Table of Contents
Vision
Revolutionize how researchers, students, and the global community access and explore Harvard's extensive collections, making all kinds of information easily discoverable and accessible.
Project Goals
- Enhance user experience
- Improve discovery and accessibility of special and archival collections and all types of digital collections including but not limited to image, text, audio, video, born digital, immersive (3d, XR, VR, MR), GIS, etc.
- Integrate distinct digital collections discovery platforms, including developing a new one
- Investigate and use AI-powered tools to enhance user experience and metadata
Problem and Value Statements
Problem Statement
Since its founding, Harvard Library has been a guardian of the University’s memory and a gateway to the world's knowledge. We currently host an array of discovery systems that use different design approaches, organizational priorities, and technology standards. Scholars and the public expect to be able to find trustworthy information and discover resources easily regardless of the system that is managing and providing access to it.
Solution Business Value
By enabling rich cross-collection search, this project will offer end users intuitive, contextual discovery of special collections, archives and digital collections, through a mix of conversational interfaces, browsing that emphasizes the visual nature of materials when appropriate, and recommendations for similar or related resources, all informed by ongoing user research.
Alignment with Harvard Library Multi-Year Goals and Objectives
This projects aligns with FY 24 HL Goals:
- Diversify and expand access to knowledge
Maximize the breadth of tangible and digital collections across Harvard and peer institutions, for the benefit of all partners
Increase our focus on acquiring, accessing, and creating digital content that is accessible to all, as open as possible, and permits creative uses of collections as data
Invest in open access infrastructure and services that support equitable, sustainable models for scholarly communication and open knowledge
Scope
In Scope
- Cross collection search for special and archival collections, including digital content using natural language search, generative AI features, and ability to browse
- Replace HOLLIS for Images and Harvard Digital Collections, extending their use cases to meet project goals: full text searching, born digital, GIS, A/V
- Reimagine metadata pipeline using new technologies from AI/ML
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