Koç University aims to provide necessary services in the highest quality by conducting digitization projects that supports educational, academic and research requirements. The aim of the digitization is to make resources accessible for users without location limitations. In this regard, this policy determines the procedures and methods, technical infrastructure and standards to be applied in the process of digitization of the university’s intellectual outputs, materials considered to be in the scope of cultural heritage and archival resources that are needed to be digitized.

In this context;

• Aims to digitize, serve and preserve the records according to international standards,
• Aims to enhance the accessibility, visibility, usability and impact of the collections,
• The standards and other procedures to be applied in the collection are determined by the subject and archive specialists in the collection-project based groups.
• With digitization it is aimed to preserve all the worn, rare and fragile archival materials which resolves the problem of accessibility of those materials.

This policy covers all the materials including intellectual and cultural outcomes of Koç University faculty members and students as academic articles, masters and phd thesis and artistic productions; photographs, slides, maps, documents, books, rare books in the archives of Koç University Suna Kıraç Library and branch libraries; all audio and visual materials, born-digital documents and websites (with permanent links) about Koç University and members and departments related to Koç University.

Library Archives contains the archives in Suna Kıraç Library and Libraries of ANAMED, VEKAM and AKMED. The decision of the selection, elimination, cleaning and digitization of all types of archival materials acquired by purchase or donation, are made by the Digitization Committee with the approval of the Library Director.

In this context, during the digitization processes of the collections the Committee is in charge of applying international standards to the subject materials, monitoring the processes and setting the specifications of preserving and storing the archival materials both physically and digitally.

Digitization projects are conducted by the members of Suna Kıraç Library Digitization Committee with the knowledge and management of Library Directorate. The responsibilities of the Digitization Committee are as it follows;

• Examining and selection of the collections to be digitized,
• Conducting inventory works,
• Physical cleaning and reservations,
• Implementation of scanning operations,
• Monitoring digital cleaning, formation, preservation and backup processes,
• Setting technical infrastructure,
• Setting metadata fields,
• Creating bibliographic records of the archival material over library automation system,
• Creating the contents of the websites,
• Responding collection material usage requests,
• Enhancing digitization related policies, standards, applications and procedures,
• Evaluating and seeking possible collaborations,
• Preparing educational documents and provide training

Our fundamental principles are as follows;

• Library Archives have the right to eliminate the physical or digital archival materials with extra copies, if the subject materials are both available in physical and digital format. The approval of Library Directorate is required for this operation.
• Material classification codes for physical archival materials in the Library Archives that determined by Library should be applied in various standards.
• Material classification codes should be applicable and identical for both physical and digital copies in order to match, find and use the materials efficiently.
• All the materials both in physical and digital format which are acquired to Library Archives will be preserves as their original condition; the necessary format change and technology transfer will be executed to provide the sustainability of the digital data.
• Digital collection projects are subject to permission of Library Directorate.
• No material in any type should be uploaded to the digital platform that can be altered through
• Materials to be digitized;
  • A collection should not be completely digitized or accessible by another institution,
  • Materials should not violate personal and moral rights ,
  • There should be no obstacles digitizing materials in terms of copyright,
  • The size and format of the materials should be proper for digitizing.

Koç University Suna Kıraç Library and its affiliated centers have been considered the rules during the selection and priorities of the materials and collections to be digitized are listed below.

• Rare and original materials
• Materials that are at risk of physically loss due to their fragility
• Intellectual and scientific publications of the university
• Materials which belongs to the University archives
• Materials have high usage rate and / or potentially high usage rate
• Archival materials which have got institutional importance
• Materials of high cultural and historical importance
• Documents which have evidence value
• Materials with high educational value in terms of education at research
• Materials with strong visual and artistic impact
• Materials that support Koç University’s corporate mission or academic and research programs

The inclusion of materials that meet one or more of the items mentioned above in the scope of digitizing is carried out with the approval of the library director. For the materials decided to be digitized, transactions are carried out by applying standards listed below, technical standards and protection standards.

Suna Kıraç Libraries’ digitisation team adhere to the following basic digitisation standards:

• International digitization standards are used in all projects
• The collections to be created must be compliant with the collation protocol, that is, the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH).
• Dublin Core standard is used for metadata
• If it is necessary, a controlled list of words or thesaurus is used in collections.

There are various conservation strategies applied to ensure that manuscripts and other archival materials in the Koç University Library can reach the future. These are restoration and conservation of the material, digitise and put the online format.

