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The Power of Partnering: Connecticut History Online

The Power of Partnering: Connecticut History Online. http://www.cthistoryonline.org. Initial goal of CHO. Digitize and catalog items from collections. Museum-Historical Society-Library Collaboration– Initially Three Partner Institutions. The Connecticut Historical Society

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The Power of Partnering: Connecticut History Online

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  1. The Power of Partnering: Connecticut History Online http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  2. Initial goal of CHO • Digitize and catalog items from collections

  3. Museum-Historical Society-Library Collaboration– Initially Three Partner Institutions • The Connecticut Historical Society • The University of Connecticut • Thomas J. Dodd Research Center • Mystic Seaport http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  4. Evolving Goals of CHO II • Expand on a cooperative model of shared responsibility and equal project ownership Add partners: Connecticut State Library New Haven Colony Historical Society

  5. Evolving goals of CHO • Expand the scope and variety of materials represented in the digital collection: manuscript collections, maps, drawings, broadsides, oral histories, sound recordings, costumes, art and artifacts, and more...

  6. Evolving Goals of CHO • Enhance site usefulness and usability for our target audience Teacher Advisory Committee, lesson plans, Journeys, Interactive student activities, research and outreach

  7. Funding • IMLS Leadership Grants • 2000-2001 [note gap] • 2003-2005 • Some additional grants • Some costs covered by institutions • Money managed by grantee institution

  8. Staffing • CHO I & II dedicated staff: • Project Coordinator hired by project Management Committee – works with Management Committee and directly oversees all aspects of project, including training • Three catalogers (hired by partner institutions) • Other staffing done as a match to grant funds received • Outside vendors do some tasks

  9. Building a Collaborative Framework: Committee structure Listservs Documentation on Web site http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  10. Team approach: CHO Committees Management Selection Cataloging Education Technical/Web Design http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  11. Team approach: Management Committee • Budgets • Task timelines • Overall decision-making • Coordination of staff http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  12. Team approach: Selection Committee • Criteria: • format • Connecticut relationship • content • Standards/Specifications for Digitization http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  13. Team approach: Cataloging Committee • Determine metadata standards • Develop workflow • Normalize data • Document process • Determine migration specifications • (subject headings, http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  14. Team approach: Education Committee • 1999 Teacher Focus Group • Thematic categories • Constructivist approach • 2001 Teacher Focus Group • Rich metadata • Journeys • Lessons • 2003-5 Teacher Focus Group • Web interface • Selection advice • NEAG School of Ed interns http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  15. Team approach: Technical Committee • Select appropriate software tools • Deal with technical challenges and identify solutions • Oversee adherence to standards • Oversee Web interface functionality and design • , http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  16. Challenges: • Object description • Museum/Library/Archives perspectives • End-user needs vs. internal norms • Technical challenges • Duplication of effort/Systems incompatibility • Migration/import-export capability • Being on the cutting edge— multiple new technologies/ implementations being tested -Technical support http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  17. Challenges: • Structural/cultural issues • Diverse institutional cultures • Implementing decisions • Staff support of grant-funded work • Sustaining the site http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  18. Opportunities/Benefits • Complementary strengths in developing a digital collection of use to audiences • Museums: expertise in interpretation, educational outreach • Libraries: organization of/access to collections, technical expertise, familiarity with standards http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  19. Opportunities/Benefits • Improved access to institutional holdings • Digitization of materials • Cataloging of materials • Web access to materials (alternative for some, sole venue for others) • Acquisition of high-resolution surrogates • Reduces or eliminates need to retrieve originals http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  20. Opportunities/Benefits • Greater public awareness of partner institutions • Research inquiries • Reproduction requests (new income) • Resource for public outreach (educational programming) http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  21. Opportunities/Benefits • Sharing knowledge and expertise— partner institutions gain understanding of/facility with • Technical infrastructure involved in digital collections – hardware & software • Best practices • Digitization standards and options • Metadata standards and options …That inform local planning, decision-making and practice http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  22. Opportunities/Benefits CHO project as a working model for participants • Efficiency and productiveness of putting complementary skill sets to work—more can be done—better • Mission guides decision-making • Consensus-building and decision making • Documenting discussions and decisions http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  23. Lessons Learned • Risks of being on cutting edge--weigh benefits of this vs staying closer to current capabilities • Ensure that alignment of project goals with partner institution missions is clearly understood • Verify support for time non-dedicated project staff spend on project (especially important w/tech support) • Clarify process/lines of authority/communication for decision-making (committee mission statements helpful) http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  24. Challenge of SustainabilityWords from WebWise* • Users expect it • Integrate--Digital resources as part of core mission • Collaborate • Project program • Identify audiences and their needs (ongoing) *IMLS WebWise 2005 Conference Business Planning Workshop http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  25. Plans for sustaining CHO • Non-profit corporation • Business plan • New partners/members • Member services • Continue to develop content, functionality http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  26. Late 2005: CHO II Web site launch http://www.cthistoryonline.org

  27. CHO Quick Facts: Materials: Photographs, prints, drawings, maps, charts, bird’s-eye views, broadsides, letters, diaries, military questionnaires, costumes, manuscripts, oral histories, radio broadcasts, interviews, newspapers Software: Endeavor Voyager, Image Server (first phase), ENCompass (second phase), Aware (for delivery of JPEG 2000) Web site design: Literae Interactive (formerly Marinpro) Digitization: Boston Photo Imaging and in-house Servers: at UConn, administered by University of Connecticut Libraries ITS. Article with more information:http://jodi.ecs.soton.ac.uk/Articles/v05/i03/Foulke http://www.cthistoryonline.org

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