UVa Digital Library Implementation Plan

Phase 1 Implementation NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Phase 2 Implementation | Project Goals
Phase 3 Project Goals
Assumptions
Architectural Principles
Responsibilities
Workflow
Content Models
Standards
Functional Specifications
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

This project is intended to result in the first stage of the implementation of the Fedora software at UVA. At the end of the project we will have a digital library made up of three major collections for which a first version of a normalized workflow has been established, for which search services are operational and which is as scalable and sustainable as we can make it. It will also provide a data collection tool which can be used with the entire digital library and a set of tools for teaching with images that are gathered using the data collection tool.

The plan builds on the phase 1 implementation that was rolled out in the summer of 2003 to move to the first full implementation of the digital library architecture. The project will center around three top level collections for the digital library, including English-language texts, art and architecture data and finding aids. It will include full-resource searching for each of the three collections and a federated search that allows users to search traditional and digital catalogs simultaneously or separately. The figure below shows how this fits together and how it fits into the larger context.

This project will be the first full test of our implementation assumptions and the architectural principles that have guided the development of the digital library architecture thus far. For the most part, those principles are not on the table for discussion but rather will be carried out completely. At the end of phase 2 we will evaluate the principles and assumptions from the perspective of the implementation of these three collections. If some or all parts of the architecture are determined to need adjustment or even major change, the changes necessary will become part of the definition of phase 3.

Note that this project will take into account reports from working groups and committees that have gone before, but will not accept them without questioning. Where the implementation team must make a choice that emphasizes integration over the specific needs for content in any one domain, we will not hesitate to do so.