A presentation from the JISC conference New Strategies for Digital Content, 18 March 2011, London By Nancy Maron http://digitisation.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2010/12/09

1. Sustainability Myths:Updates to the Ithaka Case Studies in Sustainability Nancy Maron Ithaka S+R March 18, 2011

3. JSTOR helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive of over 1,000 academic journals and other content. JSTOR uses information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship.

5. University Publishing

6. Teaching and Learning

7. Practices and Attitudes

9. For those digital resources that will require ongoing support… Sustainability is… ….the ability to generate or gain access to the resources—financial or otherwise—needed to protect and increase the value of the content or service for those who use it.

10. A multi-year, international approach …followed by 12 case studies and a summary report. Sustaining Digital Resources: An On-the-Ground View of Projects Today (2009) A survey of revenue models and ‘mindsets’… Sustainability and Revenue Models for Online Academic Resources (2008) With funding from JISC/SCA, NEH and NSF. With funding from JISC and the Strategic Content Alliance

11. Ithaka S+R Case Studies in Sustainability (2009) 12 digital resources in the UK and abroad Projects based in academia and cultural heritage organisations Interviews with project leaders on their strategies for engaging users, forging partnerships, and generating revenues Thumbnails of financial data Work commissioned by the JISC-led Strategic Content Alliance, with assistance from NEH and NSF

12. Budget Snapshots Budgeted versus Unbudgeted Costs Revenues Costs

13. What steps were strong projects taking? Empower leadership to define the mission and take action Create a strong value proposition Creatively manage costs Cultivate diverse sources of revenue Establish realistic goals and a system of accountability

14. Why did we decide to go back now? Just as we were finishing our research, financial crisis struck (fall 2008) Since then, the landscape for funding in higher education and cultural heritage has changed quickly In the US, budget cuts for NEH ($22mil), IMLS ($20mil); NSDL program at NSF ($16.5mil) In the UK, deep cuts to HE sector; quangos closed; funding reduced Political upheaval: One case study in Egypt We wanted to see how the models had held up, and where weaknesses might be starting to show

15. To update the case studies we: Re-interviewed the principal investigators at each project Asked what has changed in the past two years Followed up on initiatives that were in early stages in 2008 Revisited our hypotheses about what actions are most important in order to develop projects that are built to last.

16. How are the projects faring today? Many projects have faced severe budget cuts Revenue models underperforming A project based on partnership, at risk when partner is at risk An endowment model, not hitting targets Low cost labor model (Cairo), at risk due to political upheaval …as well as some bright spots

17. Creative a strong value proposition … by paying close attention to users and making tough choices Zeroing in on core value, and shedding the rest. Southampton’s decision to focus efforts on fine digitization and sell off high speed scanner Renaming to better communicate its function with audience From BOPCRIS to Library Digitisation Centre

18. Creatively managing costs …and investing in ‘affordable innovation’. Continuing to add new content and implement interface changes eBird (and INA) Partnering with a third-party mobile app developer; developer bears start-up costs and project takes revenue share Simply staying operational is not the goal ‘We try to plan for one big innovation per year’

19. Cultivating diverse sources of revenue …even when the landscape is challenging. As library budgets decline, finding alternate channels for revenue from audiences that value the resource Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Started individual membership model, providing Kindle- and iPad-ready formatted PDFs of entries Seeking to reach users in new parts of the world DigiZeitschriften: in Asia, Israel, and elsewhere

20. Establishing goals and accountability …and communicating those goals to administrators and funders. Outreach activities seen as mission-critical, both to external and internal stakeholders Electronic Enlightenment: ‘Road show’ campaign to engage with more users Other projects communicating with administrators, continuing to serve on funding agency review panels, and other means of staying in touch with the community.

21. Overall, what strategies seem most important? Host support is more important than ever Creative and diversified revenue strategies Strong value proposition Based on an understanding of user needs Aligning costs with value proposition Communicating this to stakeholders

22. 6 Myths of Sustainability Myths? Assumptions? Wishful thinking? …or true?

23. Myth #1: “This project will be inexpensive to sustain… …so it doesn’t need a sustainability plan.” Where we’ve heard this What we’re seeing Digitization projects Community-contributed projects Institutional repositories Costs for ongoing care are often not considered early enough in project planning Cost stressors for libraries supporting IRs

24. But some basic steps are well within reach for any project Define GOALS Build plan to secure needed REVENUE Determine needed RESOURCE Identify ACTIVITIES

25. Myth #2: “Not disappearing” = sustainability Where we’ve heard this What we’re seeing Funder language that sets too low a bar Projects that emphasize simply longevity over longterm impact Projects that may be “findable” online, but are not being updated, and are quickly falling out of use. The recent case of Transcribe Bentham

26. “I don’t envisage Transcribe Bentham ever disappearing from the Web… It’s the backup we can give it which is in danger of disappearing toward the end of the year—that active involvement and relationship with users which the research staff has built up.” --Philip Schofied, Director “Facing Budget Woes, Prominent Crowdsourcing Project Will Scale Back,”Chronicle of Higher Education, March 11, 2011

27. Myth #3: Deposit = sustainability Where we’ve heard this Closed ended projects Research projects Funders What we’re seeing Low deposit compliance rates Shuttered services (AHDS) Recent news about the sunsetting of the National Science Foundation’s NSDL program (and funding for its platform via Technical Network Services)

28. Myth #4: “The host institution will take care of it” Where we’ve heard this This is often the default sustainability plan for digital resource projects Funders, too, rely heavily on the ongoing largesse of host institutions What we’re seeing This is often the case today, but with universities under increasing budget pressure, will it hold? How can project leaders express their value to the host?

29. Myth #5: “Outreach is a luxury we cannot affordwhen budgets are tight” Where we’ve heard this Funders cutting spend on communications activities Some projects with small staff or budget cuts What we’re seeing Electronic Enlightenment’s ‘road show’ effort and press marketing partnership SEP and other outreach efforts

30. Myth #6: “My core audience would be horrifiedif we charged anything” Where we’ve heard this Museums, libraries and archives with long-standing public access or preservation missions Organisations providing digital content for K-12 teaching Resources that depend on volunteers for contributed content What we’re seeing INA’s freemium model Brainpop and other online teaching resources that target teacher materials budgets SEP’s individual membership model

31. Some concluding thoughts There is no one “right” sustainability model. Projects often experiment to find what will work best and devise hybrid models. Taking a good look at what ongoing activities and costs will be is a good first step in sustainability planning. Creating value for users and other stakeholders is vital, regardless of the specific revenue models in place. Many projects rely heavily on host support, but it is not clear that these arrangements are formal or reliable. Making the switch from a “research project” to an “operational resource” is one of the most difficult but important challenges projects face.

33. Thank you. Nancy Maron nancy.maron@ithaka.org