Archives
In this chapter, we
provide an overview of the archives data and a
detailed description of certain survey question
responses by archives size.
1.
ARCHIVES OVERVIEW
1.1
Technology Overview
-
Availability of funding:
Of all archives surveyed, 76.5 percent report
having received funding for technology in
the past 12 months, and 67.3 percent expect
to receive funds for the next 12 months.
-
Adequacy of technology
funding: Overall, 51.8 percent of archives
report that the majority of their technology
needs are adequately funded; 30.9 percent
report that 25 percent or less of their technology
needs are adequately funded.
-
Maintaining and adding
technologies: All archives, regardless
of size, agree that their institutions are
able to maintain their current levels of technology,
but they are neutral on their institutions'
ability to add new uses of technology to meet
evolving needs.
-
Technology capacity:
Overall, 54.8 percent of archives report that
they have the capacity to meet or almost meet
their missions.
-
Technologies in use:
Almost all archives use basic computer technologies:
e-mail is used by 99.0 percent of all archives;
office productivity software is used by 98.1
percent; and desktop computers are used by
96.2 percent. In addition, 95.2 percent of
all archives have Web sites. Also used widely
by all archives are the following:
•
LANs (local area networks), used by 82.5 percent.
•
Broadband Internet connections, used by 78.6 percent.
•
Computerized catalog of library or other collections,
used by 72.5 percent.
•
Accounting/payroll/human resources software, used
by 70.0 percent.
- Staff for technology activities:
The majority of archives (79.4%), regardless
of size, do not have enough skilled staff to
perform their technology activities.
-
Needs assessment: Only
14.7 percent of archives report that they conduct
assessments of user or visitor needs for technology-supported
services or experiences at their institutions.
Among the archives that do conduct assessments,
medium archives are the most active, with 19.2
percent conducting such assessments.
1.2 Digitization
- Digitization policies: Overall, fewer
than half of all archives have digitization
policies in place across the range of policy
areas. Large archives demonstrate some strong
policy efforts; 70.8 percent of large archives
have policies in place related to access and
70.8 percent have policies relating to digital
formats.
- Funding for digitization activities:
Overall, 57.4 percent of archives had funding
for digitization over the last 12 months.
Three-quarters of all large archives (75.0%)
had funding for digitization, whereas only
64.0 percent of medium and 46.2 percent of
small archives did. In the next 12 months,
59.0 percent of all archives expect to receive
funding for digitization activities.
- Digitization priorities: Digitizing
photographs is a top priority for 65.0 percent
of all archives surveyed; digitizing historical
documents/archives is important to 59.0 percent
of archives; and digitizing images of items
in their collections is a top priority for
20.0 percent of archives.
- Materials and images digitized: Archives
are active digitizers. Overall, 45.0 percent
of archives digitized 1 to 500 items and 12.0
percent digitized more than 25,000 items in
the past 12 months. Only 6.0 percent of archives
report having digitized no items in the past
12 months.
- Materials or images still to be digitized:
Across all archives, 64.2 percent report having
more than 25,000 items left to digitize, including
95.7 percent of all large archives. Only 2.1
percent of archives report having no items
still to digitize; these are all small archives.
- Undertaking digitization activities:
Of all archives surveyed, 70.4 perform digitization
activities by training current staff; 27.6
percent perform these activities by reassigning
staff; 39.8 percent use volunteers to perform
digitization activities; 16.3 percent use
commercial vendors off-site; 14.3 percent
hire new institutional staff; and 13.3 percent
use contractual staff in-house.
- Making digital images available:
The majority of archives (81.6%), regardless
of size, make some or all of their digital
image collections available to the public.
Access is provided via the Web by 66.3 percent
and on-site by 57.0 percent of archives. The
top three target audiences for digital images
among all archives are the general public
who have Internet access (71.4%), other researchers
and scholars (60.2%), and on-site visitors
(44.9%).
- Needs assessment: The majority of
archives (94.9%), regardless of size, do not
conduct assessments of user or visitor needs
for digitized materials and images in their
institutions.
- Collaboration: When archives collaborate
to perform digitization activities, 41.9 percent
turn to State library agencies, 41.9 percent
turn to academic libraries, and 25.8 percent
collaborate with historical societies.
- Capability for digitization activities:
On a scale of 1 (deficient) to 5 (fully capable),
large archives rate themselves more capable
than do small and medium archives. For large
archives, "staff skills and expertise" and
"equipment and software" (3.7) are the strongest
categories. Among all archives, funding is
the weakest category (1.9).
- Hindrances to digitization: Using
a scale of 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly
disagree), archives rate "lack of staff time"
(1.6), "lack of funds" (1.6), and "other projects
have higher priorities" (2.0) as the strongest
hindrances to their digitization activities.
2.
ARCHIVES SIZE ANALYSES
This section highlights the difference
between small, medium, and large archives based
on their budget size and discusses issues related
to technology and digitization comparing how
these issues differ among the three size categories.
