Abstract
Digitization support within an institution may be fractured across
several departments, only partially funded, and may suffer restraints
imposed by delivery software which seriously hamper progress. Most
digitization is undertaken with little thought for the future; the result
is digital file chaos and confusion. Without clarification of file
identities and relationships, preservation and migration to new
systems are seriously hampered. Additionally, low funding for archival
staff may preclude the creation of valuable item-level metadata. The
University of Alabama Libraries leveraged the expertise available
across the library to build a cross-departmental collaboration with
which to face our challenges, recognizing that obstacles become
opportunities for creative solutions. We are involved in a series of
pilot projects to explore how to address the gap in archivist staffing to
create item-level metadata. This chapter shares our discoveries and
solutions.