History of BCR’s CDP
In April 2007, the CDP merged into the Bibliographical Center for Research (BCR) to create BCR’s CDP. The new merged initiative allows our members to deepen their knowledge of digitization tools and practices, while simultaneously bringing BCR services to cultural heritage institutions. Together, CDP and BCR have the tools and collective knowledge base to help you power your library, archive or cultural heritage institution.
Originally, CDP began as the Colorado Digitization Project and was funded by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant through the Colorado State Library. It was later renamed the Collaborative Digitization Program (remaining CDP) because of the extensive work being done in multiple states. Also in that year, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded CDP a National Leadership Grant to Libraries for Library Museum Collaboration. Subsequent grants from IMLS, the National Endowment for the Humanities, LSTA and the Colorado Historical Society’s State Historical Fund have made it possible for CDP to continue working with partners in Colorado as well as expanding efforts beyond Colorado and Wyoming to collaborate with partners in 10 Western states, including Arizona, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah.
Working Groups
From the start, a major part of the CDP’s contribution to digitization and digital projects management has been its working group infrastructure. By bringing together the brightest minds and practitioners from archives, historical societies, libraries and museums, the CDP has been able to create extensive Best Practice documents and guidelines. These documents help guide digitization efforts and are an invaluable tool for assisting cultural heritage practitioners in the planning and implementation of digital projects. CDP’s goal is to reach out to the cultural heritage community and provide services and resources to help in the ongoing stewardship of vital materials.
Digitization Training
Integral to BCR’s digitization program is the development of staff skills in our member institutions. We have a wide training curriculum geared toward digitization and digital projects, and we offer a variety of training options including classroom, teleconferences, and Web-based courses. By partnering with BCR, your staff can deepen their digitization skills and help maximize your digital collections. Please consult our training schedule for more information about course offerings.
