Digital Project Planning Worksheet
This worksheet aligns with the seven focus areas of Recollection Wisconsin’s Digital Readiness Levels. For detailed guidance on any section, refer to the Recollection Wisconsin Digital Readiness Toolkit.
Note: You may not have all of the answers at hand at the start of a project, and that’s ok! Treat this worksheet as an outline of the key components you should prepare for as your project evolves, and a space to record decisions as your project progresses.
See an example of how the African American Museum of Oakland (CA) filled out the Digital Project Planning Worksheet.
Focus Area 1: Plan and Prioritize
Why Digitize?
| What are your primary goals for this digital project? Many of these may fit, but select the 2 or 3 MOST IMPORTANT goals or objectives. | |
|---|---|
| Improve internal access and intellectual control (e.g. inventory) | Generate revenue (e.g. sell reproductions) |
| Improve public access to frequently-used items | Use in programs (e.g. exhibits, presentations) |
| Improve public access to “hidden” or inaccessible items | Use by teachers and students |
| Protect fragile or at-risk items | Other: |
How will this project support your organization’s mission or strategic plan? If your organization doesn’t have a mission or strategic plan, how does the project fit with your current services and offerings?
Who will this project serve? Is the project significant to the community? Does the digitization project serve the community?
In one or two sentences, how would you describe the significance of this project to a board member, funder, or community members?
Digital Project Prioritization
| No | Maybe/ Unsure |
Yes | Absolutely! | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value: Is there interest or value in these materials for genealogists, educators, researchers, community members, or other identified audiences? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Value: Do the materials contribute new voices or perspectives to the historical record (for example, materials document historically underrepresented groups in our community)? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Information context: Is there enough information available to add useful context (we know or can find out names of people, locations, dates)? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Availability: Are the materials unique and not already available online? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Legal/Ethical issues: Are the materials in the public domain (or we can get permission from the copyright holder) and there are no privacy concerns or other barriers to putting them online? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Condition: Are the materials in high-risk, deteriorating formats, particularly audiovisual recordings on media like audiocassettes, VHS tapes, CDs, or DVDs? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| TOTAL SCORE: |
18 – 24 points: High priority for digitization
12 – 17 points: Medium priority
6 – 11 points: Low priority
Scope and Scale
| What types of materials will be included in this project? Check all that apply. | |
|---|---|
| Photographs, postcards, or other im