Research for the CDLC Digitization Plan, prepared by consultant Jill Hurst-Wahl in December 2004, determined that CDLC member libraries were looking for leadership in the digitization of library materials. Members expressed a need for digitization training and guidelines from CDLC, so the idea of a digitization project was born.
In 2007 CDLC received grant funding from the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). This grant, and subsequent LSTA funding, enabled CDLC to hire a digitization field trainer – a key component of the project. Other costs related to the project have been funded through New York State’s Regional Bibliographic Data Bases Program (RBDB).
In 2007 CDLC purchased CONTENTdm software as the digital asset management system for the project. This software is made available to all project participants. These institutions have chosen objects for the project that fit their selection criteria, scanned the material, learned how to use the CONTENTdm software, and created the metadata for each object.
The CDLC Digital Collections website was unveiled in late 2008 and redesigned in July 2009 by Evenpar Solutions. The website is part of New York Heritage (www.newyorkheritage.org), a research portal that simultaneously searches nearly 200 sites of digitized materials throughout New York State.
For more information about the project, including questions about how your institution can participate, contact Susan D'Entremont, Project Manager. Questions about specific items included in this web site should be directed to the institution that holds the item(s) in question. The name of the holding institution and contact information can be found in the description of the item.
