Managing Digital Audiovisual Resources

1. Understand your audiovisual collections, users, and end products

Collections will always be the cache from which content is drawn; users will always be involved; and a final product will always be the metric by which the success of a project or program is gauged.

Know your materials. Understanding the types, formats, and content of audiovisual materials in your collection is crucial. This includes identifying analog vs. digital formats, special vs. circulating collections, and the specific subjects represented.

Identify your users. Determine who will be interested in and benefit from accessing the digitized materials. This could range from researchers and students to the general public. Understanding your audience helps tailor the digitization and access efforts appropriately.

Define your end products. Consider what form the final digitized materials will take and how they will be presented and preserved. This includes file formats, metadata standards, and delivery platforms. The end products should align with user needs and institutional capabilities.

2. Evaluate and develop collections strategically

While it is certainly acceptable to store materials by subject and not medium, researchers are occasionally interested in media independent of context.

Assess current holdings. Conduct a thorough inventory of existing audiovisual materials, including:

• Quantity of items
• Subjects represented
• Usage frequency
• Physical condition
• Digitization needs

Create a collection development policy. This document should guide future acquisitions and digitization priorities. Key components include:

• Collection scope and focus
• Acquisition criteria
• Preservation priorities
• Access goals

Plan for growth. Consider how the collection will evolve over time. This may involve:

• Identifying gaps in current holdings
• Seeking new acquisitions in priority areas
• Deaccessioning materials that no longer fit the collection scope
• Allocating resources for ongoing digitization efforts

3. Plan digitization projects thoroughly before execution

Planning for digitization seems like a daunting task, especially if resources are sparse and experiences are narrow.

Assess project feasibility. Consider the following factors:

• Technological requirements and capabilities
• Personnel needs and expertise
• Overall costs (equipment, labor, storage, etc.)
• Timeline and project scope

Identify collaboration opportunities. Partnering with other institutions or departments can enhance project outcomes and share resources. Consider:

• Cross-institutional collaborations
• Integration with academic coursework
• Internship programs

Address copyright and permissions. Ensure legal compliance by:

• Identifying copyright holders
• Obtaining necessary permissions
• Documenting due diligence efforts
• Creating permission request templates

4. Choose between in-house and vendor digitization wisely

While there are certainly many benefits to having total control over a collection and its digitization, such control comes at a high initial cost and, depending on how such a program progresses, relatively high recurring costs as well.

In-house digitization pros:

• Complete control over process and quality
• Potential for long-term cost savings
• Development of in-house expertise

In-house digitization cons:

• High initial equipment and training costs
• Ongoing maintenance and upgrade expenses
• Staffing and expertise requirements

Vendor digitization pros:

• Access to specialized equipment and expertise
• Potentially faster turnaround times
• No need for equipment maintenance

Vendor digitization cons:

• Less control over process and quality
• Potential security risks for rare materials
• Ongoing costs for digitization services

Consider a hybrid approach. Many institutions benefit from a combination of in-house and vendor digitization, tailoring the approach to specific project needs and material types.

5. Select appropriate equipment and apply standards for digitization

Audiovisual capture software is a very broad field and can include everything from expensive video-editing suites such as Final Cut Pro to free transcoding software such as FFmpeg.

Essential equipment:

• Playback devices (e.g., VHS players, reel-to-reel decks)
• Capture devices (e.g., video capture cards, audio interfaces)
• Computers and storage systems
• Cables and connectors

Software considerations:

• Capture software
• Transcoding tools
• Editing suites (if needed)
• Digital asset management systems

Apply digitization standards:

• Follow established best practices for audio and video digitization
• Consider recommendations from organizations like:
  • Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative (FADGI)
  • International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA)
  • Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA)

Create standardized workflows to ensure consistency and efficiency in the digitization process.

6. Implement effective presentation and access technologies

To provide access to the general public or predetermined sets of person; second, the way to accomplish such access in a meaningful, equitable, and productive way.

Consider various access platforms:

• Digital repositories (e.g., DSpace, Fedora)
• Streaming media systems (e.g., Kaltura, Avalon)
• Popular platforms (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo)

Key features to look for:

• Support for library-specific metadata standards
• Authentication and access control options
• Integration with existing systems (e.g., course management)
• Transcoding capabilities
• Long-term preservation features
• Platform-agnostic delivery

Evaluate legal and copyright considerations when determining access levels and distribution methods.

Conduct user testing to ensure the chosen platform meets the needs of your target audience.

7. Enhance and promote digital collections for long-term relevance

Enhancement and promotion do not need to be extravagant or costly; the former can be as simple as adding robust metadata beyond what is normally required and the latter, a targeted "mini-campaign" aimed at a specific group of scholars.

Enhance collections through:

• Enriched metadata
• Transcriptions and closed captions
• Geographic tagging
• Related resource linking
• User-generated content (e.g., comments, tags)

Promote collections via:

• Social media campaigns
• Targeted outreach to relevant academic departments
• Collaborations with faculty for course integration
• Presentations at conferences and professional meetings
• Featured collection highlights on library website

Continuously assess and improve:

• Gather user feedback and usage statistics
• Stay informed about new technologies and standards
• Regularly review and update collection policies and practices

Remember that digital collections are living resources that require ongoing attention and development to maintain their relevance and value to users.

Last updated: July 22, 2024