2025-10-31 Meeting Notes

Overview / Scope Which digital collections the campus considers for exposure in the campus discovery system (e.g. institutional repository, digital library, special collections, research data, web archives). Whether exposure is comprehensive (i.e. everything ingested) or selective (only particular collections, formats, or “featured” subsets). Technical / Metadata Strategy What metadata mappings, level of description (collection vs. item) and linking approaches are used to integrate digital objects into the discovery environment. Whether these digital collection records are integrated with “regular” catalog records in Alma, or presented in a separate cluster / facet / “digital collection” or “featured collections” view. Are these collections cataloged in MARC, taken from the Central Discovery Index (CDI), harvested, etc.? How do you handle duplication of records? How identifiers or linking (e.g. PURL, DOI, repository linkbacks) are handled (i.e. from discovery result to the actual digital object). User Interface / UX Decisions How digital collections are surfaced in the UI (e.g. special browse facets, separate “collections” tabs, “digital” labels, etc.). Whether there are mechanisms for “featured collections,” curated displays, or spotlighting within discovery. Any user interface trade-offs or constraints encountered (e.g. performance, filtering, relevance, display clutter). Harvesting / Update / Synchronization / Maintenance How often the campus harvests or catalogs new digital content (frequency, triggers). How updates, deletions, versioning, provenance, or link rot are handled. Any challenges in coordinating with source systems (repositories, archives, data platforms) for metadata consistency or technical compatibility. Metrics, Monitoring & User Feedback What metrics or analytics you track to assess the visibility, use, or success of digital collections in discovery (e.g. search impressions, clicks, full view usage). Any user feedback or usability testing outcomes relevant to the integration of digital collections. Challenges, Trade-offs, and Lessons Learned What are the biggest technical, policy, metadata, or organizational challenges you have faced. What decisions or compromises did you have to make (e.g. limiting scope, simplifying mappings, delaying refreshes). What strategies or solutions have worked well (or not). Opportunities for Coordination / Best Practices Are there areas where a shared SILS-level guideline, tool, or service might help (e.g. metadata crosswalks, harvesting pipelines, shared UI components)? What features or enhancements would you like to see in Primo VE (or the discovery infrastructure) to better support digital collections. Next Steps / Aspirations What you hope to do going forward (plans, pilot experiments, roadmap). What support or collaboration you would like from SILS or other campuses.