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Link to this page: go.osu.edu/dpaDPA-Digital-digital-content-policyContent-Policy or go.osu.edu/DPA-DCPG

Introduction

This project is an outgrowth of initial findings from the Workflow Analysis project and Digital Projects Planning, Priorities and Transparency discussions. The findings include the need for a digital content policy, priority management, process controls, consolidated project documentation and designated repository for it, and mechanisms for the transfer of knowledge resulting from staff turnover (or simply the passage of time). The initial work of this tactical sub-group will deal with the first element, digital content policy.

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Planning for Sustainable Change: University Libraries Digital Content Policy & Governance

Link to this page/section: go.osu.edu/DPA-Prioritize-Decisions

Problem Statement

The Ohio State University Libraries currently lacks a holistic approach to the governance and management of the activities to process born digital content and to digitize existing collection content that would facilitate our commitment to sustainable access, long-term stewardship and preservation of this content for the benefit of our current and future users.

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Meetings

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December 13, 2021

...

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan , & Jenny Robb , &

Regrets: Gene Springs

Agenda

• Categorizing Prioritization Factors
  • Ratable rubric?
• Returning to Change Management Process Matrix

April 22, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Definition of Project
• Prioritization Factors

April 1, 2021

...

• Rubric discussion- walked through and discussed revised Rubric
• Action Items:
  
  • Dan:
    • Split out EDIA as its own category
    • Fix "Priorities and Objectives" language possibly strategic pillars and initiatives
  • All:
    • Examples/language for "future efficiencies" for digitized materials
    • Examples of "exigent circumstances" and how justified, partially justified or not justified
    • Key Accountable role
      • Is this the correct label or is there a better one?
      • Which elements actually need one?
      • Is there only one for a designated element or more?
• Next Steps:
  • Socialize with the larger DP&A
  • Finalize Rubric
  • Establish how we will roll it out and who who be part of and govern process
  • Establish how we will measure success

October 21, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene SpringsSprings

Agenda

• Action Items Review:
  • Dan to send email asking for project list, types of projects, prioritization factors
  • Sub-group members to respond to email
• Discussion of Unit Priorities and how they factor organizationally
• Discussion of what a project is and why define it.

March 25, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Demo/discuss the new "Additional Considerations" section
• Does it make a difference about how we've made decision in the past, instead of how we should be doing it??? 
  • Personal Prioritization Factors
  • Unit Prioritization Factors
• Lists of Projects:
  • What defines a project?
  • Are we just talking digital?
  • Another way to discuss it is as a workstream.
  • Can we pilot/experiment with something with a smaller group (key stakeholder) and a small group of projects?
  • Do we need a decision-making body, or is it a matter of communication?
  • When does something transition from a project to ongoing work, or does it?
  • How does Copyright fit within this process?
• Action Items:
  • Dan to send email asking for project list, types of projects, prioritization factors
  • Sub-group members to respond to email

March 12, 2021

...

• Rubric discussion

  • Using an example it was hard to answer questions. We need to have a guide as to what questions needs to be answered from the proposer  

  • The copyright risk assessment exemptions show stopper is problematic! 

  • Exigent circumstances – should the 0-3  (justified to not justified) should be reverse? Exist or nonexistent is more appropriate. 

  • Priorities and Objections of University Libraries (need clarification regarding what objectives and priorities are we talking about, is this the strategic objectives?) 

  • Impact statement for digitization when it comes to future efficiencies  

  • If a project gets rejected, what do I do with the images that have already been digitized? 
    • The Rubric is not so much about negating a project, its about prioritizing it on a sliding scale with other existing projects.
  • Impact of other projects and work conducted by one unit need to be considered earlier on from a "project" prioritization point-of-view

  • GAP: Is there a workflow for already digitized items that just need to be ingested in a preservation repository?

