User Impact on Selection, Digitization, and the Development of Digital Special Collections

Libraries and archives digitize their special collections in an effort to increase access to rare and unique items. To ensure that resulting digital collections meet user needs, institutions have made assessment, consultation, and user participation integral to digitization initiatives and the selection process. Institutions must also build digital collections that reflect their priorities. This article examines user impact on selection and the process of developing useful and usable digital special collections that balance user and institutional interests while satisfying the needs of key stakeholders.