Introduction to digital practice guidelines

Introduction to digital practice guidelines

About this guideline

This Guideline builds on work done by SLIS/Practico in 2005 developing Digital practice: guidelines for digitising images in NSW public libraries.  These guidelines were endorsed by the Library Council of NSW at its June 2005 meeting.

The project to update the guidelines was coordinated by Ellen Forsyth, State Library of NSW with Scott Wajon, State Library of NSW, providing additional technical expertise. The State Library of New South Wales would like to thank Donna Braye, Mosman Council, Bernard de Broglio, Mosman Council, Enzo Accadia, Coffs Harbour Council, and Sue Ryan, Newcastle Council, for their work in revising and expanding this document to include video, sound and digtial preservation. 

The Guidelines provide an introduction for public libraries that are involved in digitisation projects, including providing access and storage for born digital objects and digital preservation. It draws on Digital practice: guidelines for digitising images in NSW public libraries which was published in 2005, but has been modified and expanded to include video and audio formats.  The information has been divided into general principles - which include selection, cataloguing metadata, file management, digital preservation and access and work flow. 

We trust that the guidelines will provide useful advice and direction for public libraries in New South Wales in collecting, making accessible and preserving digital materials.   

 

PDF icon Digital Practice Flowchart

 (PDF 198 KB)

 

Selection

Outlines selection criteria to help assess whether items and collections should be digitised, as well as information on digital originals.

Cataloguing and metadata

Information on the use of standard descriptive metadata, to assist online users to discover images and other digital objects through more consistent search results.

Still images

Minimum standards and best practice for reformatting images from hardcopy and capturing digital original photographs.

Video and moving images

Minimum standards and best practice for digitising video and moving images, as well as moving images that are born digital.

Asset management

Basic procedural information for the purposes of maintaining digital archives and backups, includes minimum standards and best practice.

Digital preservation

Digital preservation involves processes and activities that ensure long-term, error-free storage of digital information, with means for retrieval and interpretation. Includes guidelines for digital preservation.

Glossary

Definitions of key terms used in the Digital Practice Guidelines.