The Special Collections Research Center Digital Lab identifies and implements digital library initiatives that support teaching and research and makes unique holdings available to the world. As a part of its mission, the Digital Lab administers the Kentucky Digital Library and ExploreUK. This includes managing system infrastructure, developing search interface, and preserving metadata and digital archival objects.
Digital Lab
110 Margaret I. King Building
University of Kentucky Libraries
Lexington, KY 40506-0039
Current Digitization Projects: Tracks the progress of in-progress projects and lists targeted and recently digitized collections.
Explore UK: Features a growing collection of digital objects created from the rare and unique holdings of the University of Kentucky Libraries and its campus partners. Digital objects and infrastructure are managed by UK Digital Library Services.
Kentucky Digital Library: Aims to enhance scholarship, research, and lifelong learning through the establishment of access to shared digital archival collections in the state of Kentucky. Digital objects and infrastructure are managed by UK Digital Library Services.
Kentucky National Digital Newspaper Program: Documents Kentucky’s role in the National Digital Newspaper Program, whose mission is to fund and make available online historic newspapers from all fifty U.S. States and its territories.
Kyleidoscope: An initiative of the Kentucky Virtual Library that seeks to create convenient avenues for educators to access primary sources regarding the history of Kentucky.
The preservation of digital assets created by the University of Kentucky Libraries is essential to maintaining appropriate access to the unique library holdings now and into the future. A simple definition of digital preservation is the long-term maintenance of a file sufficient to reproduce a facsimile of the original document and for the continued accessibility of the document through time and changing technology. We have made a commitment to employing intelligent approaches to preserving our digital content through digital curation, the process of establishing and developing long-term repositories of digital assets for current and future reference by researchers, scientists, and historians, and scholars generally. Within the digital curation model, we have established an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) repository developed utilizing the University of California’s Micro Services model. With its modular approach and reliance on a file system surrounded by digital curation services, we believe that the Micro Services model allows us to remain agile with the changing tide of digital technologies while also keeping our data accessible through both mediated and direct unmediated access via the file system store.
Sarah Dorpinghaus.
