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Gillian McCombs, Dean & Director Central University Libraries Southern Methodist University. THE PROLOGUE. CONNECTING THE DOTS. CONNECTING THE DOTS. Various ways to move forward Incremental progress Cataclysmic events Vision + plan + end product. CONNECTING THE DOTS.
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Gillian McCombs, Dean & Director Central University Libraries Southern Methodist University
CONNECTING THE DOTS • Various ways to move forward • Incremental progress • Cataclysmic events Vision + plan + end product
CONNECTING THE DOTS • 2002 the first Digitization committee was born. Comprising membership from all the libraries across the University, it was charged with the responsibility of establishing strategic directions. • 2004 digital content manager hired for two year period to jump start digital collections in conjunction with digital committee • 2004 strategic alliance formed • 2005 stars for students floated • 2005 Information Commons Created
CONNECTING THE DOTS • 2006 dcm leaves, dag is formed • 2006 CMIT begins divestment of classroom technology support operation to ITS • 2007 media library moved from CMIT to circulation (Rob provided architectural drawings and provided compact shelving estimates) • 2007 CMIT fully divests classroom technology support operation • 2007 CMIT divests live event support operation • 2007 ACS vacates FLE space (rob provides architectural drawings "through"CUL’s architectural planner)
CONNECTING THE DOTS • 2007 ncds formed (library digital projects and student multimedia center) • 2007 "Carpe Digital" branding born • 2007 Project partnership solicitation from another University involving an SMU trustee • 2007 The Dean decreed that the library WOULD purchase a Digital Asset Management system • 2007 nCDS divests campus videography service • 2008 DAG tasked with selecting a dam • 2008 ContentDM purchased
CONNECTING THE DOTS • 2008 Part time Digital Content Developer hired • 2008 Funding secured for 30 item pilot project (the first digital project for the nCD) • 2008 Ten digital collections posted online • 2008 Part time DCD made permanent part time • 2008 nCDS manager promoted to director
Rob Walker, Director Norwick Center for Digital Services Southern Methodist University
Norwick Center for Digital Services • Student Multimedia Center • 3 group rooms • 12 individual stations (24” iMacs) • Library Digital Projects • all forms of digitization • metadata • standards • Screening Room • videoconferencing
ACT ONE: THE WAY WE WERE
The Way We Were • Media Library • Classroom Technology Support • Live Event Support • Campus Videography Services • A/V Design and Installation
The Way We Were • Media Library • Classroom Technology Support • Live Event Support • Campus Videography Services • A/V Design and Installation
The Way We Were • Oppressive budget in which 50% had to be earned by providing a/v services to the campus • The greater part of the earned budget was spent on providing student labor for the unfunded classroom support operation • Classic “robbing Peter to pay Paul” scheme
The Way We Were • The average student had no place to work on media projects on campus • The library was in dire need of a digital service point • Library digital collections were woefully under developed • 75% of what we did was not for the library!
ACT TWO: THE PLAN
The Solution • Create a new student multimedia center open to all students on campus • Create a digital services operation for the library and reduce the services offered to the campus at large • Implement library digital collections in a more efficient manner • Eliminate the “chargeback” budget • Become truly library-centric
ACT THREE: THE OBSTACLES
The Obstacles • We did not have digitization equipment • We did not have the budget for additional staff • We only had one technologist on staff • We did not have space for a student center. • We did not have a digital asset management system. • As a print oriented operation we had not fully embraced digital and were not used to dynamic change. • We did not have a supportive campus infrastructure.
The Obstacles BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE WERE IN GOOD SHAPE!
Think big, you may only have one chance at success. • identified the elements of the project • came up with an executable plan • made sure the executables were met, even if we had to step on toes to do it. • made provisions for the “politics”
Think big, you may only have one chance at success. • Space • where we want to be • what’s keeping us from being there • Technology • hardware & software • Financial • for technology, space improvements and staff • Personnel • reorganize existing staff identify staff deficiencies
Put a square peg in a round hole. • We set out to repurpose an under-appreciated department and transform its role in the organization • We needed to leverage the technical and human resources available to us. • We needed to shed the elements that had no value to the new operation or would hold us back from achieving the goals • We had to think outside the box (strangely, from within a box).
Put a square peg in a round hole. • We reserved our Mac Pro computers for the Library Digital Project operation, data projectors for the screening room, and enough video production gear to produce our own content. • We reserved any equipment that we felt would help us in our digitization efforts (think vintage gear) • We hired employees better suited to the new model.
Make them an offer they cannot refuse. • space • identified the space we wanted for the department. • worked with the non-library unit that was in the space to relocate them to other spaces • digitization • met with the library collection holders to offer help for projects • offered help with cataloging, digitization and collection development
Show me the money! • transferred equipment to other departments • library IT contributed computers • used endowment funds, salary savings, budget remnants • purchased non-contract furniture where possible • used our expertise to install all equipment including the screening room, and a vga-over-cat5 digital signage system • used the campus plant for routine maintenance like painting and ceiling tiles
Show me the money! • We kept our phones (display phones cost $400 in our organization) • We got a commitment from the Dean for the ContentDM funds • We finally tapped our endowment • We incurred only minor renovation costs, as we were moving into a finished space. • The other entity bore all the costs of the renovation of our vacated space
Show me the money! • We hit up the Library IT department for computers (we had always purchased our own without assistance, so now it was our turn for some love) • We “sold” off assets to the new a/ provider to the campus and used those funds to help finance the venture • we even deferred money to this fiscal year! • We got budget relief from the VP of the tenant operation allowing us to no longer have to earn money
Bring in a ringer. • We hired a digital collections developer part time temp to jump start the digital collections and a new technician to staff the multimedia center. • The developer had direct experience with digital collections and ContentDM had to find the $$ to make her perm. • The developer had the freedom to pursue digital collections and set metadata standards. • The multimedia operator was a recent SMU graduate with experience helping students with media projects.
If you build it, they will come. • Come up with a theme or “branding’ for the new operation that appeals to your patrons, and then advertise the heck out of it. • We created a logo in house that was approved Gill.
If you build it, they will come. • We had a well attended open house • We partnered with student employees who also worked at the campus newspaper and got two front page articles, including one headline. • Digital Signage (interactive) • Free swag (useful) • Usb flash drives • Free blank dvd’s and cd’s for all students for an entire year (instead of water bottle giveaways) – branded, naturally!
If you build it, they will come. • We attend public functions on campus like the hot dog cookouts, student orientation and faculty technology seminars. • This year we are producing television commercials for the campus cable system. • Meet with RA’s, the Pan-Hellenic organization and student organizations