Digitization Strategies for Legacy Resources in Africa: Incremental or Collection-based Approaches? Experience from the University of Botswana

Abstract

Digitization of library, archival and other legacy resources is frequently associated with the concept of collections. Materials collected by a single scholar or enthusiast are attractive candidates for capture in electronic form because they offer the promise of creating a resource that is much more than the sum of its parts, a resource that reflects and, to some extent, recreates the knowledge of the collector and the context in which he or she worked. The resulting product also has a certain aesthetic integrity that appeals to people: it tells a story, often a colourful or dramatic one, enriched by personal anecdote, documentation and images from the period.