DCAPS administers several programs and initiatives that support of preservation and access of digital collections for teaching and research. Programs and initiatives currently include:
Cornell University Library Grants Program for Digital Collections
The Grants Program for Digital Collections aims to support collaborative and creative use of resources through the creation of digital content of enduring value to the Cornell community and scholarship at large. The application process does not require any expertise — all you need is a good idea as the Library’s visual resources team will guide you through the process. The program, coordinated by the Library, was developed by the Visual Resources Advisory Group. See our project archive.
Cornell University Library Preservation Initiative
DCAPS, in partnership with CIT and other Cornell stakeholders, is leading an effort to determine audiovisual preservation needs campus-wide. Cornell University has vast holdings of unique audio and video assets vital to its mission “to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge…” These include lectures by luminary figures (Nobel laureates, heads of state, writers, artists and more) as well as original source recordings essential to research in biology, linguistics, art and beyond. However, due to hardware and file obsolescence, media failure and rights issues, we are now faced with an imminent and growing threat to these high value and unique audio and video assets.The results can be found in the final report (PDF). We continue to partner with IT@Cornell and Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology on a campus-wide preservation storage solution. If you have questions or comments, please contact dcaps@cornell.edu. For more information, please read the AV Initiative FAQ.
Digital Preservation Fund (internal)
The Digital Preservation Fund will be available to selectors and curators to digitize items from their collections that are unique and at risk — rare, fragile, deteriorating, or frequently requested by faculty, staff and library patrons. The fund is primarily intended for the preservation of important content. Projects may be done in-house or outsourced, depending on the nature of the material. For questions about the fund, or to apply, please contact dcaps@cornell.edu. See past Digital Preservation awards.