Partnerships in Digital Special Collections

 by Steve Kays 

The digitization of records and materials has been something that has continued to expand through the years. It is no different with special collections, in fact the digitization of special collections has presented unique and exciting opportunities. Before digitization, large amounts of special collections were, in effect, hidden from large audiences due to the nature of the material. The digitization of special collections though, allows the opportunity to share those materials, no matter the type or size of the institution, in a way that individuals can learn from them, teach with them, or build upon them. It is exciting work, but there are questions that arise with the digitization of special collections. For our purposes here, the two main things I will look at are access and sustainability. Many organizations have realized that the value of their collection will grow as more people are allowed and encouraged to interact with them. The question here is, what are some of the best practices for organizations to go about this type of work? Research has shown that for several organizations, a great way to go about this is to seek partnerships. 

A great way to go about partnerships is to seek partnerships with like-minded organizations. For example, the Maine Historical Society built the Maine Memory Network, a statewide digital museum. They encourage participation of partner institutions, like other historical societies, libraries, and museums throughout the state. Another example would be the University of Missouri's Special Collection Digital Resources, as part of their digitized materials offering, they work with both the HathiTrust Digital Library and the Digital Scriptorium. HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research institutions, where Digital Scriptorium is a consortium of American libraries and museums that give digital access to their collections of pre-modern manuscripts. Partnerships are a great way to increase the visibility of your special collection and increases the access to your materials for the public at large, just make sure the specific project aligns with the priorities of all the partners that are involved.

Partnerships can also help alleviate the budget when it comes to the digitization of special collections, which helps make that digitized collection more sustainable. The Biodiversity Heritage Library has a network of partners, which all have a stake in their venture, and help pay annual dues. Another example would be the American Antiquarian Society, who has formed long term partnerships with publishers to reissue their materials in digital form in a way that brings in revenue for the Society, which makes their collection more sustainable as well. It must be said that when an organization looks to work with private partners in this venture, to craft arrangements that will help sustain the special collection, but also still have an accessible special collection for the public at large. 

Digitization of special collections is exciting work, with unique opportunities offered to both parties, organization and public. One of the best ways for organizations to sustain their collection is to enter in partnerships. The chief benefit of doing so is that it will make your special collection more accessible to a wider audience. 

References:

IFLA Rare Book and Special Collections Section. (2014). Guidelines for Planning the Digitization of Rare Book and Manuscript Collections. In IFLA (p. 7). International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/8968

Kaufman, P., & Ubois, J. (2007). Good Terms - Improving Commercial-Noncommercial Partnerships for Mass Digitization. In OCLC Research (pp. 11–12). Intelligent Television for RLG Programs, OCLC Programs, and Research. https://www.oclc.org/research/archive/projects/massdigpartnerships.html

Maron, N., Pickle, S., & Marcum, D. (2013). Searching for Sustainability: Strategies from Eight Digitized Special Collections. In Association of Research Libraries (pp. 1–31). Ithaka S+R and the Association of Research Libraries. https://www.arl.org/resources/searching-for-sustainability-strategies-from-eight-digitized-special-collections/

University of Missouri. (n.d.). Special Collections and Rare Books, University of Missouri Libraries. Special Collections. Retrieved June 2021, from https://library.missouri.edu/specialcollections/digital/