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Appraising our Digital Investment: Sustainability of Digitized Special Collections in ARL Libraries

Appraising our Digital Investment: Sustainability of Digitized Special Collections in ARL Libraries – A Report from Ithaka S+R and the Association of Research Libraries. Nancy L. Maron, Ithaka S+R, Sarah Pickle, Ithaka S+R. February 2013

  • “Special collections have long been a vital part of libraries, offering users access to rare or archival materials and creating
    unique value for their host institutions. Research libraries are well aware of the particular value that their special collections hold and are increasingly placing greater emphasis on efforts like digitization that can make them more accessible to their users…Most library leaders feel that digitized special collections are critical to the libraries’ future, but few feel their institutions’ investments in updates and upgrades are sufficient. Over 80% agreed that digitized special collections are “critical to our current strategic direction” and yet almost a third feel they are under investing in this area. Over half of respondents cited funding of this activity as their greatest sustainability concern.
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