Library Special Collections Digital Project Toolkit

The Digital Project Toolkit (DPTK) supports digitization and digital scholarship projects in archives and special collections repositories. The work of archivists and librarians on such projects is often completed in collaboration with students, faculty, technical staff and outside contractors. With that in mind, the documentation of the DPTK is designed to be accessible to all potential project participants. The DPTK includes detailed templates, workflows and examples for all stages of digital projects, including:

• Project planning
• Risk assessment
• Implementation planning
• Web development planning
• Quality control workflow and guidelines for metadata and scanning
• Communication/documentation tool for technical specifications
• Assessment and evaluation tools and templates

The DPTK is made available to serve as a reference for other institutions while planning and implementing digital projects. It is a work in progress and will be updated as necessary.

The UCLA Library Special Collections Digital Project Toolkit was developed in iterations throughout several digital projects in the Center for Primary Research and Training from 2013-2015. Several members of LSC staff and UCLA Library staff contributed to producing and refining this documentation. Special thanks to Digital Project Manager Jasmine Jones, Digital Archivist Gloria Gonzalez, University Archivist Heather Briston and CFPRT scholars Kylie Harris and Amrey Mathurin for their considerable contribution to this effort. This Toolkit would not have been possible without their expertise, skill and enthusiasm.

—Jillian Cuellar | Former Head, Center for Primary Research & Training and Digital Initiatives for Library Special Collections