Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the use of digital collections created via the large-scale digitization of archival collections. The large-scale digitization method specifically examined is the reuse of archival description from finding aids to create digital collections that consist mainly of compound digital objects, equivalent to a folder of items, minimally described at the aggregate level. This paper compares Web analytics data for two large-scale digital collections and one digital collection with rich, item-level description.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzed one year of Web analytics for three digital collections. The main research question of this study is: Are digital collections of minimally described compound objects used less than digital collections of richly described single objects?

Findings

This study found that the large-scale digital collections analyzed received less use than the traditional item-level collection, when examined at the item level. At the object level, the large-scale collections did not always receive less use than the traditional item-level collection.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to three different digital collections from one institution. Web analytics also represent a limited interpretation of “use.”

Practical implications

This study presents a method for other institutions to assess their own large-scale digitization efforts and contributes to the profession’s understanding of the impact of large-scale digitization.

Originality/value

This paper is unique because it uses Web analytics to compare the use of large-scale digital collections to the use of traditional boutique digital collections.

中文翻译：

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使用Web分析评估大规模数字化

目的

本研究的目的是评估通过档案馆藏的大规模数字化创建的数字馆藏的使用。专门检查的大规模数字化方法是重用档案描述，从寻找辅助工具到创建主要由复合数字对象组成的数字馆藏，这些复合物相当于一个项目文件夹，在汇总级别上需要最少描述。本文比较了两个大型数字馆藏和一个具有丰富项目级描述的数字馆藏的Web分析数据。

设计/方法/方法

这项研究分析了一年的Web分析中的三个数字馆藏。这项研究的主要研究问题是：使用最少描述的复合对象的数字馆藏是否比使用简单描述的单个对象的数字馆藏少？

发现

这项研究发现，在项目级别进行检查时，所分析的大型数字馆藏的使用率低于传统的项目级收藏。在对象级别，大型集合的使用并不总是比传统项目级别的集合少。

研究局限/意义

这项研究仅限于来自一个机构的三个不同的数字馆藏。Web分析还代表了对“使用”的有限解释。

实际影响

这项研究为其他机构提供了一种评估自己的大规模数字化成果的方法，并有助于该专业人士理解大规模数字化的影响。

创意/价值

本文是独特的，因为它使用Web分析将大型数字馆藏的使用与传统精品数字馆藏的使用进行比较。