Friday, March 02, 2007

Collaborative Digitization Program to Merge into Bibliographical Center for Research

The press release will be of interest to many people. It looks like a real win-win.



BCR News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sharon Hoffhines - (303) 751-6277 x102, shoffhin@bcr.org

March 1, 2007

CDP to Merge into BCR

Aurora, Colo. - The Collaborative Digitization Program (CDP) and the Bibliographical Center for Research (BCR) today announced their intention for the CDP to merge into BCR, effective April 1. Both organizations provide services to libraries and other cultural heritage organizations throughout a multistate area focused in the West. The digital services programmatic offerings of the merged organizations will be known as CDP@BCR.

The merger of the CDP - with its nationally recognized digitization expertise - into BCR - a multistate library cooperative serving more than 1,100 member libraries - will enable BCR to build new service programs in the area of digitization and reach out to cultural heritage organizations in addition to bringing CDP-based training, best practices and guidelines, and consulting services to member libraries.

Nancy Allen, Chair of the CDP Board and Principal Investigator on most of the CDP-related grants, said, "This is a wonderful opportunity to move CDP to a new level of leadership and service quality, combining its expertise with that of BCR and reaching out to all of BCR's members as well as offering BCR technical capacity and expertise to CDP's cultural heritage community partners and members."

"BCR has an excellent reputation for providing quality training to library staff throughout our 11-state region," commented Brenda Bailey-Hainer, Executive Director of BCR. "The merger of CDP into BCR will allow us to expand our offerings into the area of digital collections using the tested curriculum of CDP and to build on the strengths of both organizations and their staffs. In addition, CDP's past success in securing federal grant funding for cutting edge digital
projects will assist BCR with moving into this arena."

CDP will move from its current offices at the University of Denver to BCR, also based in Colorado, as of April 2, and the CDP Board will dissolve its nonprofit corporation to merge into BCR, also a
not-for-profit corporation. Leigh Grinstead, currently CDP Operations Coordinator, will transition to BCR in a newly created position, CDP Program Coordinator, providing continuity to CDP members and partners. The current cdpheritage.org Web site material will be merged with the
BCR Web site over time. A Digital Services Advisory Group will be formed to advise CDP@BCR on current and new digital services and initiatives. CDP Working Groups will continue to meet to create and update best practices and standards and to assist with future planning for digital
initiatives and grant proposals.

For additional information, contact Brenda Bailey-Hainer, the Executive Director of BCR, at bbailey@bcr.org or (303) 751.6277 or Leigh Grinstead, at leigh.grinstead@du.edu or (303) 871.2006 (before April 1).

The Bibliographical Center for Research (BCR) is a nonprofit, multistate library cooperative that has served the library community since its founding in 1935, providing cost-effective library and information services. Today BCR (http://www.bcr.org/) serves libraries in 42 states, Canada and Guam, many through statewide agreements with state library agencies in 11 western states allowing all libraries in those states to use BCR services as member institutions.

The Collaborative Digitization Program, established in 1999 as the Colorado Digitization Project, enables access to cultural, historical and scientific heritage collections of the West by building collaboration between archives, historical societies, libraries and museums. The CDP (http://www.cdpheritage.org) provides assistance to the cultural heritage community through best practice guidelines, workshops, and digitization grant funding. The CDP also delivers access to thousands of digital photographs, text, and sound files documenting the history, culture, and science of the west through Heritage West.

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