Collections Digitization Framework: A Service-oriented Approach to Digitization in Academic Libraries

Karim Tharani
2012 Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research  
With advances in information technologies, academic libraries are now in a position to offer collections digitization services beyond campus communities. By mobilizing digitization to off-campus communities, academic libraries can reposition themselves as responsive and relevant in the face of a changing digital services landscape. This will also help academic libraries create unique opportunities to access and share hidden knowledge embedded within local and remote communities with rich
more » ... ctual traditions. This article proposes a service-oriented framework for academic libraries to reimagine and mobilize collections digitization as part of broader library services. The proposed Collections Digitization Framework is based on the Service Framework for Digital Libraries developed by the Digital Library Federation, whereby digitization activities have been formalized into discrete processes and functions. The issues and challenges that academic libraries may face in mobilizing digitization services are also discussed in the context of a collaborative community digitization initiative undertaken by two Canadian academic libraries.    Academic libraries across North America continue to experience an increase in demand for digitization. Digitization activities in academic libraries, however, are usually managed as part of discrete projects rather than general library services (Mugridge 12). Services and projects play equally important and complementary roles in the successful functioning of academic libraries. A service is typically part of a library's core operations that has well-defined inputs and outputs. It is perceived as strategically valuable and is therefore offered to patrons consistently with costs and risks spread across the organization's operational budget. A project, on the other hand, is meant to be temporary in nature and has well-constrained timelines, resources, and associated risks to achieve desired outcomes. Being limited in time and resources, projects are often
doi:10.21083/partnership.v7i2.2010 fatcat:7vzlpiefwnbengoug7m2pxo4py