Wesleyan’s Digital Collections are living collections — new content is continually added as it aligns with our mission and priorities. The collections currently include ~15,000 items across 60 collections, spanning materials dating from 1100 to the present. Though it represents a small portion of library holdings, the digital collections encompass formats from books and manuscripts to audio, video, and images — reflecting the full scope of our holdings in digital form.
View our Rights + Re-Use statement
View our Content policy + take-down notice
Every decision about what to digitize, describe, and publish is guided by the Digital Library Collection Development Policy, developed and maintained by Digital Initiatives in collaboration with collection managers, library staff, and Wesleyan scholars.
About the Collections
Wesleyan’s Digital Collections are living collections — new content is continually added as it aligns with our mission and priorities. The collections currently include ~15,000 items across 60 collections, spanning materials dating from 1100 to the present. Though it represents a small portion of library holdings, the digital collections encompass formats from books and manuscripts to audio, video, and images — reflecting the full scope of our holdings in digital form.
View our Rights + Re-Use statement
View our Content policy + take-down notice
Every decision about what to digitize, describe, and publish is guided by the Digital Library Collection Development Policy, developed and maintained by Digital Initiatives in collaboration with collection managers, library staff, and Wesleyan scholars.
Wesleyan University Library’s Digital Initiatives department creates and stewards digital collections that support campus research, teaching, and preservation goals. We digitize, describe, and publish primarily Wesleyan-owned, 2D, paper-based or transmissive materials. The department also supports digital preservation and manages select born-digital and legacy digital materials.
Digital Initiatives Staff
Francesca Baird, Head of Digital Initiatives
Charlie Coffey, Visual Resources Curator
Grace Johnson-DeBaufre, Digital Asset Coordinator
Megan St. Lawrence, Library Assistant V / Cataloging & Digital Initiatives
Questions about the collections or a digitization project? We welcome consultations with patrons using our digital collections for scholarly work and with researchers managing their own digital materials.
About Digital Initiatives
Wesleyan University Library’s Digital Initiatives department creates and stewards digital collections that support campus research, teaching, and preservation goals. We digitize, describe, and publish primarily Wesleyan-owned, 2D, paper-based or transmissive materials. The department also supports digital preservation and manages select born-digital and legacy digital materials.
Digital Initiatives Staff
Francesca Baird, Head of Digital Initiatives
Charlie Coffey, Visual Resources Curator
Grace Johnson-DeBaufre, Digital Asset Coordinator
Megan St. Lawrence, Library Assistant V / Cataloging & Digital Initiatives
Questions about the collections or a digitization project? We welcome consultations with patrons using our digital collections for scholarly work and with researchers managing their own digital materials.
In the Digital Initiatives Lab at Olin Library we digitize physical library collection materials, focusing on Wesleyan University-owned, 2-dimensional, paper-based. The lab also handles digital preservation and manages select born-digital and legacy digital objects. Day-to-day operations are managed by Grace Johnson-DeBaufre with support from student assistants.
The lab accepts patron requests for research and publication-level digitization as time allows. For non-Wesleyan patrons, a one-time charge of $20 per gigabyte applies, with a minimum charge of $5.
The Digital Initiatives Lab
In the Digital Initiatives Lab at Olin Library we digitize physical library collection materials, focusing on Wesleyan University-owned, 2-dimensional, paper-based. The lab also handles digital preservation and manages select born-digital and legacy digital objects. Day-to-day operations are managed by Grace Johnson-DeBaufre with support from student assistants.
The lab accepts patron requests for research and publication-level digitization as time allows. For non-Wesleyan patrons, a one-time charge of $20 per gigabyte applies, with a minimum charge of $5.
Metadata for digital objects at Wesleyan is built upon community standards and best practices in order to optimize our records for sharing and to facilitate data exchange with partners like the Internet Archive (IA) and HathiTrust (HT). To ensure consistency across our diverse repositories, we utilize a metadata profile application that establishes unified documentation and schema standards. Because metadata and technology are constantly evolving, the Wesleyan metadata application profile (WesMAP) is maintained and annually reviewed by the Digital Initiatives Department to adapt to the changing practices. By anchoring our workflows in these living frameworks, we enhance the discoverability and long-term preservation of Wesleyan’s unique digital assets.
Metadata & Interoperability
Metadata for digital objects at Wesleyan is built upon community standards and best practices in order to optimize our records for sharing and to facilitate data exchange with partners like the Internet Archive (IA) and HathiTrust (HT). To ensure consistency across our diverse repositories, we utilize a metadata profile application that establishes unified documentation and schema standards. Because metadata and technology are constantly evolving, the Wesleyan metadata application profile (WesMAP) is maintained and annually reviewed by the Digital Initiatives Department to adapt to the changing practices. By anchoring our workflows in these living frameworks, we enhance the discoverability and long-term preservation of Wesleyan’s unique digital assets.
Digital Initiatives encompasses both Digital Collections — the library’s primary platform for publishing and providing access to digitized and born-digital materials — and WesScholar, the suite of services that supports Wesleyan scholars in depositing and sharing their own research outputs. WesScholar, including figshare – our platform for sharing self-submitted scholarly works and data - is provided and supported by the University Library in partnership with Information Technology Services.
WesScholar & Self-Submission
Digital Initiatives encompasses both Digital Collections — the library’s primary platform for publishing and providing access to digitized and born-digital materials — and WesScholar, the suite of services that supports Wesleyan scholars in depositing and sharing their own research outputs. WesScholar, including figshare – our platform for sharing self-submitted scholarly works and data - is provided and supported by the University Library in partnership with Information Technology Services.
Digital Initiatives is fortunate to work alongside outstanding partners across the library, campus, and beyond.
Partners in the Library
- Archaeology & Anthropology Collections
- Davison Art Collection
- East Asian Art & Archival Collection
- Music Library & World Music Archives
- Special Collections
- University Archives
Partners in ITS
- Academic Technology
- Network Services
Partners across Campus
- Communications
- Wesleyan University Press
The work of Digital Initiatives would not be possible without the contributions of the talented students, interns, and staff who have brought skill and care to digitizing, preserving, and providing access to Wesleyan’s unique holdings. We are grateful to each of them.
Partners & Acknowledgments
Digital Initiatives is fortunate to work alongside outstanding partners across the library, campus, and beyond.
Partners in the Library
- Archaeology & Anthropology Collections
- Davison Art Collection
- East Asian Art & Archival Collection
- Music Library & World Music Archives
- Special Collections
- University Archives
Partners in ITS
- Academic Technology
- Network Services
Partners across Campus
- Communications
- Wesleyan University Press
The work of Digital Initiatives would not be possible without the contributions of the talented students, interns, and staff who have brought skill and care to digitizing, preserving, and providing access to Wesleyan’s unique holdings. We are grateful to each of them.