September 23, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan , & Jenny Robb , &

Regrets: Gene Springs

Agenda

• Continuing review of "Process" section
  • Some prioritization considerations:
    • Patron Needs
      
      • 1st come - 1st serve
      • Authority of the request (OtP, Legal, Donor, etc)
      • Deadlines
    • Ownership/Copyright
    • Physical condition
    • Staffing levels (both understaffed and over resourced)
      • changes in workflow and expectations
      • skills and availability of student staff
    • Where materials are located
    • Technical limitations
    • Collection assessments
    • Strategic initiatives aligned with the greater organization
    • Need agreement on "what's most important"
      • transparency on the decision(s)
      • what happens when one priority trumps another and affects deadlines?
      • Need to be flexible in re-assigning priorities
      • How do we react to unanticipated needs/issues
      • Incomplete projects
    • Management of lifecycle
    • Active stakeholder participation/engagement when necessary
    • Opportunities for one div/dept/unit impacts other div/dept/unit (both positively & negatively)
    • Project management (& skills) utilized consistently throughout Libraries
    • Framework to allow us to say "No" and/or manage expectations more effectively; or to understand when we have no option but to say "Yes" how do we deal with the impact.
  • Types of priorities/resource allocation:
    • Strategic
    • day-to-day:
      • can get too caught up in higher strategic priorities
      • Sometimes left out of "strategic plan" because "we just do them" and could be potentially be de-prioritized
      • Without a clear picture of d-2-d we can be significantly under-resourced
    • Lack of transparency in other div/dept/unit's priorities
    • Balancing external requests vs. What we'd like to do
    • Organizational impact vs. divisional/departmental/unit impact
    • Possibly look at DPLA's "Radical Prioritization" process?
• Begin to create a synthesized prioritization/decision-making strategy

February 25, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Continuing review of "Process" section
  
  • Analysis of individual area prioritization/decision-making strategy. Discussion prompts:
    
    • What are the steps you take?
      • Project pre-review is important in potentially preempting factors that negatively impact the organization after the accessioning of born digital materials or a digitization project
    • What are routine tasks vs. specialized vs unique?
      • Much of the work is routine
      • Routine work can/does include constant re-prioritization
      • "Routine" might not be the appropriate word; routine might not be daily, but is routine; possibly "regular"
      • Some units regular activity does not impact other units; conversely time sensitive/urgent requests may disrupt multiple cross-unit workflows
      • An overarching goals is to try to make all of our work routine/regular with the ability to pivot back-and-forth to handle time-sensitive requests
      • Various units will have factors that are unique to them; how do we accommodate those factors in an equitable manner?
    • What are the factors you consider?
      • Time sensitive
        • requests for materials for classes, loans, exhibits, patrons and/or donor expectations
        • Need to be transparent with our constituents as to our abilities to handle time sensitive requests
      • Impact
    • How do embarking upon projects impact day-to-day workflows?
    • How do you prioritize and re-allocate work when necessary?
      • Need for open/transparent communications channels, including when a priority drops.
      • How do we de-prioritize work vs. the need for completed projects?
      • Potential future solution: a regular (e.g. monthly) meeting similar to the compliment of this sub-group that discusses/decides priorities
    • Other concerns:
      • Discussion devolves to digitization at the expense of handling born digital
      • Need for systems-thinking vs. silos thinking, not only across units, but within units
  • Did not get to this Agenda Item:  Begin to create a synthesized prioritization/decision-making strategy

January 26, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Review of "Benefits" section
  
  • tweaked some of the language to include not only research, but instruction and its associated stakeholders
• Discussion of "Process" section
  
  • Most of the discussion focused on the question, "How will we go about doing this?"
  • General sentiment is that we are beginning to get to the heart of the problem.
  • Homework due February 11:

    • articulate how individual units prioritize and make decisions about their own collections and workflows:

      • What are the steps you take?
      • What are routine tasks vs. specialized vs unique?
      • What are the factors you consider?
      • How do embarking upon projects impact day-to-day workflows?
      • How do you prioritize and re-allocate work when necessary?

...

