Running Head: Evaluation of the LOUISiana Digital Library
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Evaluation of the LOUISiana Digital Library
Desiree Wallen
Management of Records and Archival Institutions
San Jose State University
December 9th, 2013
Running Head: Evaluation of the LOUISiana Digital Library
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Abstract
The LOUISiana Digital Library is a network of twenty-two libraries and archival repositories
around the state of Louisiana that provide their collections in a completely digital format. All
collections are sent to the Frey Computing Services Center where digitizing methods, such as
scanning and photography, are carried out. They are a subsidy of LOUIS, the Louisiana Library
Network, which oversees the functions of the LDL, both in labor and record acquisition. The
catalog and use of metadata are explored, as well as the workings of the LDL network.
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Introduction of center
The LOUISiana Digital Library (or as it will be referred to from here, LDL) is an entirely
online compilation of collections from various Louisiana libraries and archival repositories. It is
a subsidy of LOUIS, The Louisiana Library Network, hence the emphasized name of the LDL.
As a result, the site for users, or the LDL main site, can be found at
http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/index.php, while the website for the parent organization LOUIS
can be found at https://sites01.lsu.edu/wp/louis/. The LOUIS physical location, where the
digitization of archives and records from statewide libraries and repositories takes place, is
located on the Louisiana State University (LSU) campus, on the corner of Tower Drive and
Stadium Drive, and is listed as:
200 Frey Computing Services, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Appendix A: Frey Computing Services Center, Stadium Drive View (Google Maps, 2013)
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Distribution of labor
Given the situation of being a subsidiary, the LDL is going to not only have staff
structure in their own right, but that grouping of staff will have to answer to the greater LOUIS
organization. Fortunately, the LOUIS website has a list of all employees in their organization and
their subsidiary organizations. For the intent of evaluating only the LDL, I will only comprise the
structure of LOUIS in relation to the LDL.
Under the LOUIS staff, there is an Executive Director, an Assistant Director, a Technical
Consultant, and six Library Consortium Analysts, or LCAs (LOUIS Staff Directory, 2013). The
Executive and Assistant Directors are obviously the leaders, while the LCAs are the point of
communication with all the subsidiaries and partner repositories, and the Technical Consultant
obviously serves as the IT representative of LOUIS. Therefore, while the LCAs and the
Technical Consultant are in two separate positions with vastly different job descriptions, they
both contribute to the overall workings of LOUIS and they both report to the Assistant Director
and Executive Director.
Appendix B: Basic LOUIS Organizational Chart
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The Digital Library itself is run by a collective of twenty-three Digital Library
Administrators (DLAs), all representatives of the various libraries and repositories involved with
the LDL (Digital Library Administrators, 2013). Their role is to locate records from their
respective collections and keep in contact with the LCAs who digitize said records at the LSU
location. Considering the LDL still has to respond to LOUIS, it is natural that the DLAs are still
under the guidance of the Executive Director of the parent organization. However, the
collaboration between the LCAs and the DLAs is somewhat complex because the LCAs are a part
of the parent organization and the DLAs manage the subsidiary that is the LDL. Therefore, while
the DLAs are at the structural top of the LDL and the LCAs are at the bottom of the LOUIS
structure, there is a bit of a symbiotic relationship as both of their positions rely on the other. This
is outlined in Appendix C by connecting two lines from the LCAs to the DLAs and vice versa.
The DLAs would presumably have a technical consultant for the LDL as well, but that position
was not listed or posted for contact.
Appendix C: LOUIS and LDL Staff Organizational Chart
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Mission and Vision statements
The LDL Mission and Vision Statements are an extension of the LOUIS Mission and
Vision Statements, which clarifies that it will continuously operate all aspects of the Louisiana
Online University System in order to “provide library automation services; provide access to and
delivery of electronic information; provide a network of training opportunities for library staff;
promote cooperation and communication among multi-type libraries; research and implement
new information technologies; and maximize the purchasing power of Louisiana academic
libraries” (About LOUIS, 2013).
The vision statement focuses on the collaborative effort of the twenty-plus libraries and
repositories around the state to use their combined energies to provide as much access to the
collections as possible with the use of updated technologies and consistent staff communications.
Target Audience
According to the LDL website, the target audience is rather immense. There is no
membership or monetary charge required to search and view the digitized collections; the
website maintains the LDL can be used “by anyone with access to the internet and an interest in
the materials” (About the LOUISiana Digital Library, 2013).
Provided services
The catalog is detailed, allowing the user to browse through such filters as topic, housing
institution, format, location of record creation, time of record creation, and most importantly,
title of record. The user is allowed to browse through hundreds of thousands of scanned items.
Contact information (such as links to email services and telephone numbers) is readily available
under each piece of the collection, whether it is to report technological issues to the LDL staff or
to further inquire about the piece being viewed.
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Record acquisition
There are twenty-two libraries and repositories across the state of Louisiana to supply
records from their individual collections. This partnership between the LDL (DLAs) and the
liaison members of LOUIS (LCAs) is the agreement that the digitized records are sent to the
LDL site and returned to the record’s original site after the digitization process (About the
LOUISiana Digital Library, 2013).
Record conservation
The server CONTENT.dm is the LDL’s choice to host their collection. Users can stream
content using the Network Infrastructure and Research Enablement software, which hosts
multimedia records such as photographs, scans, music, and video. Backups of records are created
during the scanning process and stored on a separate hard drive in the Frey Computer Services
site. New server and software options are consistently researched in order to keep up with the
advancement of archiving and records technology (Service Description, Responsibilities, and
Commitments, 2012).
Marketing
The National Endowment for the Arts called the LDL "one of the best online resources
for education in the humanities" (LOUISiana Digital Library selected by NEH, 2008), which is
one of the biggest national honors. While the LDL itself has no slogan, LOUIS states on their
home page to “Communicate, Cooperate, Collaborate”, which is a fairly accurate reflection of
the purpose of the LDL. The LDL runs a Facebook page, but it hasn’t been updated since
September 2010 (LOUISiana Digital Library, 2013).
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Standout feature
The most attractive feature of the LDL is the thorough organization and extensive content
of the metadata. Appendix D provides a breakdown of an example, by searching the Geographic
Focus category in Philadelphia, PA and following the search properties.
Appendix D: LDL Catalog Browsing Example
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Noteworthy mentions
According to the 2012 Service Description, the libraries and repositories are considered
members and treated as such with guidelines and membership dues. If there is no interaction with
the LDL for a year, the membership is terminated and the collection removed from the LDL
catalog.
Strengths and weaknesses
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Encourages intense and thorough
communication by the very nature of its
functionality.
Charges the libraries and repositories in the
network, whom are supplying
their collections, membership dues and
removes the collection if the original
repository is no longer a member.
Maintains a user-friendly database for the vast
amount of collections and is very clear on
how the collection is organized.
Relies on the libraries and repositories to
contribute the descriptive text, leading to
possible inconsistencies in organization.
Opportunities and Threats
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
The physical storage repository is located in
the computer services center of the main state
university, ensuring its safety as a professional
environment.
The LDL’s physical storage repository is
located in a hotbed of turbulent weather,
while the main storage of digital records and
backup of digital records are run at the same
repository.
The LDL claims to be on top of researching
technologies by attending conferences and
maintaining a relationship with the Online
Computer Library Center.
There is a lot of reliance on one organization
to help keep up with technologies, there
doesn’t seem to be much more outside
collaboration than the OCLC, which runs the
risk of not considering other viewpoints of
where the future could considerably lead.
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Conclusion
The LOUISiana Digital Library is the fruition of a fantastic idea: embody the spirit of
records, which are ultimately the representation of society, by inviting the local archives and
records community to share what they have guarded for years. The unfortunate side effect of
implementing such an ideal, though, is the disconnect between the projects and the availability of
resources. There was no indication of what it took to work with the LDL beyond the membership
dues. That may make user access more open, but it has to exist on a delicate agreement that the
libraries and repositories of Louisiana will let this organization digitize their collections in the
hopes that a user will contact them and use their services.
Otherwise, the idea seems to work. The LDL’s use of the Content.DM server holds up the
records well and has a collection so diverse that they had to be categorized in several different
ways, which made the site that much more user-friendly. The National Endowment for the Arts
was right to honor the LDL for its educational value, and the use of the Computing Services
Center on the campus of Louisiana’s largest state university seems to provide the staff a sturdy
place to work from.
However, if they were to market beyond the little they do now, it might encourage more
libraries and repositories to share their collections and partner with the LDL, as well as attract
more users to the site. The interest in storage technology is admirable, but the lack of interest in
their social media presence might hurt the LDL in the long run.
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Reference List
LOUIS. (2013). About LOUIS. The Louisiana Library Network. Retrieved from
https://sites01.lsu.edu/wp/louis/about/
LOUIS. (2013). Digital Library Administrators. The Louisiana Library Network. Retrieved from
https://sites01.lsu.edu/wp/louis/contacts_diglib/
LOUIS. (2008). LOUISiana Digital Library selected by NEH. The Louisiana Library Network.
Retrieved from
http://appl015.lsu.edu/ocsweb/louishome.nsf/$Content/LOUISiana+Digital+Library+sele
cted+by+NEH+?OpenDocument
LOUISiana Digital Library. (2013). About the LOUISiana Digital Library. The Louisiana
Library Network. Retrieved from
http://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/index.php?browseby=about
LOUISiana Digital Library. (2012). Service Description, Responsibilities, and Commitments.
The Louisiana Library Network. Retrieved from
https://sites01.lsu.edu/wp/louis/files/2011/11/Memorandum_of_Understanding.pdf