Project Development – Project Evaluation

Resources included in the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections are generally based on a body of material that may be an established collection already held within a library or archives, or one developed by a department for teaching or research purposes. The development of such a resource involves a close collaboration between the UWDCC, which supplies technical expertise and ultimately provides a permanent home for the finished resource, and a content contributor, who owns the original material (or represents the owner) and provides the relevant subject expertise necessary for the process.

Before any commitment is made, University of Wisconsin Digital Collection Center (UWDCC) staff work closely with the content contributor to assess the intellectual value of the material, its technical suitability for digitization, and what additional capabilities can be added to the electronic resource to improve usability. An official proposal process exists to make sure that the necessary steps are taken. The proposal process consists of two steps culminating in a brief Memorandum of Understanding. First, expectations on both sides are discussed and a detailed assessment of the project and material involved is prepared, along with a preliminary cost estimate for completion of the project. The plan is reviewed to ensure that the project can be undertaken in accordance with expectations and the functional realities of technology. Finally, the documentation goes to a governing committee made up of administrators and librarians from the UW Libraries, which evaluate the proposals on a cost-benefit basis and determine priorities and funding levels.

Project proposals originate from campuses throughout the UW System. These proposals are submitted to and evaluated by the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections (UWDC) Advisory Committee. The UWDC Advisory Committee works at the UW System level to evaluate, fund, and prioritize projects originating at the System level for inclusion in the UWDC. UW Madison project proposals are submitted to and evaluated by the UW Madison Libraries Digital Steering Committee (DSC). The DSC evaluates all University of Wisconsin-Madison Digital Collections project proposals.

Projects are proposed by professors, librarians, staff, and other interested parties. The content contributor is responsible for providing all of the necessary data and materials to the UWDCC. Content contributors are also responsible for securing any reproduction rights, for creating any related informational documentation about the project, and for performing necessary data updates.

Materials that support the teaching and research needs of the UW Community, and/or have a UW or Wisconsin focus are given stronger consideration for inclusion in the UW Digital Collections. Projects that provide access to rare and/or fragile items of broad research value to students and scholars alike are also good candidates for acceptance.