Guest: Beth Snapp

Agenda

• Rubric table-top exercise and discussion
  

  • Concerns:

    • Unable to answer rubric question based on info provided; although could maybe infer.

      • Need to have the response to the rubric questions built into an interview or intake form so the group has the information when scoring

      • Having the proposer available to answer questions but not participate might be important (answer the group's questions and then exit).

        • If project proposers try to participate it may hinder the group's ability to complete the scoring in a timely fashion

    • What does work-plan completeness mean?

      • Is there evidence of a work-plan to execute the project?

      • But don't we want to answer the "project worthiness" question before creating a full-fledged plan?

    • There are many unknowns in calibrating terminology (e.g. what is a large, medium and small project?); but could happen over time.

    • Is copyright misplaced? Maybe a showstopper?

      • The current three exceptions are:

        • public domain;

        • not public domain, but we've been granted permission 

        • we own rights

      • Copyright should not be an impediment to Preservation! May be an obstacle to Access, but not Preservation.

    • Is this right tool?

    • Should it just be self scored and/or collectively discussed and scored together

    • The tool might be best deployed after project is submitted, which has more detailed info.

    • If the object are already digitized or to be digitized for another reason, how do we account for that; do we need another question?

      • This likely comes in the OPPORTUNITY section under "Does this work lead to future efficiencies?" or "Critical mass"

    • What is "Requestor's Need"?

      • Why are patrons a factor? If the request raises itself to a project as opposed to a one-off or would have to actively engage Preservation and Digitization and/or Metadata Initiatives.

      • Does this section need to be just a rating with more nuanced understanding of who requestor is?

        • There has already been a discussed hierarchy for prioritization that we are trying to reflect. If it is more nuanced and say it is a donor request, but not critical, then maybe score it lower and explain in the Notes.

      • It appears that we should switch to "Nature of Requester's Need" instead of who the requester is! 

    • Do we actually need the "Core Service" question? It was expressed previously as a prioritization factor, but if there is collective agreement that it is not an actual issue to be scored, it could be removed.

      • Since collective agreement was provided, this factor will be removed.

    • Is there a way to combine the Rubric with the project proposal for a more seamless workflow; possibly with a conversation with the proposer?

    • What are we trying to address with Readiness? What is the basis of the scoring point-of-view?

      • We may need to provide more explanation here (Readiness focuses on existing details not what is desired or what the outcome should be)
• Next steps: We'll need at least another meeting and continue discussions virtually until then.

August 24, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• MS Teams/OneDrive Migration
• Rubric review
• Table-top exercise planning
• Action Items:
  • Dan to schedule next meeting
  • Exercise Prep":
    • Put project detail sin "Rubric" folder in Teams/OneDrive
    • Dan to create individualized "rubric tools"
    • Everyone: Complete rubric

July 8, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Develop test/pilot rubric and table-top exercise
  • Each group come up w/a couple projects
  • What does a proposal look like?
  • What level of "projects" would come to this "group"?
  • How does "routine" work factor in?
  • What is "routine" work?
  • Is the digitization proposal form good enough?
  • Do we tweak it?
  • Do we have turn our factors into a checklist?
  • Let's not make it arduous?
  • eg: CWRU https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KTGdAfYKWX6x6Hae_F4DonbEdqtF7o4Hkx56wBrA2K4/edit#gid=1266435649
• Do we use just a numeric system?
• It could be like "candidate" ranking? Initial score with discussion
• May be composite scoring and not exactly granular – adding "human" factor
• Possibly an ongoing regular "meeting of the minds"
• Think about it in terms of projects, not daily work
• Regardless there must be a certain % of time that i set aside to do regular work
• Think about work in a 1/4ly fashion?
• How do we account for disruptions and re-prioritizing work?
• 60 project / 30 ongoing / 10 admin weekly splits (what do these represent???)
• Regular discussion schedules valuable; how does new work impact priority of stuff already in the pipeline? Especially from disparate groups
• Need to keep core group small and manageable; invite others ad hoc as needed
• Start w/possibly monthly meetings and other communication channels
• Representative sample of projects:
• Action Items
• Draft Rubric - Dan & Sue
• Sample Projects -- Heads

May 18, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Recap of discussion "Current >>> Future States"
• Robust discussion around "Defining the Change" (see above)
• Action Items:
  • Review "Benefits"
  • Review, deep contemplation and suggestions for "Process"

November 24, 2020

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Kickoff meeting
• Discussion of the framing document to approach this activity as an exercise in change management. The framing document is adapted from DeEtta Jones and Associates' "Planning for Sustainable Change"

What is a Project?

