From 2005 through 2010, the University of Kentucky Libraries' Digital Library Services (DLS) was the sole awardee to manage an entirely in-house newspaper digitization methodology. We had been so hands-on with our other digitization and preservation projects that we never considered doing it any other way. How did we do it? We brokered a partnership with iArchives, today known as Footnote, to license their software application framework and management database. From our facilities at the University of Kentucky we created all of the microfilm and digital deliverables. We did it all; from master microfilm duplication to valid NDNP data deliverables. We developed a detailed understanding of every step involved in film-to-digital conversion that provided an incomparable voice at the NDNP table.

We next developed the Hosted/Hybrid production model in 2009. This model allowed us to manage the workflow and metadata in Kentucky as we drew all data processing from the iArchives infrastucture in Utah. This model of production proved so successful that, by early 2011, it was made available to other NDNP awardees (SEE: Arizona Department of Libraries.)

KY-NDNP's hands-on experinece with the iArchives software has brought about customized features to better suit NDNP workflow and output objectives. In turn, KY-NDNP has developed a web interface database tool called the microfilm evaluation tool (filmeval) that works with metadata and workflow management tools developed by iArchives. filmeval allows NDNP awardees to import, export, and store metadata required by NDNP as well as other fields useful to NDNP awardee administrators. This tool is available only to NDNP awardee institutions.

Over the years, our unique perspective and experience have helped other states become NDNP awardees. We hosted meta|morphosis: a university of kentucky film-to-digital institute from 2006-2009. Born from lessons learned during NDNP Phase I (2005-2007), the institute was taught by the KY-NDNP team and guest RFP lecturer, Errol Somay, from awardee institution Library of Virginia. The institute was an annual symposium that covered microfilm basics and scanning; film, newspaper, and imaging evaluation; metadata harvest and creation; infrastructure and production needs; building an RFP, and a host of hands-on exercises. By its third year, attendance to meta|morphosis had become a requirement for many freshmen program awardees. Today, we provide individualized consultations as we prepare the institute for the online environment where, through a series of video tutorials, participants can work at their own pace. (release date pending)