Request for Proposal - Digitization Strategy

The Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre is seeking a consultant to help us create a digitization strategy for our archival collection. This strategy will serve as the basis for managing our digital assets and the future digitization of our archival collection. The aim of this strategy is to outline steps and procedures the RMDC needs in order to manage its digital archive and the digitization of the multimedia collection. The strategy will also need to identify digitization priorities and help guide the timeline and planning for future digitization.

Proposals should be received by 4 pm PDT on June 17th, 2022

Scope of Work

The consultant will work with our Collections Manager and archives staff to evaluate our current digital assets and public accessibility/storage needs for the RMDC’s multimedia collection. Through the (ideal) combination of in-person and online discussions, the consultant will produce a comprehensive digitization strategy, including:

• Technical specifications for digitization

• Digital storage and management plan, including supply needs

• List of priority items to digitize based on community interest, upcoming exhibits, condition, and internal research

• Short and Long term plans for public access, including public usage fee structure considerations

• Copyright issues/constraints and solutions

• Cyber security/storage & recovery solutions

• Action Plan to break the project into manageable sections, including human resources, software/hardware, and budget needs

Collection Details: 

The archival collection contains approximately 600 linear feet of textual records, ledgers, and newspapers, as well as a multimedia collection. The primary focus for the RMDC going forward is digitizing the multimedia collection as well as other key pieces in the archival collection such as editions of The Rossland Miner newspaper from 1896 - 1972.

The Multimedia Collection consists primarily of photographs, negatives, slides, 8mm film reels and audio reels, but also includes VHS, cassettes, microfilm, and dictaphone belts. The collection contains approximately 12,000 individual pieces that break down as follows.

• 50 8 mm film reels of varying lengths

• 30 VHS tapes

• 70+ audio reels

• 30 cassette tapes

• 20 microfilm reels/sheets

• 7 dictaphone belts

• 800 slides

• 1000+ negatives

• Approx. 10,000 photographs

Key Dates:

• Proposed Start Date: July 6th, 2022

• Digitization Strategy Completion: August 31st, 2022

Questions & Submissions are to be emailed to:

Sara Wright, Collections Manager
collections@rosslandmuseum.ca 
(250) 362-7722

This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Museums Assistance Program.