To determine the small, medium, and large categories,
we use the archives survey question C on archives
annual budget size.
| FIGURE
1. ARCHIVES SIZE ANALYSES |
| Size of Archives' Annual Budget (2004) |
Budget Category |
| Less than $250,000 |
Small |
$250,001-$500,000
$500,001-$750,000 |
Medium |
$750,001-$1,000,000
$1,000,001-$5,000,000
$5,000,001-$10,000,000
$10,000,001-$25,000,000
More than $25,000,000 |
Large |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question C; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
2.1 Demographics
A total of 117 archives participated
in the survey. Two surveys were removed from
the analyses due to a large amount of incomplete
data, resulting in a final sample size of 115.
However, not all archives participants responded
to every question, so the sample sizes in the
tables below might be slightly lower than 115.
In addition, some tables are broken down by
size of archives while others are presented
on the whole, which may result in different
sample sizes for different tables.
Type of
Archival Institution
Figure 2 shows the type of archives
that responded to the survey. The majority of
archives (58%) were not-for-profit.
| FIGURE
2. TYPE OF ARCHIVAL INSTITUTION |
| Type |
Small (n=59) |
Medium (n=27) |
Large (n=27) |
Total (n=113) |
| Federal government archives
|
6.8% |
0.0% |
3.7% |
4.4% |
| State government archives |
3.4% |
29.6% |
59.3% |
23.0% |
| Local government archives
(e.g., county, municipal) |
18.6% |
18.5% |
0.0% |
14.2% |
| Not-for-profit |
71.2% |
51.9% |
33.3% |
57.5% |
| For-profit |
0.0% |
0.0% |
3.7% |
0.9% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question A; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Affiliated Institutions
Figure 3 shows the affiliation
of the archives in the survey. More than one-third
of archives report that they are affiliated
with another type of organization, while almost
one-quarter report that they are separate or
independent archives, and about one-fifth report
that they are affiliated with a historical society.
| FIGURE
3. AFFILIATED INSTITUTIONS |
| Type |
Small (n=58) |
Medium (n=27) |
Large (n=26) |
Total (n=116) |
| Affiliated with a college
or university |
1.7% |
3.7% |
3.8% |
2.7% |
| Affiliated with a museum |
12.1% |
11.1% |
3.8% |
9.9% |
| Affiliated with a library |
8.6% |
7.4% |
0.0% |
6.3% |
| Affiliated with a historical society |
15.5% |
25.9% |
15.4% |
18.0% |
| Affiliated with other
type of organization |
43.1% |
33.3% |
38.5% |
39.6% |
| Separate/independent archives |
19.0% |
18.5% |
38.5% |
23.4% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question B; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Budget
Figure 4 shows the annual budget
reported by archives. More than half of the
archives reported an annual budget of $250,000
or less.
| FIGURE
4. PERCENTAGE OF ARCHIVES WITH EACH SIZE
ANNUAL BUDGET |
| Budget |
Percent (n=115) |
| Less than $250,000 |
53.0% |
| $250,001-$500,000 |
20.0% |
| $500,001-$750,000 |
3.5% |
| $750,001-$1,000,000 |
7.0% |
| $1,000,001-$5,000,000 |
11.3% |
| $5,000,001-$10,000,000 |
3.5% |
| $10,000,001-$25,000,000 |
0.9% |
| More than $25,000,000 |
0.9% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question C; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Staff Size
Figure 5 shows the percentage
of full-time staff reported by archives. The
majority of archives (60.7%) report having fewer
than five full-time staff.
| FIGURE
5. PERCENTAGE OF ARCHIVES WITH EACH SIZE
CURRENT PAID, FULL-TIME-EQUIVALENT STAFF
|
| Staff Size |
Percent (n=115) |
| Less than 5 |
60.7% |
| 6-10 |
15.4% |
| 11-25 |
12.8% |
| 26-75 |
9.4% |
| 76-150 |
0.9% |
| 151-250 |
0.0% |
| 251-500 |
0.0% |
| 501-1,000 |
0.0% |
| 1,001-1,500 |
0.0% |
| More than 1,500 |
0.9% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question D; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
2.2 Technology
Technology Funding
Seventy-seven percent of all archives
report having funding for technology in the
past 12 months, and 67.3 percent expect to receive
funding for the next 12 months.
| FIGURE
6. FUNDING FOR TECHNOLOGY |
| Response Option |
Small (n=60) |
Medium (n=27) |
Large (n=26) |
Total (n=113) |
| In the past
12 months, did your institution have funding
for technology? |
| Yes |
63.9% |
88.9% |
92.6% |
76.5% |
| No |
31.1% |
7.4% |
7.4% |
20.0% |
| Don't know/Not applicable |
4.9% |
3.7% |
0.0% |
3.5% |
| In the
next 12 months, do you plan to have funding
for your technology? |
| Yes |
60.0% |
74.1% |
76.9% |
67.3% |
| No |
20.0% |
3.7% |
7.7% |
13.3% |
| Don't know/Not applicable |
20.0% |
22.2% |
15.4% |
19.5% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey questions 1 and 2; respondents were
asked to select only one option.
