Assessment and Outreach for

Digital Collections
Kate Otto & Kadie Seitz
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Information Studies
Abstract
As digital archives collections become more abundant in institutions advocating education
and information literacy, the Library and Information Science field will need to address
standard methods to measure the assessment and outreach of these resources. Currently,
little scholarship exists in how digital collection outreach, and less research addresses how
managers assess the use and relevancy of digital collections. This poster will use three
unrelated digital collections from the Wisconsin Historical Society, University of Wisconsin -
Milwaukee Archives, and Milwaukee Public Library as cases studies to demonstrate how three
distinct institutions assess and promote a digital resource. The poster will display the
collections' common and unique characteristics, draw connections those digital resources
have to the ways each institution has carried out assessment, and address outreach
measures. Digital collection assessment and outreach is significant to the future of digital
collections as they will only gain importance as research and pedagogical tools.
Wisconsin Historical Society

Description
The Wisconsin Historical Society has had some form
of web presence since 1996.
The WHS website hosts a variety of digital collections
and databases accessible to researchers










Assessment Techniques
Page views in Google Analytics
Carefully monitoring feedback through website
Number of likes, comments and shares on
Facebook postings
Sales numbers for documents in two ecommerce
applications connected to digital collections









Outreach Activities

Uses digital (social media, email and listserv
postings) and analog (direct mail, print material)
means to raise visibility of digital collections
Outreach efforts do not necessarily lead to a
direct increase in traffic counts or revenue
Most effective discover tool is proper search
engine optimization
Milwaukee Public Library

Description
The Milwaukee Public Library hosts 12 digital
collections of its own and 27 other collections from
smaller institutions around Wisconsin
Most successful MPL-owned collection is the
Milwaukee Historic Photo Collection











Assessment Techniques
Page views Google Analytics
Addthis widgit also used to analyze usage












Outreach Activities
Largely outreach is done through digital means
including Facebook, library blogs, Twitter and
Pinterest
New collections are advertised through various
media outlets


University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Description
While the Archives website hosts a variety of
collections, the March on Milwaukee collection proves
to be one of the most popular
More than half of site views come from Milwaukee
area, Madison, Chicago and Waukesha areas
Usability problems remain

Assessment Techniques
Page views in Google Analytics
Carefully monitor feedback through the Web Sites
Feedback section
Facebook and other social media are rarely used
Personal conversations with colleagues and
community members

Outreach Activities
Grant writing is the main source of funding for
specific digital collections
Connects with Milwaukee Public Schools students
and teachers, who visit the libraries for in-person
instruction sessions