​Put your collections at their fingertips. Your institution faces increasing challenges daily. How can you best preserve your collections for future audiences? How can you be assured that your digital practices are based on the best possible information? How can you make sure your staff has the most current and timely training in a rapidly changing technology environment? LYRASIS can help. We understand how important it is to use the best possible tools for your digitization projects. We are here to show you new technologies and products, share experience and best practices from leading practitioners in the field and train your staff to expertly plan, create and preserve your digital files.

Before you start on a digital project, take the time to assess your purpose, your audience, the collections to be digitized, and opportunities the project offers. Use the “Getting Started Questionnaire” to find a list of questions to consider when designing any digitization project, and use the resources in digitization and other sections in this toolbox to help create guidelines at your institution.

​Getting Started

Technical guidelines and background information for building digital collections from the American Memory Project at the Library of Congress

The National Information Standards Organization recommended practice for building good digital collections. Outlines principles for good digital collections and links to resources for specifications and best practices.

This publication includes information on how to choose collections to digitize in research libraries, based on factors of copyright, use, format, and more. It includes a decision-making matrix to weigh different factors in selection. 

Archives

Botanical Gardens

Resources for botanic gardens were gathered when Digital Services Consultant Leigh Grinstead worked with the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Rocky Mountain Herbarium at the University of Wyoming, the University of Colorado Museum Herbarium and the Colorado State University Herbarium as part of an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) planning grant. The four institutions compiled a series of resources from around the country about digital imaging protocols for specimen imaging, metadata schemas and collections development documents. The information resources were pulled together over the course of a year and are listed here so that more institutions may have access to these valuable materials in one central location.

Historical Societies

Museums

More Information​