Correspondence: Cheryl Scheer, August Home Publishing, 2200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312, USA. Tel: +1 515 875 7023; E-mail: cscheer@augusthome.com+D8

¹is the Multimedia Archivist for August Home Publishing, a publishing/media company in Des Moines, Iowa. She is establishing archiving processes to facilitate repurposing of digital resources. She is part of the team developing a digital asset management system for the company.

Abstract

Despite the availability of commercial DAM systems, some organizations — including the author's employer, August Home Publishing — choose to build solutions using in-house or contracted expertise. This paper explores important factors to consider in a "buy vs build" discussion. It will also discuss some open source technology options that can be utilized to develop a digital photo archive solution and an overview of the expertise that will be required.