RIS ID

108273

Publication Details

Organ, M. 2016, 'Sustaining a library digitisation program: the UOW experience', Academic Librarian 4: AL4 2016: Sustainable Academic Libraries: Now and Beyond, pp. 1-17.

Abstract

Digitisation of library and archival collections has recently been facilitated by improvements in digital storage technologies and related scanners and software. However the success of such initiatives is also contingent on the financial and staff resources available to make best use of these new and evolving digitisation opportunities. University of Wollongong Library has, since 2011, undertaken a comprehensive digitisation program which has seen a changing landscape in regards to budget allocations, technological requirement and staffing. Scholarly and popular journals, theses, books and historic archival collections have been digitised and made available on open access as part of this project. However, within an environment of budgetary constraints and diminishing staff resources, adaptions to the program have been necessary. This has in some measure been mitigated by the developing expertise of individual staff members and the select use of outsourcing based on assessment of overall efficiency, effectiveness and cost. A sustainable digitisation program is achievable during such periods of constraint if supported by a detailed and strategic digitisation plan and the willingness of the organisation to accommodate opportunities which arise in regards to high profile projects, changing priorities or extensions to deadlines.

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