The Digital Commonwealth collection development policy provides clear guidelines to help Massachusetts cultural heritage institutions evaluate their materials for digitization and contribution to the statewide platform. This policy ensures consistency in collection scope while supporting institutions in making informed decisions about their digitization priorities. The collection development policy serves as a planning resource for institutions by addressing:

• Selection of materials
• Metadata requirements
• Access conditions
• What types of institutions may contribute materials
• Prioritization of collections
• Best practices for digitization and description
• Responsibilities for contributors
• Copyright
• Retention and removal

View the Digital Commonwealth collection development policy (PDF).

Questions About the Policy?

Our team is available to discuss how policy guidelines apply to your specific collections and institutional context. Contact digital@bpl.org for consultation about collection development planning and digitization strategies.