Digital Project Proposal Form

The purpose of this survey is to generate ideas for digital library projects. The questions are based on CDP's Questions to Ask Before Starting a Digitization Project and serve as a project planning tool. Provide as much information as you can. Describe the ideal scenario with the understanding that practical constraints may put limitations on actual project goals.
Project Team
 
Primary Contact:
 Department:
 Email:
Other Team Members:

Executive Summary
  Provide a project description that includes the following information:
What are the project objectives?
Who is the intended audience?
How will this project benefit the communities we serve?
What are the demands for this collection in a digital format?
Indicate a deadline or desired completion date, if applicable.
Note funding sources, if identified.
Collection Description
  Describe the item(s) to be digitized. Include the following information:
How many items are in the collection?
What is the medium? (black and white photos, audio cassettes, etc) For multimedia collections, list all media types.
Provide a physical description for items in the collection. Describe a typical item and any outliers, if applicable.
What is the condition of the collection?
Does it have fragile items that require preservation or special handling?
If you are not digitizing the entire collection, what is your plan for selecting materials to be included in the project?
Copyright Issues
 

Is the collection in the public domain?
Does University Libraries hold the copyright?
Does University Libraries have permission to do the things necessary to undertake this project (e.g. digitize and publish items)? Is this documented?
If you answered "no" to the last three questions, describe your plan for obtaining permission to reproduce and use the items for this purpose.

Metadata
  If the collection has been cataloged, please describe the metadata scheme (e.g., MARC; locally-defined scheme) and the location of those records (e.g., Chinook; Access database).
If additional metadata provision is required, please outline, to the extent you can, the types of metadata that might be appropriate to the collection: descriptive metadata (e.g., AACR2/MARC; MODS; EAD; VRA; Dublin Core; CCO), technical metadata (e.g., MIX; textDM; ISO standards), preservation metadata (e.g., PREMIS; OAIS).
Delivery
  How will the digital objects be accessed? (digital library, the catalog, etc)
Please describe any special requirements or restrictions for the delivery of the digital objects.
Digitization
  Is this project part of a grant or collaborative endeavor which requires adherence to specific standards or procedures?
If the collection includes textual materials, is OCR desired?
Are there sprecial considerations or technical requirements that affect planning for this project?
After projects are identified, the digital initiatives librarian and team members will work together to address digitization issues. Some of the considerations include: in-house digitization vs. outsourcing, appropriate standards and workflow, and vendor selection.