Purpose, Mission, and Scope

OHSU’s Digital Collections serve to document the University’s scholarly output as well as the history of the institution and health science practices through a diverse array of materials. The Digital Collections Development Policy provides guidance for the overall collecting and maintenance of these digital materials and follows the Library Collection Development Policy; however, some records may be governed by collection-specific policies, such as the Historical Collections & Archives (HC&A) Collection Development Policy.

The Digital Collections and this policy are maintained under the guidance of the Digital Collections Working Group.

Collection Content and Selection Criteria

The Library acquires materials representing OHSU’s scholarly and creative outputs, including theses, dissertations, research posters, manuscripts and presentations. The Library also provides access to digitized reproductions of historical materials and digital files from archival acquisitions.

Collections and materials selected for inclusion will meet the academic, research and documentary needs of OHSU. All materials will also follow best practices for making digital content accessible. The value and interest of the materials to OHSU and the wider community are the primary criteria for inclusion. Selection of content for inclusion is also contingent upon resources available to undertake projects. Other considerations include the condition of material, the need for digital reformatting to enable access, and whether a duplicate digital copy exists.

Historical materials are collected according to the HC&A Collection Development Policy and abide by the terms of the HC&A Donation Policy.

Submissions to Digital Collections must be authored, produced or sponsored by OHSU faculty, staff, alumni, students or volunteers, or by members of OHSU-affiliated organizations. Works created by users unaffiliated with OHSU may be deposited into Digital Collections if the work is related to an OHSU-sponsored publication, grant-funded project or event, or adheres to the HC&A Collection Development Policy.