Dr Anna Bülow March 2009 Business Models for Large- scale Digitisation Projects at The National Archives UK.

Dr Anna Bülow

March 2009

Business Models for Large-scale Digitisation Projects at The National Archives UK

Large-scale Digitisation Projects

• The National Archive’s vision

• Business models

• Selection processes

• Preservation support

• Outlook

The Vision of The National Archives (TNA)

• Lead and transform information management

• Guarantee the survival of today’s information for tomorrow

• Bring history to life for everyone

‘We’re committed to providing people worldwide with access to the records we hold and to helping everyone to use them to excite and enrich their lives’

Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive

Bringing history to life for everyone

‘Increasingly, people expect to find, use and learn from information online. They expect it to be personalised and connected to their wider lives. They expect to have it immediately.’

Living Information: The Vision of The National Archives

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/vision

Strategic Priority in 2009/10: Drive the shift to online services

Bringing history to life for everyone

• Online resource to increase to 100 million images by 2012

• At present, for every document that is delivered to Reading Rooms, at least 100 are downloaded from the Internet

• 27 million images downloaded in 2005

• 68 million images downloaded in 2006

• 72 million images downloaded in 2007

• 109 million images downloaded in 2008

Digitisation Strategy

Three main streams

• Commercial Projects

• Grant-funded Projects

• DocumentsOnline(TNA funded)

• Other (framework agreement)

Selection ProcessDigitisation Forum

Bi-monthly round table meeting

• Collection Care

• Licensing

• Commercial Delivery

• Strategic Development

• Grants Manager

• Document Services

• Research and Collections Development

• Information Policy

SelectionCommercial projects

Commercial partner

• Covers cost of digitisation, transcription and online hosting

• Receives revenue from sale of images

TNA

• Provides preferential access to the documents, expert advice and guidance

• Receives royalties from sale of images and a copy of the digital surrogate

SelectionCommercial projects

Mass digitisation is expensive and time-consuming. With commercial partners we can:• Pass on the cost of financial outlay

(£ 53 million since 2004)

• Run several projects simultaneously

• Tap into multiple markets

• Use the commercial environment to drive technological development

Examples of commercial projects

• BT 27 departure passenger lists:

2,000 boxes, 1.5 million images

• BT 26 arrivals passenger lists, along with HO 2, HO 3 and HO 5:

2,000 boxes, 1.2 million imagesBT 27 Departure passenger lists

• WO 96, WO 97 War Office service records (pre-1913): 8,000 boxes, 9 million images

• RG 14 Census returns 191135,000 volumes, 18 million images

RG 14 Census returns 1911

SelectionGrant-funded projects

Partner (academic or other)

• May drive content and context

• May host images online

• May run the project

TNA

• Provides support or leads bids for third party funding

• Receives a copy of the digital surrogate

Examples of academic projects

• CAB 23 & 24, CAB 65-68, CAB 128 & 129, CAB 195: Cabinet Papers 1915-1977 (JISC funded)

• C 60: Fine Rolls of King Henry III, 1216-1275 (AHRC funded)

Cabinet Papers 1915-1977

• E 179: Hearth Tax (British Academy funded)

Fine Rolls of King Henry III

SelectionDocumentsOnline

TNA led and funded

• Range of content, e.g. new releases or educational material

• Internally funded, i.e. must work on full cost-recovery

DocumentsOnline Homepage

Selection Staff suggestions

Information required

• Name of department and series

• Brief description of content

• Availability on microfilm or description of physical format

• Reasons for digitisation (e.g. popularity, improving access, preservation)

• Any known problems (e.g. fragility, copyright, etc.)

Digitisation process

Preservation needs

• Ensure best quality image• Ensure document welfare• Must not adversely affect

long-term stability• Ensure document

integrity – physical and contextual

Commercial interest

• Ensure best quality image• Stick within budget• Meet deadlines

WO 97 Service records

Condition survey

Implementation

Scanning recommendations

Bidding process, contract awarded

Proposal

Spot check

Format, size, condition, variation, cause for

concern

HO 2 certificates of arrival

BT 26 passenger lists (arrivals)

Preservation Support

Condition survey

Implementation

Scanning recommendations

Bidding process, contract awarded

Proposal

Spot check

Format, size, condition, variation, cause for

concern

Preservation Support

Quantify formats and anomalies,

assess condition, make recommendations

BT 26 boxes

Condition survey

Implementation

Scanning recommendations

Bidding process, contract awarded

Proposal

Spot check

Format, size, condition, variation, cause for

concern

Preservation Support

Quantify formats and anomalies,

assess condition, make recommendations

Supplier presentations,bid evaluation,

interviews and negotiation

Condition survey

Implementation

Scanning recommendations

Bidding process, contract awarded

Proposal

Spot check

Format, size, condition, variation, cause for

concern

Preservation Support

Quantify formats and anomalies,

assess condition, make recommendations

Supplier presentations,bid evaluation,

interviews and negotiation

Training, set-up, testing, monitoring, conservation

support

Preservation issues

• Fastenings: remove or not?

• Anomalies: blank pages, inserts, seals, pages sizes

• Damaged documents

• Time scales

• Cost: who pays?

BT 26 passenger lists (arrivals)

WO 97 and WO 96 service records

Outlook

• Changing markets

• Preservation of digital surrogates

• Proactively engage

IR 26 Death Duty Registers

Acknowledgements

• Jess Ahmon, Preservation Officer

• Caroline Kimbell, Head of Licensing

• Christine Lawrence, Grants Manager

• TNA Collection Care Department