Page 25 - Building Digital Libraries

CHAPTER 1

on a cost recovery basis, or employ a combination of these
approaches.
For most libraries, the only way to secure a new perma-
nent budget line is to convince funders to redirect monies from
another budget line. This is difficult because repositories are
expensive propositions from the perspectives of common met-
rics such as cost per item or cost per use. Under normal circum-
stances, the library must demonstrate that the repository is worth
cutting some other program to fund it, either because the value
proposition is so compelling or because doing so saves money
overall—and the work done to enlist the support of users for
start-up funding will prove helpful here as well. In addition,
a request for permanent funding needs to include a plan for
accommodating growth so that the resources provided will
continue to meet needs over time.
A credible growth and cost model is essential for securing
support. It may be possible to support limited repositories such
as those that provide access to small collections of images, doc-
uments, and sound files with a regularly budgeted amount that
is slowly adjusted for inflation. If your repository will store large
high-resolution video or image collections, scientific datasets,
or other system-intensive resources, regularly budgeted recur-
ring funds will most likely prove inadequate to meet ongoing
needs unless retention schedules are implemented to manage
growth or fees are implemented to help others prioritize what
is kept. Growth can be limited via retention schedules or other
mechanisms and the cost can be shared by users or depositors.
Funders will not allocate money unless they are convinced that
the amounts budgeted will cover the intended costs. Users will
only support projects when the short- and long-term costs are
acceptable.

Getting Your Repository off the Ground

Building a repository is a complex process involving many people, so you
will need to define the repository’s purpose, scope, and requirements, as
well as create policies and track progress. As you would expect, a number
of tools are available to assist you with these tasks. Regardless of any tool or
process, you must choose one of relatively few options for a given repository
project. You will have the same technical and staffing constraints regardless
of any plan adorned with matrices, checklists, and diagrams.
As you explore repository platforms, you’ll encounter an overwhelming
variety of standards and models, a few of the better-known ones of which
are discussed in this book. Standards and models can be fully “supported”
in noncompliant ways, so it’s important to make sure your needs are being

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