The Technical Standards and Your Bid

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The Technical Standards and Your Bid

• Sarah Ormes
• UKOLN
• University of Bath
• Bath, BA2 7AY

Email s.l.ormes_at_ukoln.ac.uk URL http//www.ukoln.a
c.uk/
UKOLN is funded by Resource The Council for
Museums, Archives and Libraries, the Joint
Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the
Higher Education Funding Councils, as well as by
project funding from the JISC and the European
Union. UKOLN also receives support from the
University of Bath where it is based.
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Standards will make your bid

• more robust
• no surprises later on
• more technically achievable
• technically possible right from the planning
  stage
• more likely to succeed
• a more coherent bid

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Standards mean...

• The resources you create can be
• Repackaged
• potential for selling on your resources to be
  used by others
• can be repackaged within your own organisation
• More easily found
• making life easier for your users
• Ensured a longer life cycle
• best preservation practise

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Implications for your Bid

• To achieve these benefits the programmes
  standards must be implemented.
• Achieving this technical robustness may have
  implications.
• Implications will vary according to the size of
  your bid and its goals.

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Creating Digital Resources (1)

• Digital resources must be created in the formats
  specified by the standards document.
• Projects must weigh-up the risks of exposing
  original material to the digitisation process.
• A record of the digitisation process for each
  item must be kept.
• Ideally a digital master should be created.

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Creating Digital Resources (2)

• Issues for consideration
• Assessing the risk to your collection?
• Training your staff?
• Recording the process?
• Buying the necessary equipment?
• Using a digitisation agency?

Has your project got the in-house expertise to
create digital resources up to the specifications
of the standards?
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Describing Your Resources (1)

• All digital resources created should be described
  using metadata
• Creation
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Individual item descriptions
• Collection level description

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Describing Your Resources (2)

• Issues for consideration
• Describing resources will be a time intensive
  procedure.
• It requires expert knowledge.
• The description and the digital resource have to
  be managed together.

Has your project costed for resource description?
How will you manage the resources and their
descriptions?
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Managing Your Digital Collection (1)

• Digital collections have to be managed just like
  physical collections.
• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) must be
  researched.
• Performance indicators must be maintained.
• Security must be assured.

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Managing Your Digital Collection (2)

• Issues for consideration
• Database approach (highly preferable)
• Content Management System required
• A way for consortiums to create economies of
  scale.
• IPR research will need to be undertaken -
  insurance purchased?

Has your project costed for a content management
system? Have you explored the full IPR issues?
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Web Delivery (1)

• All projects must be accessible via the Web.
• Must meet W3C accessibility standards.
• Must be available 24/7.
• Should use stylesheets and adhere to latest W3C
  mark-up recommendations.
• Resources should be uniquely and persistently
  identified.
• Watermarking or fingerprinting should be
  considered.

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Web Delivery (2)

• Issues for consideration
• Database driven production of on the fly Web
  pages preferable.
• Static pages not recommended.
• High level of Web/IT skills needed initially.
• Content management system linked to Web
  delivery.

Are skills available in-house? Can your ISP
provide a suitable standard of service?
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Most Likely Impacts (1)

• Reconsideration of technical costs
• Purchase of content management system (scale of
  project).
• Development of database driven Web site.
• Metadata creation and management.
• Using a digitisation agency?

Highly suitable for creating economies of scale
with consortium partners
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Most Likely Impacts (2)

• Staffing costs
• Training likely to be required.
• New staff required with different skill sets.
• Could be more effective to work with outside
  agencies?

Highly suitable for creating economies of scale
with consortium partners
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Most Likely Impacts (3)

• Outcomes of the project
• Long term durability assured.
• Development of new staff skills which are
  transferable.
• Creation of commercially viable resources.
• Resources available to be re-used within
  organisation.

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Technical Support Service

• Available for advice and support in the
  development of the technical aspects of
  proposals.
• Support via
• Web pages (FAQs, information papers)
• e-mail (for specific queries)
• discussion list (for sharing information)
• phone (for emergencies!)

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The service will

• provide guidance on the technical standards
  document and its implementation via e-mail, the
  Web site or the telephone.
• provide links to further information on relevant
  topics.
• attempt to answer general technical queries.

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The service will not

• recommend system suppliers or digitisation
  agencies.
• review or comment on your written application.
• write your application for you!

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Contacting the Service

• 1) First check the Web pages to see if someone
  has already asked your query
• http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/nof/support
• 2) E-mail the support service your query
• nof-support_at_ukoln.ac.uk
• 3) Share your query with the mailing list
• http//www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/nof-digi