MISSION
STATEMENT
The
Kentuckiana Digital Library is built to enhance scholarship,
research and lifelong learning through the establishment
of access to shared digital archival collections in the
state of Kentucky. It also provides guidance and instruction
for Kentucky libraries, archives, historical societies
and museums on applying appropriate technologies used
in the production of digital library resources.
DIGITAL
LIBRARY DEFINITION
A
Digital Library is an organized collection of selected
digital resources created to support scholarship, research
and teaching. Through the use of appropriate technological
standards, a Digital Library is created to facilitate
persistent access to and resource discovery of selected
digital resources.
KENTUCKIANA
DIGITAL LIBRARY OVERVIEW
Background
The Kentucky Virtual Library was first conceived by the
State-Assisted Academic Library Council of Kentucky (SAALCK);
comprised of heads of the eight state-assisted university
libraries. SAALCK's vision included the provision of general
access to the wealth of special collections materials
held by their academic libraries, which had been previously
limited to visitors to their campuses. With the 1997 Postsecondary
Education Improvement Act, under the leadership of Governor
Paul Patton's administration and the Council
on Postsecondary Education (CPE), funding for the
digital library opened the doors to wider participation
by a variety of libraries across the state, including
public and special libraries. The KYVL is seeking collaboration
with privately funded institutions as well. Prior to the
KYVL funding, the planning committee successfully won
federal funding from the National
Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
to assist its planning of implementation.
Kentuckiana
Digital Library Selection Focus
Collections and subsets of collections selected will have
a strong Kentucky orientation as well as broad appeal on
geographic, content and study levels. The materials will
be unique or not widely available. Collections will be proposed
by archivists at the repositories based on their evaluation
of the materials' appeal and appropriateness.
Central
Site Management
The University of Kentucky was selected by KYVL to manage
the ongoing technological infrastructure for the Kentuckiana
Digital Library. In this role, UK manages the systems
infrastructure for the digital library, creates and conducts
training modules on digital library technology and performs
digital conversion of selected archival material from
around the state.
TECHNOLOGICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
SGML/XML
Database
The Archival Finding Aids Collection and the Full-Text
Archive are managed by the DLXS SGML/XML database licensed
by the University of Michigan. All resources included
in the SGML/XML Database can be browsed and searched via
full-text.
Digital
Archival Objects
The actual digitized objects selected from archival collections.
Can include image based material such as photographs and
sound files. These items are linked to through the Archival
Finding Aids Collection.
Digital
Library Server
Our digital library server runs on redhat LINUX.
RESEARCH
AND EXPERT CONSULTANTS
In
our efforts to move from vision to reality, we researched
the available literature and reviewed established national
digital library initiatives as well as respected technological
standards. Expert consultants for four separate aspects
of the project were also contracted. These expert consultants
reviewed our initial implementation plan, provided on-site
presentation and discussion sessions and continue to offer
support through correspondence as our project has developed
beyond the initial planning phase.
Peter
Hirtle, Co-Director of the Cornell
Institute for Digital Collections, Cornell University.
Peter Hirtle consulted with our project on risk assessment
in relation to copyright for digital archives.
Stephen
Miller, Digital Encoding Archivist at Duke
University's Digital Scriptorium. Stephen Miller provided
us with invaluable assistance in our statewide implementation
of the Encoded Archival Description standard for creating
digital archival finding aids.
David
Seaman, Director of the University
of Virginia E-Text Center. David Seaman provided expert
assistance in the establishment of our standards for digital
scanning and imaging. David also assisted with our selection
of an appropriate digital camera for the Central site
and the production of RFP documents for outsourcing digital
conversion of archival material.
Roy
Tennant, eScholarship Web & Services Designer for the
California Digital Library. Roy Tennant assisted
with overall digital library structure and the establishment
of our metadata guidelines.
