Managing End-User Development of Digital Library Resources to Support User

Communities Robert R. Downs

Center for International Earth Science Information Network

Columbia University

rdowns@ciesin.columbia.edu

http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu

Opportunities for DL Development

• Plan development efforts• Define the user community • Identify user community needs & expectations • Work with user community representatives

• Provide opportunities for user participation

Planning DL Development

• Align Objectives with Organizational Goals

• Define Scope of Development Effort

• Define Scope of Services to be Offered

Organizational Alignment

• Organizational Goals• Executive Support• Champion

• Resources• Competence• Interest

Scope of Digital Library Services

• Collection (Domain and Types)

• Dissemination

• Intended Users (New or Current)

Scope of DL Development

• Work to be done

• How it will be done

• Implementation => Operation

Define the User Community

• Organizational Mission, Policies, Plans

• Current Stakeholder Groups

• Identified Groups in Need

• Groups that Use Targeted Collection

User Community Groups

• Researchers (Scientists & Scholars)

• Practitioners, Managers, Policy Makers

• Students (traditional & life long learners)

• Teachers (K-12 & Higher Education)

• Librarians (Corporate, Public & Academic)

Identify User Community Needs and Expectations

• Communication Channels for Users

• Services to Meet User Needs

• User Expectations

Communication Channels for Reaching the User Community

• Suggestion Box/Form• Focus Groups• Questions/Interviews

• Online Surveys • E-Mail Contact Point• Other Digital Libraries

Services to Meet User Needs

• Content Documents and Data Sets• Discovery and Analytical Tools• Support Services• Community Outreach

Support Services to Meet User Needs

• FAQ List• Tutorials• Metadata db• On-line Reference db

• System Support• Domain Support• Training• Colloquiums

User Expectations

Vigilantly scan for ways to meet new, unidentified, and

evolving requirements.

Working With User Community Representatives

• Collaborators• Partners• Advocates

• Advisory Group• Content Contributors• Reviewers/Testers

Provide Opportunities for User Community Participation

• E-Mail Discussion Groups

• Calls For Participation

• Professional Societies

• Newsletters and Announcements

Robert R. DownsCenter for International Earth Science Information Network

Columbia Universityrdowns@ciesin.columbia.edu

http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu