Sela Constan-Wahl
Product Manager, Library & Archival Systems
Paul Getty Trust
Maggie Hughes
Manager of Special Collections Processing and Cataloging
Getty Research Institute
This presentation will discuss an ongoing joint project between the Getty Research Institute (Special Collections and Institutional Records and Archives) and Getty Digital to undergo a large-scale reconsideration of archival collections workflows and systems integrations, from acquisition through access. Special Collections and Institutional Records and Archives accumulated significant technical and metadata debt over more than forty years and found that the ability to make iterative improvements in many areas was constrained by embedded issues that would cause domino effects. This project is designed to manage these interrelated effects, bringing the organization closer to an aspirational structure of clearly defined workflows and chain of custody. The project aims to align workflows and metadata more closely with archival standards and integrate systems of record, providing a clear foundation which will allow the organization to better respond and adapt to change in the future. The presenters will also share the governance structure Getty Digital used to advocate for resources and outline the methodology of the three-year project, which included a six-month discovery phase and is now in its implementation phase. The talk will review the complex project structure that was developed to be able to make decisions collectively with subject matter experts, workflow participants, and data owners, all while keeping the project on track and on time. The presenters will also share how change and communication are being managed across the thirteen cross-organizational teams impacted by the project. Though the project is still ongoing, the presenters will provide lessons learned on how to lead people through significant change while altering workflows and reorienting their cheese.