Why do we need to define "project"? This term continually comes up in the discussion of how we prioritize the work we do within the University Libraries, both within our units and collaboratively across the organization.

Definitions and key concepts provided by team members:

• A project to be any activity for which we need to define parameters or create/significantly adjust workflows to accomplish the work.
• Projects are holistic work that cover a section/series/type of material.
• Quantity of materials/activity drives what is a project.
• Anything that involves multiple units and long-term commitment of time & labor.
• Projects can be internal to a unit or collaboratively across more than one unit.
• Project should have a defined beginning and end; identified outcomes or deliverables.
• Even routine daily activities if examined closely enough might be considered micro-projects
• Even within the routine workflows, we run into unusual situation that become projects because we have to use novel processes to manage them.
• We have other workflows that should be routine, but are currently not due to lack of standardized inputs and processes.
• A planned endeavor, usually with a specific goal and accomplished in several steps or stages. (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/project Retrieved 2021.04.01)

Definition (approved April 22, 2021):

A project is an activity, or set of activities, for which we need to determine the parameters for completion, including a beginning and end; requirements, resources (fiscal/human/technical) and dependencies; and the outcomes and deliverables.

It is understood that work that is conducted collaboratively, across multiple units within the Libraries, may or often rise to the level of a "project." However, a project may just be internally focused.

In order for the Libraries to be able to appropriately prioritize collaborative project work, that work needs to be conspicuously visible; further, internal project work needs to be made visible to the entire organization.

How do we prioritize within the University Libraries?

Based upon input from team members, the following are key factors in determining workload priorities (listed alphabetically):

• Alignment with priorities of objectives for the University Libraries, and its divisions, departments, program areas and units
• Capacity/Availability of fiscal, human and technological resources
• Commitment to donors and community
• Deadlines that are justified 
• Disaster mitigation
• Does this work lead to future efficiencies?
• Expression of exigent circumstances
  
• Fragility and obsolescence of materials.
• Knowing what work/projects is/are in the "queues" and existing priorities (this is aspirational)
• Matching of available capacity to the needs of the tasks
• Patron needs
• Project size/scope
• Readiness (is the project well thought out and planned; checklist ticked off)
  
• Identifying dependencies, obstacles and feasibility
  

• Unexpected opportunity

• Who is requesting the work:
  • Donor
  • External collaborative projects
  • Guest curators
  • Legal/Compliance related
  • Libraries' curators/librarians with primary responsibility for materials
  • Libraries' Leadership
  • Libraries' staff/faculty
  • Patrons (standard and rush requests)
  • University leadership 

NEXT STEP(S): We need to determine if this is our list of priorities. Once we've settled on the list we need to establish how to operationalize it as a rubric, and how we will govern the process in an equitable manner.

• Maybe re-state Reconciling dependencies and obstacles - Dependencies/obstacles can be reconciled through digitization project. 

