Central Methodist University is a small, private university in rural Missouri, with a rich and curious history. This is reflected in the Library's Archives and Special Collections, but unfortunately due to the fragility and uniqueness of the materials, they could not be shared with the Library's wider community of students, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni.
Happily, this was changed with the arrival of a grant for the Consortium on Digital Resources for Teaching and Learning, which allowed us to scan, add, and share our collection in SharedShelf Commons (http://www.sscommons.org/openlibrary), where our items could be shared via single platform and Creative Commons License with like-minded institutions. Later, the addition of Omeka.net to our digital archives program allowed us to construct digital exhibits at http://cmuspecialcollections.omeka.net, that could compliment our physical exhibits of Archives and Special Collections items.
In our talk, we'll highlight the process of building a digital archives, including topics like engaging students, alumni and faculty, wrangling with technology, and plans for the future.