Issue 2: Selection of
Materials for Digitization
  
| Federal government
departments, agencies and Crown corporations have vast
collections and information holdings, much of them not
yet in digital form. Digitization of these collections
offers a unique opportunity to make them available to
Canadians across the country. Given the current fiscal
reality, it is not possible to digitize all the
retrospective collections and information holdings that
have been collected and generated by government over the
years. Materials to be digitized must be selected and
prioritized in a judicious manner, and be easily
accessible to the user. Digitization projects,
therefore, may also include the provision of search tools
and finding aids, including databases, for the user to
easily access a collection of digitized items or
conventional materials. They may also provide a valuable
service in cataloguing or publicizing information.
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Selecting
Materials to Be Digitized
Digitization projects based on
federally held collections and information
holdings and supported by dedicated funding
should:
- support lifelong education
and learning
- reinforce a shared
national consciousness and informed
citizenship
- be linked to economic
growth and job creation
Decisions to select materials
for digitization should also be based on a
business-like approach that:
- identifies target user
populations
- understands the needs and
expectations of the users
- identifies measurable
deliverables that will demonstrate
benefits
- includes a
promotion/marketing plan
- provides itemized costing
- takes into account the
work necessary for obtaining copyright
clearance for the material to be
digitized
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Before embarking on developing criteria for the selection of
materials for digitization, the Task Force realized that it was
necessary to take stock of current federal digitization
activities. Lacking data on the nature and extent of current
digitization activities within federal organizations, the Task
Force undertook a survey of federal departments, agencies and
Crown corporations. Responses indicated that the primary reason
for selecting materials to be digitized was to fulfill the mandate
to communicate widely. Other reasons included research
significance, followed by educational significance, outreach
and, finally, the promotion of social and cultural equality.
These findings suggest that most digitization activity is being
undertaken to meet program objectives. Digitization activities
that go beyond program objectives, primarily to reach broader
audiences, may require additional funding beyond
institutions’ existing allocations.
Respondents indicated that for the 165 digital products
reported in the survey, the main intended audience is the general
public. The federal government was the second most
cited intended audience, followed by educational
organizations, the private sector, provincial
governments, international governments and, lastly, specific
audiences. The purpose for the creation of digital
products varied, but general public interest was most
often cited. Other commonly identified purposes were preservation,
followed by revenue generation and exhibition.
Providing useful and timely information for users begins with
knowing who the user populations are and how they are accessing
and using federal materials. Federal institutions know their key
client groups and continually monitor and adapt to client needs.
However, the needs of the broader user community are not well
known. As more departments begin packaging information for
schools and the general public, it is increasingly important to
understand these needs.
Few models for measuring the cost effectiveness and/or success
of digitization projects exist to guide government in the
selection of materials for digitization. Less than half of the
survey respondents reported having conducted a policy review or
program evaluation to assess the effectiveness of their
digitization projects. Yet evaluation and review are essential to
measure success and should be provided for in any digitization
proposal.
Long-term maintenance of digitized information demands
significant financial and human resources, which must be
accounted for in the planning stage. The majority of digitization
products (66 percent) identified in the survey require
continual maintenance (updates) for an indefinite period of time.
This means providing for the cost of migrating to new technology
over time. The survey indicated that the human resource
complement of digitization activities, measured in terms of
full-time equivalents (FTEs), varied significantly from
institution to institution. Given the high percentage of
"incomplete" responses on the subject of costs, further
study will be required.
The level of technology available to user groups for accessing
and making effective use of digitized material must be considered
when selecting materials for digitization. If the user does not
have access to the technology to view large graphic files such as
art works, photo images and maps, the dissemination of digitized
material will be impeded.
On the other hand, the public may develop expectations about
digital access to federal holdings that cannot be met. It is
important to manage expectations and meet user needs as much as
possible within the resources available and according to
established priorities.
Having said that a business-like approach is needed to justify
investment in digitization, the Task Force would add that
dedicated funding should be set aside, particularly to digitize
retrospective materials, as recommended in
Recommendation 5.9 under Funding Strategies. If
Canada’s rich history and heritage, and the wealth of
economic and scientific information in the archives of federal
institutions, are to reach current and future generations of
Canadians, digitizing Canada’s retrospective information
holdings and collections is crucial.
The following "public good" criteria and proposal
methodology are recommended for accessing a central fund
dedicated to digitization projects. The underlying assumption is
that many digitization projects whose primary justification is
the "public good" will have minimal chance of
recovering costs through savings and/or fees. Therefore, these
projects should be financed through the dedicated fund if they
can demonstrate a real contribution to achieving the "public
good" goals of the federal government and are supported by a
sound business-like approach.
Digitization Proposals Contributing to the "Public
Good"
The suggested criteria for the "public good" are
consistent with the categories of "essential" and
"key" information proposed in the previous section on
Accessibility of Digitized Content. The concept of the
"public good" is dynamic and evolving, and is
interpreted according to the needs and priorities of Canadian
society. The following criteria reflect the current understanding
of the "public good".
- 2.1 The overall concept of "public good"
can be extended beyond the duty to inform (health, safety,
security, consumer protection) to include additional criteria
that could assist in the decision-making process for approving
digitization projects that seek access to dedicated funding. The
following criteria, not listed in order of priority, should be
adopted:
- a. Digitization projects supporting education
and learning can help create broader and richer
collections of digital information and search tools that
encourage and support learning for all ages and life stages.