• Prioritizing list: I don’t think so. It’s so our categorizing Prioritization Factors
  • Dan updated the "DPA-Dig-Content-Policy-Gov-20210428.xlsx" (now superseded) by aggregating the Prioritization Factors into four areas:
    • Alignment
    • Opportunity
    • Readiness
    • Who is requesting the work?
    • (Dan updated spreadsheet and Prioritization Factors 2021.06.14)
  • It was noted that this is the opportunity for us to lobby for our needs.
  • Type of work:
    • There is a difference between the work we are required to do, and the work that we can prioritize through the selection and prioritization process.
      • We need to effectively articulate and identify our Core Services, i.e. work we cannot say “NO” to; vs. the work we want to do.
        • Add "Core Services" to the "Alignment" Category for prioritization.
      • Further, what are our core competency for things that we can do in house, vs. what we should outsource using vendors?  
        • What are the funding considerations for outsourcing work?
      • IT has a service list, and we have been developing potential service list for digital scholarship; we should create on as it relates to preservation, digitization, and distinctive collections
  • Constraints:
    • We need to optimize at the constraint(s) for the whole of the process/system, not just within the silos.
    • For the most part, staffing deficits are currently not on the table for consideration; we will have to find other ways to optimize the process(es)
    • Volume of work:
      • If the scope of service exceeds the capacity, we have to adjust the scope of it if we are going to provide it; one group cannot make a commitment of anther's services. We have to develop a collective/consensus means of prioritizing and committing to work.
        
      • We need to learn to balance and sequence work most effectively, rather than saying "we cannot provide a service." We need to agree that a "no" is for now, not necessarily forever.
      • However, how long should digital objects/assets languish on the K-drive, before they can be ingested?
        • Is it just a matter of prioritizing?
        • Or, does the process need to be re-engineered for multiple, vetted points of ingest?
  • We agree that access should be determined based on Rights, however it should not to halt the preservation process because of the permissions/rights issue. 
    • Why should clear copyright status be a stumbling block for ingest into the DC?
    • Do we design a multi-stage process to get assets preserved, and then address access?
  • Can we create a scorable rubric to accommodate these factors?
    • It was suggested we give it a trial run via a table-top exercise.
    • Will need a team to design rubric and exercise.
• We intended to return to Change Management Process Matrix, but ran out of time.

April 22, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Definition of Project
• Prioritization Factors

  • Maybe re-state Reconciling dependencies and obstacles - Dependencies/obstacles can be reconciled through digitization project. 

  • Prioritizing list: I don’t think so. It’s so different depending on the unit. And who is requesting the work can either put it at the very top or can make it lower

    • Can't have wild west
    • Can't have draconian process
    • Discussed w/Search Committee analogy

  • Rubric/Tool:

    • We do need a tool to guide these decisions, and a weighted rubric seems like a possibility. The responsibility for assigning scores should rest where the work would – for example, I have seen several digitization proposals where the proposer declares the metadata is good but the units responsible for that work would not have made the same assessment.

    • I don’t think so. It’s so different depending on the unit. And who is requesting the work can either put it at the very top or can make it lower
  • Can't have wild west
  • Can't have draconian process
  • Discussed w/Search Committee analogy

• Rubric/Tool:

  • We do need a tool to guide these decisions, and a weighted rubric seems like a possibility. The responsibility for assigning scores should rest where the work would – for example, I have seen several digitization proposals where the proposer declares the metadata is good but the units responsible for that work would not have made the same assessment.

  • I don’t think so. It’s so different depending on the unit. And who is requesting the work can either put it at the very top or can make it lower
• Visibility: I believe we do need a formalized process, which is not to automatically equate formalized with complex or onerous. However, most projects will require input from multiple units and make some resources unavailable to other uses, so the decision has to be collective.
• Formalized process: Probably if we want
  • Visibility: I believe we do need a formalized process, which is not to automatically equate formalized with complex or onerous. However, most projects will require input from multiple units and make some resources unavailable to other uses, so the decision has to be collective.
  • Formalized process: Probably if we want it to be equitable, but we can’t make this crazy complicated. Honestly, what will happen is everyone will avoid doing it if it’s too complicated.

April 1, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Action Items Review:
  • Dan to send email asking for project list, types of projects, prioritization factors
  • Sub-group members to respond to email
• Discussion of Unit Priorities and how they factor organizationally
• Discussion of what a project is and why define it.

