TY - JOUR
T1 - Barriers and solutions to assessing digital library reuse
T2 - Preliminary findings
AU - O'Gara, Genya
AU - Woolcott, Liz
AU - Kelly, Elizabeth Joan
AU - Muglia, Caroline
AU - Stein, Ayla
AU - Thompson, Santi
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to acknowledge that this project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Forum Grant lg-73-17-0002-17. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this paper do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Digital Library Federation for its support of the Assessment Interest Group, and for their aid amplifying the work of this grant project and its deliverables. Finally, the authors are grateful to their home institutions for their encouragement of this research, and support in participating in this grant project.
PY - 2018/10/18
Y1 - 2018/10/18
N2 - Purpose – The purpose
of this paper is to highlight the initial top-level findings of a year-long comprehensive
needs assessment, conducted with the digital library community, to reveal reuse
assessment practices and requirements for digital assets held by cultural
heritage and research organizations. The type of assessment examined is in
contrast to traditional library analytics, and does not focus on access
statistics, but rather on how users utilize and transform unique materials from
digital collections.
Design/methodology/approach
– This paper takes a variety of investigative approaches to explore the current
landscape, and future needs, of digital library reuse assessment. This includes
the development and analysis of pre- and post-study surveys, in-person and
virtual focus group sessions, a literature review, and the incorporation of
community and advisory board feedback.
Findings – The digital
library community is searching for ways to better understand how materials are reused
and repurposed. This paper shares the initial quantitative and qualitative
analysis and results of a community needs assessment conducted in 2017 and 2018
that illuminates the current and hoped for landscape of digital library reuse
assessment, its strengths, weaknesses and community applications.
Originality/value – In
so far as the authors are aware, this is the first paper to examine with a
broad lens the reuse assessment needs of the digital library community. The
preliminary analysis and initial findings have not been previously published.
AB - Purpose – The purpose
of this paper is to highlight the initial top-level findings of a year-long comprehensive
needs assessment, conducted with the digital library community, to reveal reuse
assessment practices and requirements for digital assets held by cultural
heritage and research organizations. The type of assessment examined is in
contrast to traditional library analytics, and does not focus on access
statistics, but rather on how users utilize and transform unique materials from
digital collections.
Design/methodology/approach
– This paper takes a variety of investigative approaches to explore the current
landscape, and future needs, of digital library reuse assessment. This includes
the development and analysis of pre- and post-study surveys, in-person and
virtual focus group sessions, a literature review, and the incorporation of
community and advisory board feedback.
Findings – The digital
library community is searching for ways to better understand how materials are reused
and repurposed. This paper shares the initial quantitative and qualitative
analysis and results of a community needs assessment conducted in 2017 and 2018
that illuminates the current and hoped for landscape of digital library reuse
assessment, its strengths, weaknesses and community applications.
Originality/value – In
so far as the authors are aware, this is the first paper to examine with a
broad lens the reuse assessment needs of the digital library community. The
preliminary analysis and initial findings have not been previously published.
KW - Assessment
KW - Cultural heritage organizations
KW - Digital libraries
KW - Repositories
KW - Reuse
KW - Value
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U2 - 10.1108/PMM-03-2018-0012
DO - 10.1108/PMM-03-2018-0012
M3 - Article
SN - 1467-8047
VL - 19
SP - 130
EP - 141
JO - Performance Measurement and Metrics
JF - Performance Measurement and Metrics
IS - 3
ER -