Susanne Caro - Digitizing Your Collection: Public Library Success Stories

We are that public library ideal of a peoples university and the way we are connecting with our public is changing, but I think the goals of that connection are no different.

Eileen OConnell, branch manager, Special Collections Library, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library, New Mexico

L ibrary patrons continue to expect more online content, and libraries are attempting to meet these expectations with article databases and e-book collections. According to a 2011 survey by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), libraries had 35 million e-books available. Why should libraries invest additional time and funds to scan old paper documents, add metadata and store them in an accessible electronic collection when they are already providing access to databases? As your community accesses your collection online and uses more electronic content your collections can be hidden if they are not accessible online. Through digitization you can increase access and awareness of your unique collections, from fragile photographs to microfilm. The electronic versions act as surrogates, reducing handling of the originals, and can be used to preserve your valuable, tangible materials.

As digital technology becomes more ubiquitous in daily life it can be easy to forget that it was not always there. On library discussion lists such as Publibs, librarians often share head-scratching requests: people looking for film of Lincolns assassination, photographs of George Washington or Jesus.These types of interactions will only increase over time. The Mindset List, published by Beloit College each year, provides insights into the experiences that have shaped incoming college freshmen. The class of 2015 has always had Internet access. The class of 2016 has always lived in cyberspace and prefers digital cameras, and the class of 2017 has always had access to the Global Positioning System (GPS). Soon there will be college freshmen who have always had access to e-books.

As more people are born into a world where most information is created digitally, the expectation for all library collections to be available electronically will continue to grow and users will expect that content to be available in a variety of formats and on multiple devices. The number of people with Internet access in the United States has increased significantly over the last ten years. In 2013 the U.S. Census estimated that 83.8 percent of households had a computer, and 73.4 percent had Internet access. In 2013 the Federal Communications Commission reported 86 million residential fixed-location Internet connections and 142 million mobile wireless service subscribers.

The desire to access materials online is part of a trend in libraries toward digital inclusion and providing a range of digital content and access options. Digital inclusion is described as having three to four aspects. A Pew Research Study looked at access, adoption, and application while the Digital Inclusion survey considered public access, digital content, digital literacy, and domain-specific services and programs. Public libraries strive to meet the technology needs of their users, and as more people become accustomed to accessing e-books and online articles they will expect to find other library materials online as well. It is a good strategy to engage users by including digital versions of a librarys unique holdings in addition to the latest best sellers or magazines.

Digital access redefines a library community from geographically-based to interest-based. Individuals who no longer live in their hometown are able to Town reports, vital statistics, planning documents, committee minutes, and more can be made available through the librarys digital collections.

Online access can increase interest in your collections and the use of the tangible materials by increasing discovery and awareness of your holdings. According to librarian Julie Warren, images from the collection at Georgetown County Library have been used by ABC Nightly News and PBS for news programs and Antiques Roadshow. Library users value the ability to access digital collections and consider digitization to be an important service. Madison Library in New Hampshire surveyed the town to learn how the community ranked library services, including their digitization efforts. According to former director Mary Cronin, the results revealed that 78 percent of people felt it was important or very important for the library to continue to add to its digital collections. Online collections allow libraries to reach users outside of the physical library building and to meet user expectations for digital resources. Once a collection is online it is set free; it is available around the world at any time.