Adequate Funding of Technology
Needs
Across all archives, about one-third
report that 1 to 25 percent of their technology
needs are adequately funded. Almost one-quarter
of small archives report that 100 percent of
their technology needs are adequately funded.
| FIGURE
7. PERCENTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY NEEDS THAT ARE
ADEQUATELY FUNDED |
| Response Option |
Small (n=59) |
Medium (n=26) |
Large (n=25) |
Total (n=110) |
| 0% |
8.5% |
3.8% |
0.0% |
5.5% |
| 1-25% |
33.9% |
30.8% |
24.0% |
30.9% |
| 26-50% |
13.6% |
11.5% |
8.0% |
11.8% |
| 51-75% |
13.6% |
26.9% |
24.0% |
19.1% |
| 76-99% |
8.5% |
23.1% |
36.0% |
18.2% |
| 100% |
22.0% |
3.8% |
8.0% |
14.5% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 3; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Maintaining and Adding Technology
Figure 8 shows the mean ratings
of an institution's ability to maintain or add
technology based on a 5-point scale, with "1"
meaning strongly agree and "5" meaning strongly
disagree. Therefore, ratings less than 2.5 indicate
agreement, ratings between 2.5 and 3.5 indicate
neither agreement nor disagreement, and ratings
greater than 3.5 indicate disagreement.
All archives agree that their
institutions are able to maintain their current
levels of technology, but they are neutral about
their institutions' ability to add new uses
of technology to meet evolving needs.
| FIGURE
8. ABILITY TO MAINTAIN AND ADD TECHNOLOGY
|
| My institution is able to: |
Small (n=56) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=105) |
| Maintain its current
level of technology |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.2 |
2.4 |
| Add new uses of technology to meet evolving
needs |
3.4 |
3.0 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 4. The scale for this question
was 1, meaning strongly agree, to 5, meaning
strongly disagree.
Extent of Technology Capacity
The majority of archives, regardless
of size, either currently have the technology
capacity necessary to meet their mission or
have almost enough capacity to meet their mission.
Forty percent (40.3%) report that their technology
capacity is short of meeting their mission or
does not meet their mission.
| FIGURE
9. TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY TO MEET MISSION |
| Response Option |
Small (n=57) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=106) |
| Currently meets our
mission |
25.0% |
22.6% |
22.2% |
23.7% |
| Almost meets our mission |
27.9% |
35.5% |
32.3% |
31.1% |
| Is short of meeting
our mission |
27.5% |
35.5% |
40.4% |
32.8% |
| Does not meet our mission |
10.3% |
5.6% |
4.0% |
7.5% |
| Don't know/Not applicable |
9.3% |
0.8% |
1.0% |
4.9% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 5; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Technologies Used in Past 12
Months
Almost all archives (99.0%), regardless
of size, used e-mail in the past 12 months.
In addition, 98.1 percent used office productivity
software, 96.2 percent used desktop computers,
and 95.2 percent had Web sites.
| FIGURE
10. ARCHIVES THAT USED THE FOLLOWING TECHNOLOGIES
IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS |
| Technology |
Small (n=55) |
Medium (n=26) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=105) |
| Accounting/payroll/human
resources software |
55.7% |
85.7% |
96.0% |
70.0% |
| Broadband Internet connection |
71.4% |
87.5% |
91.7% |
78.6% |
| Computerized catalog
of library or other collections |
62.3% |
73.3% |
96.2% |
72.5% |
| Computerized collections management system |
50.0% |
70.6% |
92.0% |
63.7% |
| Database software or
system for membership development |
46.8% |
56.3% |
70.8% |
53.9% |
| Desktop computers |
93.7% |
100.0% |
100.0% |
96.2% |
| E-mail |
98.4% |
100.0% |
100.0% |
99.0% |
| GIS (geographic information systems) applications
|
6.9% |
25.0% |
17.4% |
12.4% |
| Integrated library system
(ILS) |
10.5% |
26.7% |
45.8% |
21.9% |
| Intranet |
45.8% |
80.0% |
75.0% |
58.2% |
| LAN (local area network)
|
73.8% |
94.1% |
96.0% |
82.5% |
| Marketing and promotion software and systems
|
6.8% |
13.3% |
34.8% |
14.4% |
| Meta- or federated searching
in online collections and catalogs |
13.3% |
33.3% |
33.3% |
21.2% |
| Modem-based Internet connection (dial-up
access) |
26.7% |
25.0% |
20.8% |
25.0% |
| Multimedia services
or collections |
30.5% |
26.7% |
56.5% |
36.1% |
| Notebook or tablet computers |
35.0% |
60.0% |
72.0% |
48.0% |
| Office productivity
software, including word processing, desktop
publishing, and spreadsheets |
96.8% |
100.0% |
100.0% |
98.1% |
| PDAs (personal digital assistant handheld
devices, e.g., Palm Pilots) |
24.1% |
13.3% |
20.8% |
21.6% |
| Personal information
management (PIM) software |
10.2% |
13.3% |
13.0% |
11.3% |
| Point-of-sale software and systems |
11.7% |
40.0% |
33.3% |
21.2% |
| RFID (radio frequency
identification) in services or collections
|
0.0% |
0.0% |
4.5% |
1.1% |
| Software to manage public-access computers
and printing |
10.3% |
20.0% |
58.3% |
23.7% |
| Video tours |
6.9% |
6.7% |
4.2% |
6.2% |
| Virtual reality tours |
3.6% |
6.7% |
4.2% |
4.2% |
| Web portal or gateway
for services or collections |
22.4% |
60.0% |
75.0% |
41.2% |
| Web site for your institution |
92.1% |
100.0% |
100.0% |
95.2% |
| Wireless network, including
WiFi |
8.6% |
42.9% |
24.0% |
17.5% |
| Other |
0.0% |
0.0% |
50.0% |
8.0% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 6; respondents were asked
to select all that apply.
