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Collaboration in Digitization Programs for Equity

Writer's picture: Bryan BenilousBryan Benilous

Bryan Benilous’s new paper was recently published in the Journal of Digital Media Management. He notes key challenges in the digitization ecosystem, highlights some programs worth iterating and suggests a collaborative model to make the digitization landscape more equitable.


Practice paper

Collaboration in digitisation programmes for cost efficiencies and equitable access

Bryan Benilous Journal of Digital Media Management, 13 (2), 187-198 (2024) https://doi.org/10.69554/LTOS9688


Abstract


Over the past quarter-century, massive digitisation programmes have reenergised research, giving rise to new areas of studies, collectively known as the digital humanities. The large swathes of digitised content have an even broader impact as they are used in machine learning and artificial intelligence. The rapid transformation of content, dominated by collaborative programmes among for-profit and nonprofit organisations, have accelerated deep-rooted challenges related to copyright, silos and equity. Programmes such as the National Digital Newspaper Program, the Global Press Archive CRL Alliance and Reveal Digital provide positive examples to be evaluated, improved and replicated in future collaborative digitisation programmes. This paper presents an overview of the digitisation landscape and notes key challenges that exacerbate inequities. Case studies are presented to highlight a few programmes with unique models worth iterating. The paper concludes with recommendations of potential opportunities to model and the impact they may have to make for a more equitable digitisation landscape that will help focus efforts on more diverse content supporting underrepresented communities.


Keywords: digitisation; collaboration; digital humanities; library vendors; archives; special collections


Author's Biography


Bryan Benilous is an award-winning publishing leader, with more than 25 years of experience supporting research and education. He supports the digital humanities through the design of groundbreaking programmes to diversify content and broaden access, making for a more equitable research environment, and was a core innovator for such programmes as East View Global Press Archive, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, Emerald Publishing Case Studies, SIRS Issues Researcher and SIRS Interactive Citizenship. He is an advocate for open access initiatives and has worked to diversify the breadth of digital research content. In 2021, he was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker — Digital Developer. He holds an MA in history and a minor in political science from Florida Atlantic University, is certified in pragmatic marketing, and is a certified Project Management Professional.


Citation


Benilous, Bryan (2024, December 1). Collaboration in digitisation programmes for cost efficiencies and equitable access. In the Journal of Digital Media Management, Volume 13, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/LTOS9688.



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Library of Congress.

Public Library of Science.
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