Digitizing Your Collection

May 1, 2016

Librarians considering digitizing collections will find much of their research done for them in this book by Caro (government documents librarian, Univ. of Montana, Missoula; LJ reviewer). The author shares examples of how libraries with small budgets and few staff approach digitization projects. Beginning with "What to consider before digitizing," there are chapters on copyright law, funding opportunities, marketing, and more. Instances of getting the community involved when volunteers are needed and successes with crowdsourcing for gathering metadata and correcting transcripts will inspire readers to look in new directions. Cautionary tales of what could happen when databases aren't kept up-to-date, or files are lost because of library systems mergers, cover bases that may have not occurred to readers. There is also a thoughtful discussion on insuring that a project presents an accurate reflection of the community--that all ethnic groups, races, and social organizations will have a presence in the online collection. Primarily of use to librarians, but archivists, historians, and genealogists considering migrating their holdings to the online environment will find a solid background of information here. VERDICT This user-friendly guide to launching digital collections is one that readers will consult and refer to frequently while planning a project.--Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

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