Getting Started
Starting new projects is always fun (or daunting—depending on your comfort level). Today’s tools make preserving and sharing cultural heritage easier than ever, allowing us to reach wider audiences and ensure the long-term preservation of irreplaceable artifacts. However, this excitement must be tempered with a critical examination of your readiness for the responsibilities that come with digitization.
Digitization is not just about creating digital copies; it’s about ensuring the long-term stewardship of cultural heritage. This includes ongoing preservation, maintenance, and accessibility efforts that may require significant time, money, and expertise.
Before you begin, you may consider these essential questions:
Questions to answer
- Are there staff available and interested in maintaining your digital collections?
- Do your staff have digital curation expertise (or can they get it)?
- How did similar organizations get started with digitizing their collections, and what lessons can they share?
- Have you thought through the potential long-term costs and maintenance requirements for digital collections?
- Do you have a clear understanding of the intellectual property rights and access policies that govern your materials?
- Can you ensure the security and integrity of sensitive or confidential information?
- Are you prepared to make decisions about how to prioritize content, manage storage capacity, and balance competing demands on resources?
By carefully considering these questions and addressing any concerns, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the complexities of digitization and ensure that your project is successful and sustainable.
Resources
TODO