June 2012 DPLA Update From John Palfrey

In a June 2012 video update, Steering Committee Chair John Palfrey recapped April’s DPLA West plenary meeting in San Francisco and outlined plans and goals for the DPLA’s anticipated launch in April 2013.

Coming out of conversations among the DPLA’s six workstreams at the April plenary meeting, the Steering Committee has made three important decisions regarding the framework and agenda for the upcoming year: (1) maintain open meetings guidelines to encourage participation from the wider public; (2) establish the DPLA as an independent 501(c)(3) organization; and (3) begin the search for an executive director for the DPLA.

The Steering Committee plans to have a concrete destination for the DPLA by next April—a usable site that will clearly convey a sense of the library’s online experience. The site will serve as a prototype, substantiated in code and populated with a range of digitized materials including books, images, and soundfiles, to demonstrate the breadth of what can be made available. Initial steps toward creating a tangible experience will be seen in a joint virtual exhibition between the DPLA and Europeana that will examine migration and immigration between Europe and the United States.

The DPLA welcomes and encourages the ideas, creativity, and energy of anyone interested in this ambitious endeavor. Come join our growing community!