Embracing Digital Collections: Access Issues and Practices for Academic Libraries

1. Embracing Digital Collections:AccessIssues and Practices for Academic Libraries Oregon Library Association Salem, OR April 7, 2006 Kate Cleland-Sipfle Southern Oregon University

2. Plan of Presentation • Digital Collections (Overview) • Accessing Digital Collections • Barriers to Access • Academic Library Roles in Access • Comments from Oregon/Washington Academic Library Survey (Preliminary Results)

3. Digital Collections (Overview) Produced by Cultural heritage institutions Access is free (except possibly for copies) Home page is gateway to materials in the collection (“collection level access”) Individual items are “information objects” Collection search software accesses the information objects (“object level access”) WWW search engines may or may not provide object level access

4. Formats of Digital Collections • Full-text • Maps • Images of photographs, posters, other • Images of three-dimensional objects (as in art objects) • Data files • Finding aids • Audio and/or video • Blends of any of the above

5. Collections of CollectionsAmerican Memory – Library of Congress http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html

6. Collection of CollectionsSouthern Oregon Digital Archives http://soda.sou.edu

7. Digital Collection Access vs. Digital Object Access Analogies: • The Library vs. the book, map, video, or other object in the library • The library catalog vs. one record in the catalog Issue: OAI compliance

8. Multi-Format CollectionsThe Valley of the Shadow http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/

9. Materials may be accessed by type. Three “floor plans” divide the works by time periods Pre-war Civil War Post-war Accessing Formats by Time in The Valley of the Shadow http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/choosepart.html

10. Accessing Digital CollectionsGetting at the Links Internet search engines Institutional web presence Links on web pages Library Catalogs Union Catalogs Course Pages Course Management Software

11. Enabling Conditions User is familiar with search engines Keywords are known Domain limit (for example, .edu) Domain is trusted Object level access may be available Using Internet Search Enginesto Search Digital Collections

12. Barriers to Access User does not know collection name or keywords that work User is unsure of domain User is unprepared to evaluate websites Object level access may not be available Using Internet Search Enginesto Search Digital Collections

13. Accessing Digital CollectionsGetting at the Links Internet search engines +’s and –’s +’s and –’s of access through library web presence?? Links on web pages Library Catalogs Union Catalogs Course Pages

14. Enabling Conditions Selection, endorsement, “cachet” Prominent or strategic link placement Time, willingness to find and catalog digital collections Good OPAC search limits (Internet) Consortium union catalog Using Library Web to Provide Access to Digital Collections

15. Barriers to Access User ignores library web or does not know of/can’t find link Lack of time, willingness to catalog or even find or evaluate digital collections OPAC software may not allow Internet limit/user may not go to full record Consortium catalog may present the same problems as OPAC Using Library Web to Provide Access to Digital Collections

16. Master Cataloging Records for Digital Collections: Who is Responsible? A Plea fromExperience Creators know content and intent The multiplier effect is substantial OPAC Consortium union catalog Bibliographic utility/database -OCLC -WorldCat

17. How Do Digital Collections Fit In? The Digital Library System Group website identifies several ways digital versions of information media are used for the basic purposes of academic libraries: • Inter-Library loan copies • Electronic Reserves • Patron scanning of resources • Access to curriculum materials through course web pages and course management software • E-books or other e-resources • Digital Collections (multiple e-resources through one gateway) Source: http://www.dlsg.net/news14.shtml

18. Accessing Digital CollectionsPreliminary Survey Results Has your library (or special libraries or archives within it) created a digital collection? 4 (24%) Yes 12 (71%) No 1 (06%) no answer Reflects 20% overall response rate to survey, academic libraries, states of Oregon and Washington

19. Accessing Digital CollectionsPreliminary Survey Results How does the public access digital collections produced by other institutions but promoted or selected by your library? (all that apply) 3 (18%) World Wide Web search engines 8 (47%) Web links on Library Home 2 (12%) Our online library catalog (local record) 6 (35%) Our online library catalog (OCLC or RLIN record) 6 (35%) Our consortium union catalog 4 (24%) Library or campus online exhibit(s), course or subject guide(s) 0 ( 0%) Other or additional Reflects 20% overall response rate to survey, academic libraries, states of Oregon and Washington

20. Thank You • To Kelly and Emily, session colleagues • To the audience for coming • To all of you for listening • To all for thinking about the issues • And please consider taking the survey if you have not done so already