The majority of small archives
(56.4%) used between 6 and 10 technologies in
the past 12 months, while all medium and large
archives used between 6 and 20 technologies.
| FIGURE
11. PERCENTAGE OF ARCHIVES THAT USED THE
FOLLOWING NUMBER OF TECHNOLOGIES IN THE
PAST 12 MONTHS |
| Number |
Small (n=55) |
Medium (n=26) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=105) |
| 0 |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
| 1-5 |
12.6% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
6.7% |
| 6-10 |
56.4% |
30.8% |
8.3% |
39.0% |
| 11-15 |
25.5% |
38.4% |
37.5% |
31.4% |
| 16-20 |
5.5% |
30.8% |
54.2% |
22.9% |
| 21 or more |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 6.
Staff Capabilities
Overall, more than three-fourths
of archives (79.4%) report that they do not
have enough skilled staff to accomplish their
technology activities.
| FIGURE
12. EXTENT TO WHICH ARCHIVES HAVE SUFFICIENT
SKILLED STAFF TO ACCOMPLISH TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES
|
| Response Option Budget |
Small (n=52) |
Medium (n=26) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=102) |
| We do not have enough
skilled staff to accomplish our technology
activities. |
80.8% |
76.9% |
79.2% |
79.4% |
| We have the right amount of skilled staff
to accomplish our technology activities. |
15.4% |
19.2% |
12.5% |
15.7% |
| We have more than enough
skilled staff to accomplish our technology
activities. |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
| Other (please list) |
1.9% |
3.8% |
8.3% |
3.9% |
| Don't know/Not applicable |
1.9% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
1.0% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 10; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Needs Assessments
More medium and large archives
(19.2 and 16.7%, respectively) conduct assessments
of user or visitor needs for technology-supported
services or experiences at their institutions
than small archives (11.5%).
| FIGURE
13. CONDUCT NEEDS ASSESSMENTS FOR TECHNOLOGY-SUPPORTED
SERVICES |
| Response Option |
Small (n=52) |
Medium (n=26) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=102) |
| Yes |
11.5% |
19.2% |
16.7% |
14.7% |
| No |
86.5% |
73.1% |
83.3% |
82.4% |
| Don't know/Not applicable
|
1.9% |
7.7% |
0.0% |
2.9% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 12; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
2.3 Digitization
Digitization Policies
In general, a greater number of
large archives have digitization policies in
place than medium or small archives. The most
prevalent digitization policies among all archives
are those for access (45.5% of archives), digital
format (40.4%), and security (26.5%). The least
prevalent policies include those for evaluation
(9.2% of archives) and conversion of digital
files to next-generation formats (11.1%). Overall,
the data show that even the most prevalent policies
are in place in fewer than half of all archives.
| FIGURE
14. DIGITIZATION POLICIES IN PLACE |
| Priority |
Small (n=49) |
Medium (n=26) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=99) |
| Access |
36.7% |
38.5% |
70.8% |
45.5% |
| Best practices |
10.4% |
30.8% |
29.2% |
20.4% |
| Conversion of digital
files to next-generation formats |
8.2% |
11.5% |
16.7% |
11.1% |
| Digital format (e.g., TIFF, GIF, PAL) |
28.6% |
34.6% |
70.8% |
40.4% |
| Evaluation |
0.0% |
16.0% |
20.8% |
9.2% |
| Institutional repository |
14.3% |
25.0% |
16.7% |
17.5% |
| Intellectual property
issues |
10.2% |
23.1% |
37.5% |
20.2% |
| Materials to be digitized |
8.2% |
19.2% |
33.3% |
17.2% |
| Priorities for digitization |
14.6% |
19.2% |
34.8% |
20.6% |
| Preservation |
22.4% |
26.9% |
20.8% |
23.2% |
| Quality control |
10.2% |
23.1% |
50.0% |
23.2% |
| Standards |
10.2% |
19.2% |
50.0% |
22.2% |
| Metadata |
8.2% |
15.4% |
41.7% |
18.2% |
| Security |
18.8% |
26.9% |
41.7% |
26.5% |
| Other |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
Note: Data are based on response
to survey question 16; respondents were asked
to select all that apply.
