Jstor Digitization Project in Nigerian University Libraries: Policy Issues in Building and Sustaining Digital Collections

Abstract

ITHAKA (JSTOR) initiated a pilot digitization project in 2010, collaborating with two Nigerian universities, Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and University of Ibadan (UI). The collaboration involves the establishment of a digital lab in each of the university libraries.The sequence of the project involves basically three phases: Planning: strategic meetings, signing of MOU and training Selection and assessment of materials, infrastructure, provision of equipment and hardware, and generation of metadata. Follow-up by Decopod, publishing digital output at institutions, project evaluation, writing preliminary report and submission of final report.December 2011 or before was the expected date of completion with costs not exceeding $4050 to be borne by ITHAKA. Both institutions have selected materials and commenced digitization with progress at different rates.Both are well behind schedule. BUK’s completion target for metadata generation was February end 2013.UI’s completion target was June 2013.What follows after the completion will be guided by the MOU. This paper aims to examine : The objectives of this project as articulated in the MOU The generation and management of “the selected materials”. The technology system deployed to execute the project The policy issues The institutional capacity building potential of the project .