Discovering the Present, Preserving the Past: The Development of a Digital Archive at the University of Maryland

Abstract

Collecting, preserving and distributing intellectual works has always been an important mission of libraries. The digital age has presented new challenges including maintaining active links and providing formats that can be adapted over time. It has also brought new opportunities for sharing information globally and providing access to “hidden” collections. Providing access to local resources both current and historic through repositories/archives is a service many libraries are providing. In 2010, the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HS/HSL) at the University of Maryland (UM) began the implementation of the UM Digital Archive. This article describes the experiences and lessons learned through this endeavor.