library at Duquesne University

Overview of Digitization Projects

Rob Behary, MLS, MBA

http://digital.library.duq.edu• Rationale for collection decisions• Initial partnerships and funding sources• Integrating digital collections within the

Duquesne community and beyond• Benefits of working with external

partners• Using CONTENTdm as a platform for

digital collections

Rationale for Collection Decisions

• Grounded in professional standards• Incorporated into library’s strategic

planning process• Tied to institutional mission• Resulting collections

Rationale for Collection Decisions

Standards-based “The library builds and ensures access to unique materials, including digital collections” (Standards for Libraries in Higher Education ACRL, 2011 Performance Indicator 5.3)

Rationale for Collection Decisions

Incorporated into Strategic Planning“Build and preserve unique print and digital collections that support Duquesne’s mission and strategic interests” (Gumberg Library Strategic Plan 2010-2015)

Rationale for Collection Decisions

Tied to Institutional MissionDuquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a Catholic University, founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, the Spiritans, and sustained through a partnership of laity and religious. Duquesne serves God by serving students - through commitment to excellence in liberal and professional education, through profound concern for moral and spiritual values, through the maintenance of an ecumenical atmosphere open to diversity, and through service to the Church, the community, the nation, and the world. (Duquesne University Mission Statement)

Rationale for Collection Decisions

Current Collections:•Pittsburgh Catholic Newspaper (Catholic identity and serving the larger Catholic community)•Spiritan Collection (Documents by and about the Spiritans)•Historic Duquesne Duke, Duquesne Photograph Collection, Electronic Theses and Dissertations, Musmanno Collection (Materials unique to Duquesne)

Initial partnerships and funding sources

• Getting Started• Letters of Agreement• Case of the Spiritans• Grants• Donor Case – The Duquesne Duke• University Partnerships

Initial partnerships and funding sources

Getting Started•Started with lowest level CONTENTdm license•Hosted by OCLC•Migrated Electronic Theses and Dissertations collection•Added Spiritan materials which had been digitized by Backstage (OCLC Preservation Services)•Added initial years of Pittsburgh Catholic which had been in storage at OCLC Preservation Services (microfilm master copies)

Initial partnerships and funding sources

Letters of Agreement•Pittsburgh Catholic Publishing Associates (2007)•Spiritan Congregation (2009)

Initial partnerships and funding sources

Case of the Spiritans•Spiritans needed major works to be digitized•Had been seeking to develop a collection independent of the library and planned to distribute on optical discs•Spiritans contributed expertise in selecting materials, Library contributed expertise in building/describing/making collections available•Library and Spiritans collaboratively funded CONTENTdm

Initial partnerships and funding sources

Grants•$20,000 Pennsylvania LSTA funding (2010)•Ongoing Lyrasis Sloan Foundation subsidization

Initial partnerships and funding sources

Donor Case – Duquesne Duke•Historic Duquesne Duke collection•Developed list of former student editors as prospective donors•Funded completely by alumni donations

Integrating digital collections within the Duquesne

community and beyondIntra/Inter University Partnerships•Supporting Spiritans•Integration within the Core Curriculum•Local Campus Server Support•Working with Catholic Research Resources Alliance (CRRA)

Integrating digital collections within the Duquesne

community and beyondSupporting Spiritans•Spiritan Congregation is primarily in Africa•Supported Spiritans in formation at programs in Harare, Zimbabwe and at General Chapter in Bagamoyo, Tanzania

Integrating digital collections within the Duquesne

community and beyondCore Curriculum Integration•Spiritan Collection enables instructors within the Core Curriculum to incorporate Spiritan materials within individual Core classes•Trainings scheduled with key instructors (first-year writing, leaders of Core theme areas etc.)

Integrating digital collections within the Duquesne

community and beyondLocal Campus Server Support•Early adopters of virtual server environment allowed for migration from server hosted by OCLC to locally maintained “cloud”•Strengthened partnership between library and campus computer technology support

Integrating digital collections within the Duquesne

community and beyondCatholic Research Resources Alliance (CRRA)•Raises institutional visibility among Catholic peers•Poster session on significance of Pittsburgh Catholic at CRRA Symposium

Benefits of Working with External Partners

• Backstage has necessary digitization equipment and can store microform masters (digitize directly from vault)

• Backstage will allow you to specify metadata, digitization standards, etc.

• Be careful when using vendors unfamiliar with needs of libraries

Working with CONTENTdm• CONTENTdm is a good, basic platform• Currently running version 5.4 public-

facing interface with version 6.2 staff • Heavily customized prior to 6.2

presents some challenges in version 6.2• Large text-based files can be tricky• Collections can be merged

Contact InfoRob Beharybeharyr@duq.edu