Reimagining Discovery

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, focusing on the end user experience and making clear the relationships between archival objects/items and larger collections. Deliverables: ArcLight/new HOLLIS for Archival Discovery UI & Collections Explorer.

• Incorporate AI/ML technologies to offer natural language search, and generative AI features like summarization, while retaining baseline search and browse functions. Deliverable: Collections Explorer.

• Access to digital content, and act as a replacement HOLLIS for Images and Harvard Digital Collections, extending their use cases to meet project goals: full text searching, born digital, GIS, A/V. Deliverable: to be agreed upon at end of Year 1.

• Reimagine metadata pipeline using new technologies from AI/ML. Deliverable: Requirements gathering and scoping for a metadata hub. 

Out of Scope

• Discovery and access to licensed resources (articles, databases) and general collections

Deliverables and Work Products

Key Tasks and Outcomes 

View our Sprint Outcomes and Demos

Definition of Done

Discovery platform, including access to digital assets, is released on production environment and in use by Harvard constituents and the public. 

Stakeholders

The Library Stakeholders are acting as an extended project team, meeting weekly to help inform and prioritize the work.

Technical Project Team

Past Contributors

Estimated Schedule

Project is managed by using the Scrum framework and these phases/milestones will be adjusted. Below is a a high level schedule.

Assumptions, Constraints, Dependencies, and Risks

Project Assumptions

• Stakeholders either have or have identified the appropriate subject matter experts to advise on prioritization of work and other project matters

• Stakeholders will have made available the time required to participate in project activities and to complete tasks as requested

• Project sponsor and other stakeholders are empowered to make the decision required for the project to be a success

• Project sponsor will provide written approval to move forward with system development when requested as part of incremental/iterative system demonstrations

Project Constraints

• Scope - Flexible (all types of digital collections depends on unknowns)

• Time -  Fixed 3 year project 

• Cost - Fixed 3 year budget

Project Dependencies

• ArcLight implementation project

• Media Presentation Service upgrade

• LibraryCloud reimagine or defining a new data pipeline

• DRS Futures project

• Rapidly changing LLM industry

Project Risks

Acceptance

Accepted by: Library Stakeholders August 8 2024. In scope deliverables confirmed and defined April 3 2025 by Library Stakeholders and AUL Executive Sponsors. 

Prepared by: Carolyn Caizzi

Effective Date: August 9 2024