Browsing by Author "Cote, Conor"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Building strategic alliances to support advocacy and planning for digital preservation
(2017-12) Baucom, Erin; Troup, Tammy; Cote, Conor; Mannheimer, Sara
While the business benefits of digital asset management are well documented, the benefits and importance of digital preservation are not. Digital preservation is a sustained commitment to maintenance activities which require a system of plans, policies, and implementation workflows. Coordination across departments is helpful for digital asset management, but it is mandatory for digital preservation. The Montana Digital Preservation Working Group (DPWG) operated under a five-point plan for collaboration between organizations. The plan consisted of cultivating shared knowledge, assessing the current digital preservation landscape at each institution, advocating for the value of digital preservation, implementing digital preservation practices, and sustaining the partnership by developing structures for ongoing projects and mutual support. In this article, the five-point plan for collaboration used by DPWG is adapted to build alliances in four key areas of an organization: the Project and Process Team, the Management Team, the Executive Team, and the Information Technology Team. By building strategic alliances that support digital preservation advocacy and planning, information managers extend their reach and resources, ultimately leading to more robust preservation of valuable digital assets.
Cultivate, Assess, Advocate, Implement, and Sustain: A Five-Point Plan for Successful Digital Preservation Collaborations
(Emerald, 2017) Mannheimer, Sara; Cote, Conor
Purpose: For libraries with limited resources, digital preservation can seem like a daunting responsibility. Forming partnerships can help build collective knowledge and maximize combined resources to achieve digital preservation goals. Design/methodology/approach: In 2015, librarians from four institutions in Montana formed the Digital Preservation Working Group (DPWG), a collaboration to increase digital preservation efforts statewide. The group’s immediate goals were to promote digital preservation best practices at each individual institution, as well as to learn about and support each other’s work. The group’s long-term goal was to implement a shared digital preservation service that would fill gaps in existing digital preservation efforts. Findings: Beyond the cost savings gained by sharing a digital preservation service, the members of DPWG benefitted from shared knowledge and expertise gained during the partnership. The group also functioned as a sounding board as each institution built its digital preservation program, and it became a system of support when challenges arose. Practical implications: This article proposes a five-point plan for creating digital preservation partnerships: (1) Cultivate a foundation of knowledge and identify a shared vision; (2) Assess the current digital preservation landscape at each institution; (3) Advocate for the value of digital preservation activities; (4) Implement shared digital preservation services; (5) Sustain group activities and establish structures for ongoing support. Value: The activities of DPWG provide a model for institutions seeking to collaborate to meet digital preservation challenges. This article demonstrates that by implementing a structured plan, institutions can build and sustain digital preservation partnerships, thus positioning themselves to achieve digital preservation success.