Finding access and digital preservation solutions for a digitized oral history project

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine affordable access and digital preservation solutions for digital collections developed by under-resourced small- and mid-sized cultural heritage organizations. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a case study of Jeffco Stories, a collection of digitized oral histories created by the Jefferson County Public Library in Colorado. Findings This paper describes how the Jefferson County Public Library undertook a migration project of its oral history digital collection into an open-access platform, Omeka, and selected DuraCloud as a hosted digital preservation service. Research limitations/implications As a case study, this paper is limited to one institution’s experience with selecting access and digital preservation solutions. Practical/implications This paper is relevant to librarians and archivists who are exploring access and preservation solutions for digital collections and to those who are considering migrating to open-access content management systems and cloud-based digital preservation solutions. Originality/value This paper presents a case of a public library and the challenges in finding affordable access and digital preservation solutions for small digital collections.