Digitization Funding
A greater number of large archives
(75.0%) had funding to support their digitization
activities in the past 12 months than medium
and small archives (64.0 and 46.2%, respectively).
| FIGURE
15. FUNDING TO SUPPORT DIGITIZATION ACTIVITIES
|
| Response Option |
Small (n=51) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=100) |
| In the past
12 months, did your institution have funding
to support your digitization activities? |
| Yes |
46.2% |
64.0% |
75.0% |
57.4% |
| No |
46.2% |
32.0% |
25.0% |
37.6% |
| Don't know/Not applicable |
7.7% |
4.0% |
0.0% |
5.0% |
| In the next
12 months, do you plan to obtain funding
to support your digitization activities? |
| Yes |
45.1% |
80.0% |
66.7% |
59.0% |
| No |
29.4% |
4.0% |
12.5% |
19.0% |
| Don't know/Not applicable |
25.5% |
16.0% |
20.8% |
22.0% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey questions 18 and 19; respondents were
asked to select only one option.
Materials for Digitization
Photographs, historical documents/archives,
and manuscripts are the three kinds of materials
that archives most commonly digitize. Of all
archives surveyed, 17.5 percent report having
digitized photographs, 11.6 percent report having
digitized historical documents/archives, and
7.4 percent report having digitized manuscripts.
| FIGURE
16. MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN DIGITIZED IN
THE PAST 12 MONTHS OR ARE CURRENTLY BEING
DIGITIZED |
| Material |
Small (n=51) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=100) |
| Correspondence, diaries,
and other personal records |
4.2% |
4.2% |
14.3% |
6.5% |
| Course material |
2.2% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
1.1% |
| Education and training
material about the collections |
2.1% |
0.0% |
4.5% |
2.2% |
| Films, videotapes |
6.5% |
4.2% |
9.1% |
6.5% |
| Government publications
|
0.0% |
0.0% |
4.5% |
1.1% |
| Historical documents/archives |
12.5% |
8.0% |
13.6% |
11.6% |
| Images of items in the
collections (e.g., art work, artifacts,
furniture, plants, animals) |
8.2% |
4.3% |
4.8% |
6.5% |
| Information on the institution |
4.2% |
8.3% |
4.8% |
5.4% |
| Journals and other serials
|
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
| Manuscripts |
8.3% |
4.0% |
9.5% |
7.4% |
| Maps |
4.3% |
8.3% |
10.0% |
6.6% |
| Music and other recorded sound |
0.0% |
4.3% |
4.8% |
2.2% |
| Newspapers |
2.2% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
1.1% |
| Photographs |
20.4% |
20.0% |
8.7% |
17.5% |
| Rare books |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
| Records about the collection |
2.1% |
4.2% |
4.5% |
3.2% |
| Sheet music |
2.1% |
0.0% |
4.8% |
2.2% |
| Special exhibits |
6.3% |
4.2% |
9.1% |
6.4% |
| Theses and dissertations |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
| Other (please list) |
0.0% |
0.0% |
25.0% |
5.0% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 20; respondents were asked
to select all that apply.
Primary Digitization Priorities
The top two digitization priorities
for all archives, regardless of size, are as
follows:
- Photographs: 65.0 percent of all archives
considered this a digitization priority.
- Historical documents/archives: 59.0 percent
identified this category as a digitization
priority.
Images of items in the collections
are the third highest digitization priority
for small archives, while maps are the third
highest digitization priority for medium and
large archives.
| FIGURE
17. DIGITIZATION PRIORITIES |
| Priority |
Small (n=51) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=100) |
| Correspondence, diaries,
and other personal records |
9.8% |
12.0% |
12.5% |
11.0% |
| Course material |
2.0% |
8.0% |
4.2% |
4.0% |
| Education and training
material about the collections |
7.8% |
0.0% |
8.3% |
6.0% |
| Films, videotapes |
9.8% |
12.0% |
12.5% |
11.0% |
| Government publications
|
0.0% |
4.0% |
0.0% |
1.0% |
| Historical documents/archives |
56.9% |
64.0% |
58.3% |
59.0% |
| Images of items in the
collections (e.g., art work, artifacts,
furniture, plants, animals) |
29.4% |
8.0% |
12.5% |
20.0% |
| Information on the institution |
13.7% |
8.0% |
0.0% |
9.0% |
| Journals and other serials
|
7.8% |
8.0% |
0.0% |
6.0% |
| Manuscripts |
15.7% |
16.0% |
16.7% |
16.0% |
| Maps |
9.8% |
28.0% |
29.2% |
19.0% |
| Music and other recorded sound |
5.9% |
4.0% |
4.2% |
5.0% |
| Newspapers |
5.9% |
16.0% |
4.2% |
8.0% |
| Photographs |
58.8% |
80.0% |
62.5% |
65.0% |
| Rare books |
3.9% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
2.0% |
| Records about the collection |
15.7% |
16.0% |
4.2% |
13.0% |
| Sheet music |
2.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
1.0% |
| Special exhibits |
2.0% |
8.0% |
8.3% |
5.0% |
| Theses and dissertations |
0.0% |
4.0% |
0.0% |
1.0% |
| Other (please list) |
5.9% |
0.0% |
16.7% |
7.0% |
| Don't know/Not applicable
|
7.8% |
0.0% |
4.2% |
5.0% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 22; respondents were asked
to select their institution's top three priorities.
Number of Digital Materials
Created in the Past 12 Months
The majority of small archives
(56.9%) created between 1 and 500 digital materials
or images in the past 12 months, whereas the
majority of medium and large archives (56.0
and 54.2%, respectively) created between 1 and
1,000 digital materials or images in the past
12 months.
| FIGURE
18. NUMBER OF DIGITAL MATERIALS OR IMAGES
CREATED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS |
| Number |
Small (n=51) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=100) |
| 0 |
7.8% |
4.0% |
4.2% |
6.0% |
| 1-500 |
56.9% |
36.0% |
29.2% |
45.0% |
| 501-1,000 |
11.8% |
20.0% |
25.0% |
17.0% |
| 1,001-5,000 |
7.8% |
12.0% |
20.8% |
12.0% |
| 5,001-10,000 |
3.9% |
8.0% |
4.2% |
5.0% |
| 10,001-25,000 |
0.0% |
4.0% |
8.3% |
3.0% |
| More than 25,000 |
11.8% |
16.0% |
8.3% |
12.0% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 23; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Number of Additional Images
Remaining to Be Digitized
Overall, 64.2 percent of all archives
have more than 25,000 digital materials or images
left to be digitized. Among small archives,
4.1 percent report that they have no materials
or images to digitize.
| FIGURE
19. NUMBER OF DIGITAL MATERIALS OR IMAGES
LEFT TO BE CREATED |
| Number |
Small (n=49) |
Medium (n=23) |
Large (n=23) |
Total (n=95) |
| 0 |
4.1% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
2.1% |
| 1-500 |
6.1% |
8.7% |
4.3% |
6.3% |
| 501-1,000 |
8.2% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
4.2% |
| 1,001-5,000 |
14.3% |
8.7% |
0.0% |
9.5% |
| 5,001-10,000 |
16.3% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
8.4% |
| 10,001-25,000 |
8.2% |
4.3% |
0.0% |
5.3% |
| More than 25,000 |
42.9% |
78.3% |
95.7% |
64.2% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 24; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Undertaking Digitization Activities
More than two-thirds of archives
undertake their digitization activities by training
current staff to perform these activities; 39.8
percent of them use volunteers.
| FIGURE
20. UNDERTAKING DIGITIZATION ACTIVITIES
|
| Response Option Budget |
Small (n=49) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=98) |
| Contractual staff were
hired to perform these activities in-house.
|
6.1% |
20.0% |
20.8% |
13.3% |
| New institutional staff were hired to
perform these activities. |
10.2% |
16.0% |
20.8% |
14.3% |
| Current staff were trained
to perform these activities. |
67.3% |
76.0% |
70.8% |
70.4% |
| Current staff were reassigned to perform
these activities. |
26.5% |
28.0% |
29.2% |
27.6% |
| Volunteers perform these
activities. |
49.0% |
20.0% |
41.7% |
39.8% |
| These activities are performed by commercial
vendors off-site. |
20.4% |
8.0% |
16.7% |
16.3% |
| Materials are digitized
off-site at another institution's digitization
center. |
4.1% |
8.0% |
4.2% |
5.1% |
| Other (please list) |
2.0% |
8.0% |
12.5% |
6.1% |
| Don't know/Not applicable
|
8.2% |
4.0% |
0.0% |
5.1% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 26; respondents were asked
to select all that apply.
