Collection Development Policy
The collections featured in the Mississippi Digital Library are a wonderful exhibition of the state's culture, heritage, history, and resources. We have established a collection development policy that allows for institutions to contribute a wide range of materials. Before contributing any items to the MDL please take time to read this policy. It contains important information on topics including collection parameters, item copyright and privacy status, and use of contributed materials. All member institutions must understand and agree to the terms outlined in this policy. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding the content of the policy or what it means for your institution.
Collection Development Policy
Metadata Forms and Guidelines
We ask that our member institutions adhere to a specific set of rules and formatting when creating metadata. Below you can find links to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet template for use in creating your metadata as well as a PDF containing extensive explanations of the categories listed in the template. If you have additional questions about what metadata is, how to create it, or what should be entered in a particular category, please check out our help section on metadata or contact us.
Metadata Entry Template
Metadata Guidelines
Online Metadata Entry and Item Submission
In an effort to make adding materials to your digital collections easier, we provide online forms for single item metadata entry and file submission. Copies of the metadata created by using these forms is available to the contributing institution.
Online Metadata and File Submission
Tutorials and Instructional Videos
These short presentations should help to answer some the most common questions we receive and explain each part of the contribution process. If you have addtional questions, or a suggestion for a tutorial topic, please contact us.
Video: Explaining Metadata
Additional Forms
The following forms are designed to help participants organize and digitize items to be included in the Mississippi Digital Library. Workflows, procedures, and forms will vary from institution to institution although you may find the following forms useful as a foundation for creating your own.
Scanning Recommendations
We recommend creating two different images when digitizing. The higher resolution master image should be stored at the contributing institution while the lower resolution image will be sent to the Mississippi Digital Library. We are not responsible for the storage and preservation of the source materials or the master digital files. The recommendations provided here are based upon the policies in place at the digitization lab at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Scanning Recommendations
Logs
These logs may make it easier to keep track of what items have been selected for digitization and what items have been digitzed. Feel free to use them, modify them to fit your needs, or create your own.
Selection Log
Workflow Log
Item Production Record
Other Resources
For additional ideas on how to digitize items and create metadata we suggest taking a look at these documents and sites.