Digital Projects Evaluation Process
March, 2013
All digital projects proposed by any librarian or staff member at Rutgers Libraries are required to undergo
an evaluation process. This evaluation process will assist in prioritizing the project and help ensure that
we have the resources to complete the project. The Principles for Prioritization and the current Strategic
Plan, located below, will guide our decisions.
P R I N C I P L E S F O R P R I O R I T I Z A T I O N O F D I G I T A L P R O J E C TS
Within the context of our strategic plan, our priority digital projects derive from the following principles
of value, rights, and means:
VALUE
The projects have high impact on most users, or
The projects make unique and compelling resources of the university and the Libraries more accessible
for research and instruction, or
The projects advance the Libraries unique contribution to and role in the university.
R I G H TS
The projects include materials for which we have the necessary rights.
MEANS
We have the resources, including, but not limited to, expertise, technology, and funding, to support the
project, both initially and ongoing, and
There is a project manager willing and able to coordinate the implementation of the project.
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Digital Projects Evaluation Process
STRATEGIC PLAN, 2012 – 2015
Mission Statement
The Rutgers University Libraries support and enrich the instructional, research, and public service
missions of the University through the stewardship of scholarly information and the delivery of
information services.
Vision Statement
The Libraries aspire to provide outstanding information resources and services that advance research
and learning, support the University's goal to be among the top public AAU institutions in the country,
and serve as an essential information resource for the state and beyond.
1. Promote and advocate for universal access to the world’s knowledge (direct, instant, convenient,
easy, and ubiquitous)
a. Continue development of the RUcore platform to support faculty research and teaching
b. Expand the digitization of unique and compelling resources in the RUL collections
c. Raise awareness of scholarly communication issues, including open access
d. Advocate that university scholars publish in open access media
e. Support the global open access movement
f. Participate in national initiatives to support preservation of digital scholarship
2. Support learning and research by providing leadership, responsive services, and resources that
unite our campuses
a. Evolve liaison roles and responsibilities to meet the emerging needs of the university community
b. Build our media collections, including the acquisitions of appropriate rights, and develop a service
that supports all streaming media
c. Facilitate the search and discovery of library collections by providing tools that are accessible,
easy to use, and user-centered
d. Revamp research assistance provision points and modalities to deliver timely research/reference
assistance to users
e. Improve student experience by providing more ubiquitous access to a variety of instructional media
f. Develop a preservation program that integrates digitization with treatment of physical items of
artifactual value or in immediate demand
g. Rethink instruction practices and models
3. Bring distinction to the university and the Libraries through innovative library research,
services, and spaces
a. Pursue unique areas for digital development that build on distinctive resources of the university
and the Libraries
b. Develop creative and distinctive spaces that enhance research and learning
4. Contribute to the university’s place as the state university of NJ, supporting and enhancing the
state and its residents
a. Preserve the history of the state of NJ and the region in print, archival, and digital format
b. Develop consortia services and facilities that create economies of scale among academic libraries
in New Jersey
5. Play a compelling and collaborative role in the development of 21st century higher education
a. Develop and enhance strategic roles for the Libraries in 21st century higher education
b. Enhance research and learning by developing a diverse library staff, collections, and programming
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Digital Projects Evaluation Process
Overall Digital Project Decision Process
There are three types of digital projects. The chart below is an overview of the prioritization and decision
process for each type of project.
Immediate
AUL/DLS
Immediate
Unit Director/AUL
Quarterly
Unit Director /AUL
AUL for Digital Library Systems
Copyright and Licensing Librarian
Repository Collection Manager
Unit Director/AUL
Copyright and Licensing Librarian
Repository Collection Manager
Unit Director /AUL
All digitization projects begin with an idea at the unit level and must have an assigned Project Manager.
The Project Manager will gather the details and guide the project through the prioritization process by
answering the questions on the following pages.
Infrastructure projects include such developments as implementation of a discovery layer and
usually begin with identification of a user need by one of our leadership groups. These projects go
directly to the AUL for Digital Library Systems for evaluation and approval. There is no questionnaire for
this type of project.
Routine digitization projects are short-term projects for which rights issues are determined to be
straightforward, no infrastructure development is needed for either metadata or resource processing, and
the work can be accommodated within established workflows. Routine projects will involve 50 or fewer
resources and the Project Manager must complete the Routine Digitization Projects Questionnaire before
getting project approval. Current examples include faculty deposits, ETDs, E-journals, yearbooks, and
public domain material.
Major digitization projects involve more than 50 items and may have more complicated digital
rights and technical issues. In addition, there may be collection issues. More importantly, these projects
can command additional staffing and equipment resources and must undergo a rigorous evaluation. The
Project Manager must complete the Major Digitization Projects Questionnaire before getting project
approval.
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Digital Projects Evaluation Process
Major and routine digitalization projects cannot proceed without the approval of the copyright
and licensing librarian.
There is no appeal process for rejected projects.
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