Digital Content Initiative FAQs - FAQs for the DIMC booking sunset

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FAQs for the DIMC booking sunset

A growing list of critical questions and answers related to the coming Digital Content Initiative in BVSD

Sunsetting the DIMC Booking Operation

FAQs

UPDATES

Release 1

Release 2

TIMELINE QUESTIONS

1. When is the close down scheduled to occur?

July 1, 2009.

2. How long has this closure been planned and communicated?

We have been announcing and discussing the closure of the DIMC (beginning with its downsizing and eventual closure) for more than 2 and a half years. It has been announced in writing, in emails, in newsletters, and in repeated tech contact and teacher-librarian district meetings; it has been discussed by content area directors for 4 years; and we have twice sat down with exective BVEA leadership to discuss the ramifications of this closure for teachers. In addition, we took care to meet personally with and interview the chief customers of the DIMC about their concerns.

RESOURCE QUESTIONS

1. What will happen to the current media resources housed in the DIMC?

The answer depends upon the resource and its popularity/circulation to schools. So far, here is what to expect:

- First, we willl attempt to contact the publishers of the most popular resources and seek permission to render to digital format, or pay for a digital copy that will run on the new system; these will be retained and served to schools via the new platform

- Very popular resources that cannot be converted to digital format will be maintained and circulated either through the affected content department (e.g., special ed), through the FOSS center (e.g. skeletons), through a published library location (e.g., a high school library that can lend out to other schools), or through other means

- Most unused resources will be surplused using a process similar to last year, when we downsized and moved the DIMC

HERE IS HOW IT WILL WORK SPECIFICALLY:

Retention/Removal TIERS

Tier 1: Must have, we strongly encourage the digital content initiative to find a digital version

Expected subcategories:

NOT AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL FORMAT

AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL LICENSING, BUT WE MUST CONVERT

AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL LICENSING AT A SPECIFIED COST (low, moderate, expensive, or annualized)

NOT RELEVANT: NEW DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE SAME ITEM OR ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE

Tier 2: Would like to have, but need is not as high as tier 1

Expected subcategories: same as Tier 1

Tier 3: Delete from collection – give media specialists and teachers opportunity to keep at their school

Expected subcategories:

DEPARTMENT HOUSED AND CIRCULATED

KEY SCHOOL LIBRARY LOCATION HOUSED AND CIRCULATED

SCHOOL LIBRARIAN SELECTION -- HOUSED AND CIRCULATED

NOT RELEVANT: NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE SAME ITEM OR ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE

INDIVIDUAL TEACHER SELECTION TABLE

DISTRICT SURPLUS -- UNSELECTED ITEMS

Tier 4: So outdated or inappropriate that it should be deleted completely

PROCESS QUESTIONS

1. Is this a good idea--to close down the DIMC booking operation?

The DIMC operation has not been in high demand by schools and teachers in general. Its usage continues to drop. Here are some lesser-known facts:

- Before we downsized the DIMC and moved it to its current location (it is now half of its previous size), we studied its usage and circulation patterns. We discovered that only 20% of the entire collection was checked out to schools four or more times per year. That means 80% of its housed resources were rarely checked out.

- Usage continues to decrease since the move.

- Before we downsized the DIMC last year, we sent a retired teacher to interview the most frequent customers of the DIMC. They all saw the need for proceeding to a new paradigm in digital content--provided that I.T. ensures that it works reliably. To see a summary of these BVSD teacher research findings, click here.

2. Will the digital content resource be in place by the time the DIMC disappears?

- For most schools, no. The DIMC shuts down in July, 2009, yet the digital content resources will be available in pilot schools only(perhaps 8-10 schools out of 50 schools) in the fall of the 2009-2010 school year. The remaining schools will come on board in January, 2010, as bandwidth arrives.

- Many schools will need to get by until January 2010, but given the low use fo the DIMC, we are trusting this will be a minor inconvenience and have contingency plans in development.

- Still, it makes no sense to run the expensive DIMC operation for such a small fraction of users.

BUDGET QUESTIONS

1. What will happen to the budget resources that currently support the DIMC after it is closed?

Most budget dollars will be redirected to purchase annual subscriptions to high-quality digital content. Some funds will be employed to manage this transition to digital content. The remaining funds will be returned to BVSD to support coming budget reductions.

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