Whether digital document or a scanned document must be stored both raw copies of documents and manufactured copies for long-term safeguard. Documents are not only stored on the desktop or on the drives of personal computers.

A user copy must be created from each scanned raw copy. Both copies are stored with the same name or number. As a third digital copy of the materials are burned to DVDs and these created DVDs stored in the archive.

Protection

Protection and preservation of digitised versions or born as digitally files of the analogue materials is a corporate responsibility both their . Koç University Libraries are responsible to protect and preserve both the original and digital copies of the archival materials, as well as with the master of digital image files and other formats, so it provides sufficient storage space for the metadata identifying them.

Koç University provides the necessary technical infrastructure to protect and to prevent spoilage of analogue and digital files. Storage in any company or organisation other than Koç University and/or its affiliated units is possible under the conditions stipulated by Koç University.

Archive materials stored at Koç University and / or its affiliated units are maintained by providing appropriate heat, light and moisture environment, and stored in special cabinet, box, file and conservation material appropriate for each type of material. Koç University Libraries undertakes prevention of conservation and restoration under the supervision of an expert conservator in order to protect archival materials that are at risk for loss degradation.

The copyright and intellectual property rights of the materials are regulated according to the relevant laws. In case of a need to restrict access, the necessary terms and conditions are fulfilled by institution. The ideal approach is that materials should not have a legal barrier to digitisation and open access on the web.

Copyright that belongs to Koç University

The intellectual and property rights on the material of Koç University is reserved. The copyright ofmaterial that is held by Koç University is accessible to the public both inside and outside the campus if digitized. Providing that it has no commercial purpose for educational and research purposes, it can be used by attribution with the permission of Koç University.

Attribution to the material may be made as follows.

[Title of Material]. (Year), Name of Collection, Inventory / Inventory number, Suna Kıraç Library [or holding branch library], Koç University.

Those whose copyright is unclear

Material whose copyright is unclear has no prioritisation of digitisation. In cases where digitisation occurs, the material can only be displayed within the digital management system stipulated by the Suna Kıraç Library directorate within Koç University campus; it is not open to public viewing or access in any way.

Those whose copyright belongs to the author

Koç University primarily aims to acquire collections that will not constitute any problems in terms of copyright. Materials that are undesirable to be made accessible by the author / creator / owner may be opened after obtaining the necessary permissions for access or research purposes within the Koç University campus where digitalized copies are available.

Koç University has the right to open access and use of the digitized collections for research and educational purposes at internet. The materials can only be used for research and educational purposes, in which case they must refers to the collection and to Koç University. Any reproduction, production or profit making by distribution of such analogue or digital materials by any third party or institution without the permission of Koç University Archives is contrary to the principles stipulated in the Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works. Koç University protects its legal rights in violation of copyright by complying with the provisions of the law if third parties or institutions that use the materials without permission gain commercial benefit from this use.

While the circumstances that constitute commercial purpose are as follows, all cases that constitute material gain are in this scope:

a. The publications on sale for profiting by the Koç University Publications/institutions
b. TV programs, films, documentaries, e-commerce applications made with commercial purpose
c. Commercial advertisement
d. Works for sale obtained by converting from archival material

The digital collections of Koç University Libraries is under the authority and permission of Koç University for commercial purposes listed above.

Our terms of use are as follows.

1. Koç University Archives, digital copies of a collection/ fund and/or series or all of the same theme material in the archive are not digital copy is not provided to users.
2. The person or institution that will use the material should refer to Koç University
3. The person who will use the digital copy must fill out a usage application form, material request form and official reportwhen the materials delivered.
4. The format of the digital copy in the material request form (JPEG, TIFF, MP3, WAV, GIF, PNG, BMP, AVI, MPEG, MIDI, etc.) should be stated.
5. When digital copy burn to CD, should be provided for the service fee during the search and preparation of the material
6. A physical copy of the sample (book, thesis, article, etc.) produced for research, education, etc. using the digital copy should be submitted to the Koç University Suna Kıraç Library Directorate. If there are no digital copies, if the copies were used for an event, news about the event, information, brochures, etc. materials should be submitted to Koç University Suna Kıraç Library Directorate.

The collection or the removal of some pages within the collection is carried out with the approval and knowledge of the senior management of the library when it is determined that there is a violation of protection, legal practices or individual rights.