Digital Resources Library: Collection Development Policy

The Oregon Health & Science University Digital Resources Library (http://drl.ohsu.edu) is a searchable collection of multimedia digital objects (images, sound clips and video clips) related to health sciences, engineering, and biomedical research. A joint project of the OHSU Educational Communications Department and the Library, the DRL is available to faculty, staff, and students of the Oregon Health & Science University, who may use it for non-profit, educational purposes such as teaching, staff training, and conference presentations.

Scope and Coverage: The scope of the Digital Resources Library includes the practice and methods of health sciences, engineering, and biomedical research. Items which focus on equipment, management/administration, legal, economic, social, and psychological aspects of the subject will be acquired. Some out-of-scope subjects which have in-scope elements, such as library and information science and political science, may be covered. Materials that are solely or primarily designed for personal, commercial, or entertainment purposes are not eligible for the Digital Resources Library (such as wedding videos, family picnic photos, etc.)

The DRL is designed to support the needs of its users and the mission of OHSU. OHSU faculty, staff, and students are the primary audience for the DRL. The Digital Resources Library Project Team considers materials for inclusion based on the following criteria:

• Relevance to the mission of OHSU
• Demand, real or anticipated, from the primary audience
• Historical importance
• Compliance with all applicable laws, including copyright and HIPAA regulations

When language is a consideration, materials are collected primarily in the English language.

Organization & Access: The Digital Resources Library uses ContentDM Digital Media Management Software (www.contentdm.com) for its collections. Items in the collection are indexed by a professional librarian using the Dublin Core Metadata Set.

De-selection (Weeding): To keep the Digital Resources Library collection current and to maintain adequate server space for new acquisitions, materials will be reviewed regularly. Those that no longer meet the criteria described above will be removed from the collection. Materials with historical, archival or reference value will be retained.

Storage & Preservation: The Digital Resources Library reserves the right to create multiple file formats for digital items in order to encourage their use and provide for their long-term preservation. In addition to housing items of current significance, the Digital Resources Library is intended to provide long-term storage for items requiring archival preservation. It is housed on a server maintained, supported, and backed up nightly by ITG.

Items in the OHSU DRL:

The Digital Resources Project Team uses the following criteria for inclusion in DRL collections:

• Subject (see subject listing at Library’s Collection Development page: http://www.ohsu.edu/library/depts/colldevcomm/)
• Content (importance, comprehensiveness, distinctiveness, accuracy, durability, currency, authority, uniqueness, timeliness, demand, view)
• Quality/Format/Portability (At this time we will not accept RealMedia files; the DRL endeavors to use formats that encourage resource sharing, but reserves the right to offer materials in proprietary formats on a case-by-case basis.)
• Usage/Utility/Usefulness
• Time period/Age/Historical significance
• Language
• HIPAA clearance (for those items which may have patient content)

The Digital Resources Library collections may contain items in the following categories:

• Animals (animal assistance, pet therapy, etc.)
• Botany (herbs, plants used for drug extraction)
• Clinical settings
• Computer science
• Diagrams (e.g., anatomical)
• Diseases and conditions
• Facility/building photos (new and historical)
• Historical items (stethoscope, doctor bag)
• Information technology and management
• Instruments and tools
• Lectures and presentations
• Maps (e.g., campus maps, Portland maps, Oregon maps)
• Obituary photos (if not already in the UNP collection)
• OHSU Logo and masthead
• OHSU specific (Doernbecher history, TB hospital history, Class photos, Graduation photos, campus development, etc.)
• Oregon specific (Oregon Trail, rural health, etc.)
• People
• Pharmaceutical items (bottles, pills)
• Research (microscopes, slides, video)
• Skeletons (in various poses)
• Sounds (diagnostic: heart, lungs)
• Sounds (presentation enhancement)
• Symbols (caduceus)
• Video of exams (with proper HIPAA clearance)
• Video clips of surgery/procedures

Collections within the OHSU Digital Resources Library:

Additional collection development guidelines may apply to specific collections within the DRL.

The Historical Collections & Archives collection includes the following materials:

• Digital objects from Historical Collections & Archives digitization efforts
• Digital photographs of items in the Medical Museum Collection
• Digital photographs from History of Medicine lectures (speakers, sponsors)
• Digitized photographs from the Historical Photograph Collection
• Digitized portions of the Oral History Project (transcripts, audio/video, photographs)
• Display/exhibition photographs, documents, and materials in various electronic formats

The OHSU History of Medicine Society Lectures collection includes the following materials:

• Digital video of the History of Medicine Society lectures

The Beauty of the Pacific Northwest collection includes the following materials:

• Digital photographs showcasing natural features and landmarks in Oregon and Washington
• Digital photographs showcasing the city of Portland, Oregon (OHSU campus pictures are found in the OHSU DRL Main collection)

Policy Created: February 2003, Updated June 2005.

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Return to Digital Resources Library Main Page.

This page last updated November 19, 2008.

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