Description: This paper discusses applying user-centered design principles to redesign The Portal to Texas History. Abstract: The IOGENE project at the University of North Texas Libraries applied user-centered design principles to redesign the interface to a unique digital library of cultural heritage materials, The Portal to Texas History. Since its launch in 2004, the interface had become dated and implementation of new functionality was constrained by the underlying technical infrastructure. Genealogists, a significant and under-studied class of digital library users, participated in the redesign of the Portal's interface. At the outset of the project, focus group discussions provided insights regarding genealogists' information needs as well as their research practices in relation to online information systems. In large part, these insights informed the functional requirements for the redesign of the Portal's user interface. Subsequent to each of two public releases of the redesigned interface, genealogists were engaged in usability testing. An online survey measured user satisfaction prior to and after the new interface was released. Results determined that satisfaction with the Portal significantly improved after the final release of the redesigned interface. The project's process and findings will be of interest to archives and digital libraries facing similar challenges in regard to ...

Description: This paper discusses preservation. Abstract: The Educopia Institute, with the San Diego Supercomputer Center and the libraries of University of North Texas, Penn State, Virginia Tech, University of Utah, Georgia Tech, Boston College, and Clemson University, have received $300,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to study, document, and model the use of data preparation and distributed digital preservation frameworks to collaboratively preserve digitized and born-digital newspaper collections.

Description: This paper discusses collaborations, best practices, and collection development for born-digital and digitized materials. Abstract: The University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries is a collaborative partner in the Web-at-Risk project, one of eight preservation projects funded by the Library of Congress under the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP). Early in the project, UNT conducted a needs assessment to identify web archiving issues facing curators and librarians. Key findings in three areas are reported: current challenges, organizational issues, and collection development concerns. These findings informed the development of guidelines and a template for the project's curators to create web collection plans. In addition to the Web-at-Risk project, the Digital Projects Unit at the UNT Libraries has several digital library initiatives with government agencies at the Federal and State levels to preserve and provide access to important collections of born-digital and digitized materials. The library also houses The Portal to Texas History, a digital gateway to the rich collections held in Texas libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, and private collections. Collaborations, best practices, collection development, and key lessons learned from these initiatives are identified. The DPU is also involved in trialing emerging tools and solutions for the libraries' storage ...

Description: Abstract: This paper discusses issues related to digital resources management when capturing and preserving Web-based, heterogeneous digital materials produced by a variety of software in various versions. Despite the current inadequate digital preservation solutions, the writers explore various methods and tools that facilitate the efficient management of vast quantities of dynamic and heterogeneous digital information resources. The CyberCemetery project at the University of North Texas (UNT) is used as an example of this type of endeavor. It specifically demonstrates the efforts being made by UNT to implement digital preservation strategies for prolonging the usable life of such heterogeneous digital resources. This paper also highlights the potential role of metadata at all levels in the life cycle of a digital resource (creation, management, use, and preservation).

Description: In this paper, the authors describe research led by Educopia Institute regarding the preservation needs for digitized and born-digital newspapers. The 'Chronicles in Preservation' project, builds upon previous efforts (e.g. the U.S. National Digital Newspaper Program) to look more broadly at the needs of digital newspapers in all of their diverse and challenging forms. This paper conveys the findings of the first research phase, including substantive survey results regarding digital newspaper curation practices.