DLF Forum 2018

Project-2-Program: Building Strong, Sustainable, and Adaptable Programs for Coordinated Digital Library Activity
Deirdre Joyce(1), Barbara Laufersweiler(2), Emily Shaw(3), Nabeela Jaffer(4), Jessica Wagner Webster(5), Louisa Trott(6)
1: Syracuse University Libraries, United States of America; 2: The University of Oklahoma Libraries; 3: The Ohio State University Libraries; 4: University of Michigan Library; 5: Baruch College, CUNY; 6: University of Tennessee, Hodges Library
 
Digital library projects can cross multiple organizational units within a given institution. Framing, organizing, and managing this work programmatically can facilitate economies of scale, establish and maintain clear roles and responsibilities, evaluate and prioritize high-impact work, and advocate for resources. How, then, do we create strong, sustainable digital programs?

At Syracuse University Libraries, the progression from project to program is defined in the liminal space emerging between grassroots, project-oriented efforts and a mandate supporting a more strategically understood digital library program. This presentation focuses on efforts to build a program while recognizing how progress has been anything but linear.

Several years of capacity building to support digital collections at the University of Oklahoma Libraries has brought organizational and platform improvements. The current approach meets project needs, but is not cohesive or scalable. The Digital Collections unit is at a tipping point from project orientation to program perspective.

The digital initiatives program at Baruch College Libraries grew around the decision to take on a large-scale digitization project. Now, as this initial digitization project winds down, we are leveraging the resources developed for the project to build a program infrastructure that supports digital project work in the long term.

Since UT-Knoxville’s Digital Library Program began in 2001, growth, staff turnover, and changes to organizational structure have contributed to a lack of cohesion in recent years. This year, we’ve begun to assess and redefine our work, moving away from project-focused and developing a more consistent programmatic approach.