T-Kay Sangwand
Librarian for Digital Collection Development
University of California, Los Angeles
Todd Grappone
Associate University Librarian for Digital Initiatives and Information Technology
University of California, Los Angeles
In 2012, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Library developed the International Digital Ephemera Project and has since embarked on a series of international collection and technology driven collaborations with cultural heritage partners in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Through these collaborations the UCLA Library works with its partners to build up their technical infrastructure, expertise and capacity to preserve and provide access to unique documentation that is valuable for the historical record as well as for research and scholarship. These partnerships require that libraries consider alternatives to traditional collecting models based on physical custody and ownership of materials and encourage us to leverage technology for the benefit of each institution involved. This project briefing will discuss the lessons, risks, ethical questions, and opportunities that arise when implementing these partnerships to build unique collections. How can building a global library without walls impact an increasingly multilingual and multicultural campus research community? What are the risks involved in engaging in external partnerships and how is success defined?
