The state of practice and use of digital collections: The digital public library of America as a platform for research

In 2016, Digital Public Library of America is celebrating the third year of its cultural heritage metadata aggregator service. Since its launch, the DPLA collection has grown to represent over 13 million objects and over 1900 institutions, from small historical societies to large research libraries. With onramps, or hubs, in over 20 states, DPLA is well on its way to complete the coverage map by the end of 2017. As it continues to build this amazing dataset, DPLA is taking the time to examine what lessons are to be learned from this unprecedented resource, as the organization's sustainability is directly tied to how the collection grows, how it measures use, and proving its value to the communities it serves. What does this collection data tell us about the state of bibliographic holdings information, and the knowledge and skills and abilities of those who create records, not just for local use, but for use in other environments and contexts? How well does the metadata perform when it leaves its original context? Working with colleagues at Europeana, DPLA has begun investigating and addressing the problematic issues regarding access and reuse of digital objects in the collective by examining current ways rights are expressed in the metadata, working towards standardization of this information. Ms. Frick will discuss DPLA's rights work, as well as other potential areas of research and DPLA's strategy for future growth.