March 25, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Demo/discuss the new "Additional Considerations" section
• Does it make a difference about how we've made decision in the past, instead of how we should be doing it??? 
  • Personal Prioritization Factors
  • Unit Prioritization Factors
• Lists of Projects:
  • What defines a project?
  • Are we just talking digital?
  • Another way to discuss it is as a workstream.
  • Can we pilot/experiment with something with a smaller group (key stakeholder) and a small group of projects?
  • Do we need a decision-making body, or is it a matter of communication?
  • When does something transition from a project to ongoing work, or does it?
  • How does Copyright fit within this process?
• Action Items:
  • Dan to send email asking for project list, types of projects, prioritization factors
  • Sub-group members to respond to email

March 12, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Continuing review of "Process" section
  • Some prioritization considerations:
    • Patron Needs
      
      • 1st come - 1st serve
      • Authority of the request (OtP, Legal, Donor, etc)
      • Deadlines
    • Ownership/Copyright
    • Physical condition
    • Staffing levels (both understaffed and over resourced)
      • changes in workflow and expectations
      • skills and availability of student staff
    • Where materials are located
    • Technical limitations
    • Collection assessments
    • Strategic initiatives aligned with the greater organization
    • Need agreement on "what's most important"
      • transparency on the decision(s)
      • what happens when one priority trumps another and affects deadlines?
      • Need to be flexible in re-assigning priorities
      • How do we react to unanticipated needs/issues
      • Incomplete projects
    • Management of lifecycle
    • Active stakeholder participation/engagement when necessary
    • Opportunities for one div/dept/unit impacts other div/dept/unit (both positively & negatively)
    • Project management (& skills) utilized consistently throughout Libraries
    • Framework to allow us to say "No" and/or manage expectations more effectively; or to understand when we have no option but to say "Yes" how do we deal with the impact.
  • Types of priorities/resource allocation:
    • Strategic
    • day-to-day:
      • can get too caught up in higher strategic priorities
      • Sometimes left out of "strategic plan" because "we just do them" and could be potentially be de-prioritized
      • Without a clear picture of d-2-d we can be significantly under-resourced
    • Lack of transparency in other div/dept/unit's priorities
    • Balancing external requests vs. What we'd like to do
    • Organizational impact vs. divisional/departmental/unit impact
    • Possibly look at DPLA's "Radical Prioritization" process?
• Begin to create a synthesized prioritization/decision-making strategy

February 25, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Continuing review of "Process" section
  
  • Analysis of individual area prioritization/decision-making strategy. Discussion prompts:
    
    • What are the steps you take?
      • Project pre-review is important in potentially preempting factors that negatively impact the organization after the accessioning of born digital materials or a digitization project
    • What are routine tasks vs. specialized vs unique?
      • Much of the work is routine
      • Routine work can/does include constant re-prioritization
      • "Routine" might not be the appropriate word; routine might not be daily, but is routine; possibly "regular"
      • Some units regular activity does not impact other units; conversely time sensitive/urgent requests may disrupt multiple cross-unit workflows
      • An overarching goals is to try to make all of our work routine/regular with the ability to pivot back-and-forth to handle time-sensitive requests
      • Various units will have factors that are unique to them; how do we accommodate those factors in an equitable manner?
    • What are the factors you consider?
      • Time sensitive
        • requests for materials for classes, loans, exhibits, patrons and/or donor expectations
        • Need to be transparent with our constituents as to our abilities to handle time sensitive requests
      • Impact
    • How do embarking upon projects impact day-to-day workflows?
    • How do you prioritize and re-allocate work when necessary?
      • Need for open/transparent communications channels, including when a priority drops.
      • How do we de-prioritize work vs. the need for completed projects?
      • Potential future solution: a regular (e.g. monthly) meeting similar to the compliment of this sub-group that discusses/decides priorities
    • Other concerns:
      • Discussion devolves to digitization at the expense of handling born digital
      • Need for systems-thinking vs. silos thinking, not only across units, but within units
  • Did not get to this Agenda Item:  Begin to create a synthesized prioritization/decision-making strategy