Technology also provides the opportunity to develop new and
innovative multimedia educational tools that allow for the
interactive presentation of educational materials. In
developing educational materials, priority should be placed
on supporting provincial, territorial and First Nations’
educational goals, on reflecting Canada’s linguistic
duality, and on meeting identified learning needs.
SchoolNet could perform a brokerage role to ensure that
federal institutions, in collaboration with provincial,
territorial and First Nations educational authorities,
provide material and search tools to support educational
goals.
b. Digitization can contribute to a shared
national consciousness and informed citizenship.
Therefore:
- i. materials about the Canadian experience should
take priority over materials about foreign experience in
digitization projects. However, the attempt to define
"Canadian" material through a system of rules
can be counterproductive;
- ii. French-language digital content available
on-line and off-line should be increased. Currently,
there is insufficient availability of French digital
content, even though federal institutions, fulfilling
their obligations under the Official Languages
Act, provide information and services to the
public in English and French;
- iii. while the provision of materials in the two
official languages is essential, the use of other
languages should be encouraged where appropriate; and
- iv. an attempt should be made to provide material
that is representative of the different regions and
cultures of Canada.
c. Digitization projects can support economic
growth and job creation. Therefore:
- i. the federal government should support
digitization projects that contribute to the economic
growth of the country. Digitization projects have the
potential to support innovation, sustainable development,
regional development, a skilled work force, global
opportunities and a knowledge-based economy.
In particular, the federal government should
support interdepartmental and national digitization
projects that contribute to the sharing of information
and expertise in support of informed economic
decision-making and increased competitiveness for
Canadian industry and business;
Examples include initiatives such as Industry
Canada’s on-line business information source,
Strategis, and the Department of Natural Resources-led
Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure, a national
electronic network that will expedite the collection and
dissemination of geographic information, including
natural resources, environmental, social and economic
data.
- ii. the digitization of federal materials, and to
some extent digital content development, could be offered
as contract or employment opportunities to Canadian
companies or to groups identified under federal job
creation initiatives. These opportunities could be
targeted to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
such as youth-run firms.
For example, Industry Canada’s SchoolNet
Digital Collections program has provided short-term jobs
for more than 900 young Canadians and has supported the
launch and expansion of a number of multimedia firms
across Canada since May 1996.
- Demand for Digitized Material
2.2 The federal government should review existing
studies and sponsor additional research into the costs and
benefits of providing information through digital means to the
general population and target user groups. This research would
contribute to a better understanding of the user populations in
general and how they access and use federal information in
particular. In undertaking the additional research, the
government should select for objective impact studies
digitization projects representing the cultural, social, economic
and scientific portfolios. It is suggested that:
- a. studies be used to establish cost/benefit models;
b. representative projects be linked to known uses of
information, such as use for educational purposes; and
c. the studies conform to all applicable federal
policies and best practices.
- Digitization Proposals
2.3 Proposed digitization projects of federal
departments, agencies and Crown corporations, including those for
which dedicated funding is sought, should be supported by a
detailed analysis and plan using a business-case approach.
- a. Each proposal must:
- i. identify the target user population;
- ii. clarify the needs and expectations of that
population with respect to the project;
- iii. identify the objectives of the project and
establish measurable deliverables that demonstrate the
benefits;
- iv. contain a marketing/promotion plan to ensure
awareness of the project;
- v. provide itemized cost figures for all components
of the project; and
- vi. identify and resolve any access restrictions
and copyright considerations applying to the
material to be disseminated.
b. Each proposal should:
- 2.4 The government should generally not digitize
information that is available digitally elsewhere, but may
provide a valuable service in cataloguing, publicizing or in some
cases validating material disseminated by others.
- For example, Health Canada (HC) has plans for a
National Population Health Clearinghouse that will
consolidate health promotion, disease prevention and risk
management information relating to a range of health issues
and life stages. The Clearinghouse will provide one-window
access to expertise and knowledge found in HC, other federal
agencies, provinces and territories, non-government
organizations, universities and the private sector. The
intent is not for the federal government to digitize all its
health information but to include referrals and links to
local or provincial organizations as appropriate.
Another example is the National Library of
Canada’s service, Canadian Information by Subject,
available at the Library’s Web site. The objective of
this service is to provide links to information about Canada,
arranged by subject, from Internet resources around the
world. The service is updated regularly and is constantly
developing and expanding.
- 2.5 Interdepartmental partnering on digitization
projects should be encouraged because it will build on the
existing strengths of departmentsand ensure
complementarity and the sharing of resources.
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- Preservation
2.6 In the selection of materials for digitization
it is recommended that digitization be viewed primarily as a
dissemination initiative rather than a preservation initiative.
The National Archives of Canada and the National Library of
Canada should, according to their respective legislative
mandates, continue to develop policies, procedures and guidelines
for the preservation of digital materials and make these
available to other federal institutions. This recommendation is
complementary to Recommendation 4.6 under Identification of
Standards and Best Practices.
- Digitization should not be seen as the solution to
problems of preservation. While in some cases it has a role
to play in providing copies for use in order to prevent wear
on originals, the archival and library community does not
feel that digitization is the answer for long-term
preservation. A push towards digitization should not obscure
the need for the continuance of existing preservation,
archiving and collection activities.
Digital information is less stable than analogue and
fixed-media materials, in large part because of the rapidly
changing nature of digital formats and of the software and
hardware required to read digital images. The rapid pace of
change creates a need to provide continuing resources for the
migration of data to other formats. Researching preservation
standards and best practices, as proposed in
Recommendation 4.6 under Standards and Best Practices,
will assist departments in maintaining and preserving their
digital resources until such time as they are transferred to
the National Library or the National Archives.
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