What metrics would you use to evaluate ITHAKA's Artstor Digital Library?

Introduction

Evaluating the success of ITHAKA's Artstor Digital Library requires a comprehensive approach to product metrics. As a digital library focused on art, architecture, and other visual media, Artstor serves a unique niche in the academic and cultural sectors. To effectively measure its performance, we'll need to consider metrics that reflect both its educational value and its role in preserving and disseminating cultural heritage.

Step 1

Product Context

Artstor Digital Library is an online resource providing access to over 2 million high-quality images in the arts, humanities, and sciences. It serves primarily academic institutions, museums, and libraries, offering a vast collection of visual materials for research, teaching, and learning.

Key stakeholders include:

1. Academic institutions (universities, colleges)
2. Museums and cultural institutions
3. Researchers and scholars
4. Students
5. Librarians and curators
6. Content contributors (artists, photographers, institutions)

The user flow typically involves:

1. Authentication: Users log in through their institution's credentials.
2. Search and Discovery: Users browse or search for specific images or collections.
3. Viewing and Analysis: Users examine high-resolution images and associated metadata.
4. Export and Integration: Users download images or integrate them into presentations or publications.

Artstor fits into ITHAKA's broader strategy of advancing knowledge through digital technologies and preserving scholarly resources. It complements other ITHAKA services like JSTOR, enhancing the organization's position in the digital academic landscape.

Competitors include general image databases like Getty Images and specialized academic resources like Oxford Art Online. Artstor differentiates itself through its focus on high-quality, curated content specifically for academic use.

In terms of product lifecycle, Artstor is in the maturity stage, with a well-established user base but facing challenges from emerging technologies and changing user expectations.