Open Parks Network: A Cross-Governmental Approach to Open Access and Sustainability

Clemson University and the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) have collaborated since 2010 to develop the Open Parks Network, an open repository of over 230,000 digital objects and metadata records chronicling the diverse cultural and natural history of our nation’s parks, historic sites, and other protected areas. Initially funded by an Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant that ended in 2014, this joint effort to deliver wider public access to the unique resources located in NPS libraries, museums, and archives across the U.S. and territories is an intriguing case study in the dynamics of a relationship between a public university and a federal agency. Both partners aim to achieve the common goal of growing and sustaining an open archive after the end of a grant award, but both also have their own organizational priorities, practices, and challenges to consider in their decision-making processes. This panel will explore the origins and evolution of the Open Parks Network, how it has managed to enjoy a period of success post-grant, the importance of building partnerships and developing trust between partners to achieve that success, and the hopes and concerns each partner holds for the program’s future growth and sustainability