The Availability of Digital
Image Collections to the Public
Overall, 81.6 percent of archives
make some or all of their digital image collections
available to the public.
| FIGURE
21. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF DIGITAL IMAGE
COLLECTIONS |
| Response Option |
Small (n=49) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=98) |
| Yes, some of our digital
image collections are available to the public.
|
57.1% |
64.0% |
58.3% |
59.2% |
| Yes, all of our digital image collections
are available to the public. |
20.4% |
20.0% |
29.2% |
22.4% |
| No, our digital image
collections are not available to the public.
|
10.2% |
12.0% |
12.5% |
11.2% |
| Don't know/Not applicable |
12.2% |
4.0% |
0.0% |
7.1% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 27; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
How Digital Image Collections
Are Made Available
Of the large archives that make
their digital image collections available to
the public, almost all make their collections
available on the Web, while almost half make
their collections available on the premises
on their computer networks (LANs).
Of the small and medium archives
that make their digital image collections available
to the public, slightly more make them available
on the premises on their computer networks (LANs)
than on the Web.
| FIGURE
22. HOW DIGITAL IMAGE COLLECTIONS ARE MADE
AVAILABLE |
| Response Option |
Small (n=43) |
Medium (n=22) |
Large (n=21) |
Total (n=86) |
| On the premises on our
computer network (LAN) |
55.8% |
68.2% |
47.6% |
57.0% |
| On the Web |
53.5% |
63.6% |
95.2% |
66.3% |
| Through a third party
|
7.0% |
9.1% |
9.5% |
8.1% |
| Don't know/Not applicable |
16.3% |
4.5% |
0.0% |
9.3% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 28; respondents were asked
to select all that apply. Table only includes
respondents who reported that they make some
or all of their digital image collections available
to the public.
Target Audience
Of all archives surveyed, 71.4
percent identified the general public who have
Internet access as their target audience for
access to digital images, 60.2 percent identified
other researchers and scholars as their target
audience, and 44.9 percent identified on-site
visitors as their target audience for access
to digital images.
| FIGURE
23. TARGET AUDIENCE |
| Response Option Budget |
Small (n=49) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=98) |
| General public who have
Internet access |
67.3% |
60.0% |
91.7% |
71.4% |
| On-site visitors at our institution |
44.9% |
64.0% |
25.0% |
44.9% |
| Members (e.g., library
card holders, museum members) |
22.4% |
28.0% |
8.3% |
20.4% |
| Our staff |
44.9% |
48.0% |
29.2% |
41.8% |
| Consortia/partners |
6.1% |
4.0% |
4.2% |
5.1% |
| Researchers/scholars at our institution
|
28.6% |
20.0% |
20.8% |
24.5% |
| Faculty at our institution
|
4.1% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
2.0% |
| Educators not part of our institution
|
6.1% |
8.0% |
20.8% |
10.2% |
| Students at our institution
|
6.1% |
4.0% |
0.0% |
4.1% |
| Students at affiliated institutions |
4.1% |
8.0% |
0.0% |
4.1% |
| Alumni |
2.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
1.0% |
| Other researchers and scholars |
57.1% |
56.0% |
70.8% |
60.2% |
| Other |
0.0% |
0.0% |
16.7% |
4.1% |
| Don't know/Not applicable |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 33; respondents were asked
to select their institution's top three target
audiences.
Needs Assessments
Most archives (94.9%) do not conduct
assessments of user or visitor needs for digitized
materials and images.
| FIGURE
24. CONDUCT NEEDS ASSESSMENTS FOR DIGITIZED
MATERIALS |
| Response Option |
Small (n=49) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=98) |
| Yes |
2.0% |
4.0% |
4.2% |
3.1% |
| No |
95.9% |
92.0% |
95.8% |
94.9% |
| Don't know/Not applicable
|
2.0% |
4.0% |
0.0% |
2.0% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 35; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Collaboration
Nearly one-third (32.7%) of all
archives collaborate (through specific partnering
agreements) with other institutions and organizations
to digitize materials.
|
FIGURE 25. COLLABORATION TO DIGITIZE MATERIALS
|
| Response Option |
Small (n=49) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=98) |
| Yes |
20.4% |
28.0% |
62.5% |
32.7% |
| No |
73.5% |
68.0% |
37.5% |
63.3% |
| Don't know/Not applicable
|
6.1% |
4.0% |
0.0% |
4.1% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 37; respondents were asked
to select only one option.
Of the archives that do collaborate
to digitize materials, 41.9 percent turn to
State library agencies, 41.9 percent turn to
academic libraries, and 25.8 percent collaborate
with historical societies.