January 26, 2021

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Review of "Benefits" section
  
  • tweaked some of the language to include not only research, but instruction and its associated stakeholders
• Discussion of "Process" section
  
  • Most of the discussion focused on the question, "How will we go about doing this?"
  • General sentiment is that we are beginning to get to the heart of the problem.
  • Homework due February 11:

    • articulate how individual units prioritize and make decisions about their own collections and workflows:

      • What are the steps you take?
      • What are routine tasks vs. specialized vs unique?
      • What are the factors you consider?
      • How do embarking upon projects impact day-to-day workflows?
      • How do you prioritize and re-allocate work when necessary?

December 10, 2020

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Recap of discussion "Current >>> Future States"
• Robust discussion around "Defining the Change" (see above)
• Action Items:
  • Review "Benefits"
  • Review, deep contemplation and suggestions for "Process"

November 24, 2020

Attendance: Sue Beck, Morag Boyd, Miriam Centeno, Tamar Chute, Nena Couch, Dan Noonan, Jenny Robb, & Gene Springs

Agenda

• Kickoff meeting
• Discussion of the framing document to approach this activity as an exercise in change management. The framing document is adapted from DeEtta Jones and Associates' "Planning for Sustainable Change"

What is a Project?

Why do we need to define "project"? This term continually comes up in the discussion of how we prioritize the work we do within the University Libraries, both within our units and collaboratively across the organization.

Definitions and key concepts provided by team members:

• A project to be any activity for which we need to define parameters or create/significantly adjust workflows to accomplish the work.
• Projects are holistic work that cover a section/series/type of material.
• Quantity of materials/activity drives what is a project.
• Anything that involves multiple units and long-term commitment of time & labor.
• Projects can be internal to a unit or collaboratively across more than one unit.
• Project should have a defined beginning and end; identified outcomes or deliverables.
• Even routine daily activities if examined closely enough might be considered micro-projects
• Even within the routine workflows, we run into unusual situation that become projects because we have to use novel processes to manage them.
• We have other workflows that should be routine, but are currently not due to lack of standardized inputs and processes.
• A planned endeavor, usually with a specific goal and accomplished in several steps or stages. (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/project Retrieved 2021.04.01)

Definition (approved April 22, 2021):

A project is an activity, or set of activities, for which we need to determine the parameters for completion, including a beginning and end; requirements, resources (fiscal/human/technical) and dependencies; and the outcomes and deliverables.

It is understood that work that is conducted collaboratively, across multiple units within the Libraries, may or often rise to the level of a "project." However, a project may just be internally focused.

In order for the Libraries to be able to appropriately prioritize collaborative project work, that work needs to be conspicuously visible; further, internal project work needs to be made visible to the entire organization.

How do we prioritize within the University Libraries?

Based upon input from team members, the following are key factors in determining workload priorities (listed alphabetically):

Alignment

• Alignment with priorities of objectives for the University Libraries (UL) and its divisions, departments, program areas and units
• Alignment with the core services (need to define/articulate) of the UL's divisions, departments, program areas and units
• Commitment to donors and community
• Patron needs

Opportunity

• Deadlines that are justified
  
• Disaster mitigation
• Does this work lead to future efficiencies?
• Expression of exigent circumstances
  
• Fragility and obsolescence of materials.
• Unexpected opportunity

Readiness

• Capacity/Availability of fiscal, human and technological resources
• Identifying dependencies, obstacles and feasibility
• Knowing what work/projects is/are in the "queues" and existing priorities (this is aspirational)
• Matching of available capacity to the needs of the tasks
• Project size/scope
• Readiness (is the project well thought out and planned; checklist ticked off)

Who is requesting the work?

• Donor
• External collaborative projects
• Guest curators
• Legal/Compliance related
• Libraries' curators/librarians with primary responsibility for materials
• Libraries' Leadership
• Libraries' staff/faculty
• Patrons (standard and rush requests)
• University leadership 

Additional Considerations/Resources

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