NISO: A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections. 3rd edition.

Abstract: NISO's framework gives detailed guidance on how to build good digital collections.

The framework provides criteria for quality organized around four core types of entities:

1. collections,
2. objects,
3. metadata, and
4. initiatives.

It has three purposes:

1. to provide an overview of some of the major components and activities involved in creating good digital collections;
2. to identify existing resources that support the development of sound local practices for creating and managing good digital collections; and
3. to encourage community participation in the ongoing development of best practices for digital collection building.

Review

It almost seems like these best practices were developed in response to Besser's critiques from 2002, as it highlights many of the same bad practices that need to be opposed.

I would be interested in exploring an example of this framework in technical detail. Emory's Libraries, for instance, are working on a model that would use Fedora - an advanced database-like software - to manage digital objects and collections. The ability of Fedora to repurpose objects into multiple formats is the main reason for its choice. But, as it is a newer technology, they are having to do a lot of programming in order to eventually create a working repository.

NISO Framework Advisory Group (2007). A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections. 3rd edition. Bethesda, MD: National Information Standards organization. Retrieved November 17, 2008, from http://www.niso.org/publications/rp/framework3.pdf