In an attempt to ‘catch up’ with the other teams (LIS-blog-wise), we are starting out by posting our first few important documents or decisions. Other posts in the near future will describe what we’ve accomplished so far. Then, sometime in the next couple of weeks, we will be regularly posting updates like the other two teams have been doing.

Our charge:
develop and promulgate digitization standards; to create a process for prioritizing digitization efforts; to create workflows to allow for effective scanning, storage, cataloging, and archiving; to provide access to digital collections through various means.

Our priorities:
* Develop a policy for approving and prioritizing new projects – 12/2009
* Review of existing projects (standards and relevance) – 5/2010
* Work with Collection Management to integrate metadata creation for digital projects into CM workflow – 5/2010
* Investigate best practices for digital preservation actions – 5/2010

And our ‘vision’:

* What you want to accomplish and why

The Digital Archives team will recommend strategies that expand the vision of a digital library and develop policies that best utilize staff expertise to deliver relevant digital resources to the scholarly community.

* “What’s in it for me” for those affected

For collection curators:

* collections will be organized, described, managed and made accessible in alignment with LIS standards and priorities

* established work flows will ensure that projects are prioritized, planned for and completed
* there will be ongoing assessment of collection practices and policies

For scholarly researchers:

o you will have access to valuable materials that have been consistently described

For LIS:

* LIS staff and resources will be used judiciously
* consolidation of material and location of material
* collections will be managed and preserved for the long-term
* you will know why you are working on a particular collection
* projects will typically be completed before moving on
* projects will be seen as belonging to LIS rather than to individuals
* decisions will be based on clearly defined policies and priorities