Special Project: Case Studies on Sustainability for Digital Resources

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This special project develops two case studies on the sustainability of digital resources focusing specifically on the sciences. The subject of the first case study is an online resource called ebird, operated by Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology. The website relies on the volunteer contributions of professional and amateur bird watchers to amass data on bird abundance and distribution, and is notable for its sharp focus on users and for utilizing a variety of revenue strategies. The second case focuses on the NSDL Middle School Pathway which is of interest as a case study because of the way their leaders have actively and creatively engaged in developing new sustainability strategies. The research analyzes the successes and challenges of different sustainability strategies and revenue models, and point the way toward best practices for supporting online resources.