“This report is one output of the AHRC-funded Global Digitised Dataset Network (GDDNetwork)1. The network was set up in response to a research networking highlight notice for UK-US collaborations focused upon digital scholarship in cultural institutions.2 We set out to develop a new collaboration, led by the University of Glasgow and HathiTrust, to investigate the feasibility of developing a single global dataset documenting the extent of digitized works. The core network partners also include the British Library (BL), the National Library of Wales (NLW), the National Library of Scotland (NLS), and Research Libraries UK (RLUK). The network ran from February 2019 to January 2020, and aimed to: – Seek to answer the question of whether it is feasible and worthwhile to create a global dataset of digitised texts for digital scholars, libraries, and readers; – Develop a stronger understanding of the potential impact of a global dataset of digitised texts, particularly in relation to supporting digital scholarship; – Investigate models for developing a sustainable global dataset, expanding on the network’s initial scope to develop a truly global network….
we will demonstrate that no single resource currently achieves these objectives at a global, and comprehensive, scale. We hope that the report will act as a catalyst for further research and development towards realising the value of the proposed dataset, in a manner that would support collective approaches to maximising the benefits of digitised materials….”