Representing Southwest Virginia: Creating the Rick Boucher Digital Collection

Donor relations have changed significantly since digitization became ubiquitous, with many donors expecting to take a more active role in managing collection access, including donating funds for digitization. Funding is often welcome but may lead to disproportionate digitization of the collections of a wealthy few. Yet donor input can also provide an opportunity to engage with communities who appear in collections so that selections represent their priorities and reflect their lived experiences. In this panel, five practitioners will discuss their experiences managing donor-driven digitization, with examples ranging from donor-provided funding to engagement with marginalized communties.