Best Practices in Digital Asset Management for Electronic Texts in Academic Research Libraries
William A Cleland · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · 2007
Digital information is becoming increasingly prevalent and libraries must develop new strategies to effectively archive electronic materials.Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify and synthesize best practices of digital asset management of electronic texts in academic research libraries.The study was a "snapshot" of major topics related to digital asset management.Minimal research has been conducted to identify best practices in this field when compared to the amount of research that has been conducted for the print domain.The main issues that are seen in existing literature are digital materials selection, funding, digital rights management (DRM), and information authenticity.Several major trends also arose from the literature, including digital library architecture, metadata standards and search strategies, and bibliographic management software.A modified Delphi study was used to gather qualitative data from librarians at several institutions within the Association of Research Libraries (ARL).Eight librarians from several ARL institutions participated in two E-mail questionnaires.Participants were selected by identifying research-extensive libraries on the ARL website and selecting potential participants based on their job titles.Data was analyzed by identifying major themes and patterns that arose in the individual responses.Participants all possessed baccalaureate degrees, but had varied educational backgrounds, representing fields such as computer science, history, humanities, and natural sciences.Most of of Dr. Paul Cesarini.Without his cutting-edge instruction, patient guidance, and persistence, I would not have been able to maintain a scholarly approach to my research.I would also like to thank Linda Brown for her thorough knowledge and experience in the area of my research, as well as for her willingness and interest in my topic.Also, without Dr.Kathryn Hoff's commitment to research excellence and her easily approachable nature, I would have been at a loss for much of this study.She has also been a fantastic friend and neighbor over the years and demands my respect and appreciation.I am thankful for all the hard work and dedication all my committee members have put forth to help me in my research, and would not have been able to compose this paper without them.I would like to thank Dr. Donna Trautman and Kim Strickland for their excellent leadership, knowledge, and assistance during my graduate program.Dr. Carol Engler, my assistantship supervisor, has been a trustworthy and discerning advocate for my success as a graduate student.She has truly been an anchor who helped me hone my skills