Author ORCID Identifier
Emily Lapworth: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4412-2870
Carol Kussmann: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8170-5538
Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
5-20-2026
Abstract
The digital landscape is in a state of constant change, and there is no one-size-fits-all formula for managing your digital assets, so understanding your local context is crucial to planning an effective digital stewardship strategy. Whether you are just starting out or have been at the same institution for 10 years, conducting an environmental scan can help. What are the internal and external changes you need to manage? What kind of stuff are you dealing with, and who are the stakeholders? Where is it located, and what systems are you using? What tools are available, and how have best practices evolved? This presentation details two different environmental scans conducted to assess programs and strategize for improvements. The University of Minnesota Libraries has been creating preservation profiles to constantly review all outside services responsible for preserving digital content. These profiles document a point in time which can be reviewed on a regular basis. UMass Boston Archives is examining its entire digital program, from preservation to access, including digitized and born-digital, to plan for the future. The presentation includes the practical steps they took to conduct environmental scans, the challenges faced, what they learned, and how it has helped them improve the management of digital assets at their libraries.
Recommended Citation
Lapworth, Emily and Kussmann, Carol. "Using environmental scans to help direct and sustain local best practices." Best Practices Exchange 2026 Conference, 20 May 2026, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering Indiana University Indianapolis. Conference Presentation.
Publisher
https://bpexchange.wordpress.com/conference-repository/
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Comments
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