Needs and Vision Statement

In New York State, digital libraries are recognized as a key component in the development of the regional and statewide information infrastructure known as the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library (NOVEL), which will support access to information by all New Yorkers, including the research and educational community. Doorways to Information in the 21st Century, New York’s statewide automation plan, recommends that “in order to expand the scope of online information available to residents of New York, libraries should be encouraged to provide access to some of their resources in digital format via the Internet.”

Such statements are easily supported by the increased demand for access to collections being driven by the Internet phenomenon. Historians and other scholars use the Internet to explore more far-reaching disciplines. Genealogists and other research hobbyists conduct personal research from their own homes. Students and teachers need access to authoritative and accurate information from reliable sources.

In 2001, the Southeastern New York Library Resources Council (SENYLRC) received a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the New York State Library to develop a region-wide plan for the digitization of library, archival, museum, and other important materials in the pursuit of making them more accessible to researchers. The development of a regional plan, under the guidance of a Regional Digitization Advisory Task Force (RDATF), is a critical and necessary first step to create the collaborative environment among multiple institutions that will result in a regional digital identity and, to this end, facilitate the acquisition of funding from a variety of sources.

Furthermore, a cooperative plan is needed to provide the regional cultural heritage institutions, the

• public, academic, school and special library community,
• government and other archival repositories, and
• historical museums,

with the direction, standards, infrastructure, training and technical legal knowledge necessary to develop a successful, long-term digital library program.

The Regional Digital Advisory Task Force drafted a vision statement and developed the goals, objectives, and activities incorporated in this plan. In this process , the RDATF also identified key stakeholders and mandates, and discussed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that will likely arise during the planning and implementation processes. More importantly, the group reached consensus to move forward with a regional digitization planning process and to work together to achieve its implementation and success.

The vision statement provides the future outlook for digitization in the southeastern New York region. The development of this statement presupposes an understanding of (1) the players or stakeholders, (2) mandates or requirements of the participating organizations, and (3) the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that may have an impact on the development and implementation of a digitization program. The vision statement for this initiative emphasizes the role that the participating institutions will play in providing the public with online, digitized access to collections held with the region.

The cultural heritage institutions (libraries, archives, museums, historical societies and repositories, etc.) of the southeastern New York region will collaborate to provide to the public continually improved access to their unique and special collections in digital format.

To achieve this vision, these institutions will share:

• a common understanding of the richness, variety and public value of the collections in their care;
• the benefits and choices involved in creating, maintaining, disseminating and providing access to these collections through digital means;
• the standards and legal requirements by which they should assess, manage and provide access to digital content;
• and the benefits of staff training and continuing education relevant to digitization issues.