| FIGURE
26. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS
AND ORGANIZATIONS |
| Response Option |
Small (n=9) |
Medium (n=7) |
Large (n=15) |
Total (n=31) |
| State library agencies
|
33.3% |
42.9% |
46.7% |
41.9% |
| Academic libraries |
55.6% |
28.6% |
40.0% |
41.9% |
| Individual public libraries
|
44.4% |
14.3% |
0.0% |
16.1% |
| Private libraries |
11.1% |
14.3% |
0.0% |
6.5% |
| Museums |
44.4% |
14.3% |
13.3% |
22.6% |
| Consortia |
0.0% |
14.3% |
26.7% |
16.1% |
| State archives |
22.2% |
0.0% |
6.7% |
9.7% |
| Special libraries |
22.2% |
0.0% |
13.3% |
12.9% |
| Historical societies
|
44.4% |
28.6% |
13.3% |
25.8% |
| Federal government agencies or archives
|
0.0% |
14.3% |
13.3% |
9.7% |
| Other state government
agencies |
0.0% |
14.3% |
26.7% |
16.1% |
| City, municipal, or other local government
agencies or archives |
22.2% |
14.3% |
0.0% |
9.7% |
| Universities and colleges
|
22.2% |
14.3% |
26.7% |
22.6% |
| Community organizations |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
| Private companies |
0.0% |
0.0% |
6.7% |
3.2% |
| Foundations |
0.0% |
0.0% |
13.3% |
6.5% |
| State library associations
|
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
| State museum associations |
0.0% |
14.3% |
0.0% |
3.2% |
| Other professional associations
|
0.0% |
14.3% |
0.0% |
3.2% |
| Other |
22.2% |
28.6% |
26.7% |
25.8% |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 37; respondents were asked
to select all that apply.
Capabilities in Initiating,
Accomplishing, and Sustaining Digitization Activities
At initiating, accomplishing,
and sustaining digitization activities, large
archives rate themselves as capable in all areas
except funding. Small archives rate themselves
as deficient in most areas.
Figure 27 shows the average ratings
of an institution's capability at initiating,
accomplishing, and sustaining digitization activities
based on a 5-point scale, with 1 meaning deficient
and 5 meaning fully capable. Therefore, ratings
less than 2.5 tend to indicate deficiency, and
ratings greater than 2.5 tend to indicate capability.
| FIGURE
27. CAPABILITY TO INITIATE, ACCOMPLISH,
AND SUSTAIN DIGITIZATION ACTIVITIES |
| Capability |
Small (n=49) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=98) |
| Staff skills and expertise
|
2.6 |
3.1 |
3.7 |
3.0 |
| Equipment and software |
2.4 |
2.8 |
3.7 |
2.8 |
| Funding |
1.7 |
1.8 |
2.3 |
1.9 |
| Established digitization plan |
1.9 |
2.3 |
2.7 |
2.2 |
| Established digitization
policies |
1.9 |
2.5 |
3.0 |
2.3 |
| Established quality standards |
1.9 |
2.7 |
3.4 |
2.5 |
| Established procedures
for preparation for creating digital images
|
2.0 |
2.6 |
3.2 |
2.5 |
| Established procedures for the management
of images and files |
2.2 |
2.8 |
3.2 |
2.6 |
| Other (please list)
|
1.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.3 |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 39; respondents were asked
to rate their institution's capability. The
scale for this question was 1, meaning deficient,
to 5, meaning fully capable.
Hindrances to Digitization
Activities
Archives (regardless of size)
most strongly agree that "lack of staff time,"
"lack of funds," and "other projects have higher
priorities" are hindrances to their digitization
activities. Small archives regard "lack of sufficient
equipment and/or software" as a hindrance.
| FIGURE
28. HINDRANCES TO DIGITIZATION ACTIVITIES
|
| Response Option |
Small (n=48) |
Medium (n=25) |
Large (n=24) |
Total (n=97) |
| Lack of staff time |
1.7 |
1.6 |
1.7 |
1.6 |
| Lack of staff skills and expertise |
2.0 |
2.8 |
3.0 |
2.5 |
| Lack of funds |
1.5 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
1.6 |
| Lack of sufficient equipment and/or software
|
1.9 |
2.2 |
3.0 |
2.3 |
| Lack of an established
digitization plan |
2.2 |
2.5 |
2.6 |
2.4 |
| Lack of established digitization policies
|
2.3 |
2.7 |
3.0 |
2.6 |
| Lack of established
quality standards |
2.3 |
2.8 |
3.2 2.7 |
| Lack of established policies and procedures
for preparation for materials for digitizing
|
2.4 |
2.8 |
3.1 |
2.7 |
| Lack of established
policies and procedures for the management
of images and files |
2.4 |
2.7 |
2.8 |
2.6 |
| Other projects have higher priorities
|
1.9 |
2.0 |
2.4 |
2.0 |
| Concern about intellectual
property issues |
3.0 |
2.6 |
3.3 |
3.0 |
| Security concerns |
3.1 |
3.0 |
3.6 |
3.2 |
| Not having collections
worth digitizing |
4.5 |
4.9 |
4.6 |
4.6 |
| Concern about costs of preservation and
management
| 2.1 |
2.4 |
2.6 |
2.3 |
| Management is unaware
of the benefits of digitization |
3.7 |
3.8 |
4.2 |
3.9 |
| Other (please list) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
Note: Data are based on responses
to survey question 40; respondents were asked
to rate each potential hindrance. The scale
for this question was 1, meaning strongly agree,
to 5, meaning strongly disagree.
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