Participation

CVL Collections Participation

CVL Collections was created for Colorado and Wyoming institutions that want to share their collections online and participate in the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) via the Plains to Peaks Collective (PPC), but don’t have the resources to support a content management system (CMS) and are not part of a large consortium, such as the Marmot Digital Archive.

We will help you publish your digital collections online using the Omeka CMS, and your digital objects will be included in quarterly harvests that we share with the DPLA.

Who is eligible to participate in CVL Collections?

Any Colorado or Wyoming library, museum, archive, agency, society, or cultural heritage organization with a digital collection that can be made publicly accessible is eligible to participate in the CVL Collections program.

What are my participation options?

Most organizations choose to have their own Colorado State Library supported instance of Omeka, complete with a unique URL and their own site branding. However, some organizations with very small or one-off collections may want to consider contributing to our shared digital collection, Stories of Colorado, instead of getting their own Omeka site. If you are not sure which option is the better fit, contact Amy Hitchner.

Does it cost anything to participate in the CVL Collections program?

Participating in CVL Collections is free to most organizations. Omeka is a free, open-source platform, and we don’t charge you for hosting or maintaining your site. We also offer free storage up to 10GB, which is more than enough for the majority of our partners. However, if you need more storage we offer very reasonable pricing.

What is the Digital Public Library of America?

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) brings together descriptive information (metadata) about digital collections from member libraries, archives, and museums, and makes it freely searchable to the world. Currently this national online portal has:

  • 48 million + collections resources from libraries, archives and museums
  • 45 hubs (and growing) that include institutional partners from across the United States

DPLA members can participate as standalone institutions if they have substantial collections, or they can join state- or region-based Service Hubs, such as the PPC, which coordinate the sharing activities within their respective communities.

What is the Plains to Peaks Collective?

The Plains to Peaks Collective (PPC) is the Colorado and Wyoming Service Hub of the Digital Public Library of America, or DPLA. The Plains to Peaks Collective helps libraries, archives, and museums share unique digital collections with a wider audience. To learn more about the Plains to Peaks Collective, visit ppc.cvlsites.org.

Do I have to share my collection with the Digital Public Library of America through the Plains to Peak Collective?

Yes! The purpose of CVL Collections is to help libraries and cultural heritage organizations reach a wider audience via the Digital Public Library of America’s national platform. Through the DPLA you have the opportunity to increase traffic to your collections and your institution. Participation also allows you to connect your collections with those held by other institution, creating a richer, more complete experience for the end user.

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