Capturing the Past and Planning for the Future: Building a Digital Library for Oregon's Sustainable Community (Report‪)‬

Introduction Portland, Oregon has a reputation for strong land use planning, protecting green space, and investing in a regional transportation system. Various reports, maps, meeting notes and other planning documentation have been produced by the agencies responsible for these planning endeavours. Despite their value to planners, scholars, and the general public these materials traditionally have not been made widely accessible. Individuals at Portland State University (PSU) saw an opportunity to create an electronic resource to fill this need. In the fall of 2005, the Oregon Sustainable Community Digital Library (OSCDL) was launched and made available at http://oscdl.research.pdx.edu with the assistance of an Oregon State Library, Library Services and Technology grant and through the collaborative efforts among PSU and various municipal, regional, and state agencies. PSU's Millar Library served as the lead grant participant. This innovative project, the first of its kind at the university, was created in an effort to address the need for the preservation and archiving of planning materials. Rose M. Jackson, PSU Urban and Public Affairs Librarian, describes the specific dilemma faced by the university prior to the creation of the OSCDL: