History

DIGIT was first conceived as a campus-wide digital asset management system in spring 2000. Interested faculty and staff were convened by the Educational Technology Center to explore the feasibility and desirability of a campus-wide repository for digital assets. A census and needs assessment survey was distributed to all faculty; survey results provided a needs-based argument for future exploration of a campus model.

The DIGIT Planning Committee formed three discovery groups, Infrastructure, Standards, and Policies, each charged with developing a framework for building a UB repository. Preliminary documents included a data dictionary, policy and scope documentation, and infrastructure requirements.

The DIGIT group conducted an intensive product evaluation considering common criteria for data management, underlying database structure, end-user functionality, interoperability, support, scalability, and costs. The evaluation group recommended the adoption of CONTENTdm for our central asset management system. We licensed the OCLC-hosted solution for our testbed project, followed by an upgraded local licensed installation. Following BETA testing, we launched UBdigit, our production environment, fall 2004.

The University Libraries and the Digital Library Center administer UBdigit with support from a multidisciplinary membership of faculty and staff. Contributions to UBdigit are vetted by the UBdigit Review Board.

Administration

UBdigit Project Administration

The Project Administration Team is responsible for the management of UBdigit, its contributor collections, and for the technical aspects of making projects available online.

UBdigit Coordinator: Stacy Person, Managing Director for Digital Library Center Operations, Digital Library Center

UBdigit Records Management Coordinator: John Edens, Director of Technical Services for University Libraries, University Libraries

UBdigit Administrative Sponsor: Steve Roberts, Associate Vice President for University Libraries, University Libraries

UBdigit Technical Administration

UBdigit Applications Administrator: Stacy Person, Managing Director for Digital Library Center Operations, Digital Library Center

UBdigit Server Administrator: Don Gramlich, Senior Programmer Analyst, Library Systems Administrator, University Libraries

UBdigit Review Board

Collection development for UBdigit is governed by the UBdigit Review Board. The Board meets as needed to review candidate collections . The Review Board consults with prospective digital collection contributors on campus to assess collections proposed for digitization.

Additional Review Board functions include:

• identify needed supports/resources for collection digital and metadata development
• prioritize collections for UBdigit implementation
• review and assess collections for potential migration to BISON and/or WorldCat
• consult the UBdigit Collection Development Statement and UB2020 Strategic Strengths for help in assessing collection proposals

Review Board Members

Sarah Bay-Cheng, Theatre and Dance

MaryBeth Betzold, Central Technical Services

Austin Booth, Arts & Sciences Libraries

Damien Keane, English

Don McGuire, Classics, Undergraduate College

Nancy Nuzzo, Music Library

Stacy Person, Digital Library Center (Convener)

Margie Wells, Arts & Sciences Libraries