Showing results for: sustainability
Blog Post
March 4, 2025
Announcing a New Report on the Sustainability of Black Literary Organizations
Magnitude and Bond: A Field Study on Black Literary Arts Organizations
In 2023, with funding from the Wallace Foundation, Ithaka S+R began a research collaboration with Cave Canem, a non-profit Black literary arts organization based in Brooklyn, New York. Last week, we published the report resulting from this joint effort: Magnitude and Bond: A Field Study on Black Literary Arts Organizations. For more on the report, we invite you to visit the Cave Canem website.
Past Event
October 8, 2024
Built to Last? State Systems of Higher Education and OER Sustainability
In recent years, a growing number of states have been offering direct support for OER initiatives, contributing to the widespread adoption of open education across public higher education institutions. Yet, a persistent critical gap in our understanding of OER has to do with the organizational frameworks and sustainability prospects of these OER initiatives. Through a study funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Ithaka S+R conducted a case study research project assessing the impact and implementation of OER programs…
Past Event
September 20, 2023
Approaches to Digital Preservation Product and Service Sustainability
Comparing Alternate Approaches
How do we apply the lessons of ongoing evaluations of digital preservation sustainability within single institutions to the products and services on which this sector increasingly depends? A session at the iPres 2023 conference will look at this key question from different viewpoints to pool best practice and explore the issues to ensure the community can expect more durable systems however they are delivered. Panelists include Ithaka S+R’s Oya Y. Rieger alongside Jack O’Sullivan, Kelly Stewart, Thib Guicherd-Callin, David…
Past Event
December 9, 2021
Assessing the Reliability, Effectiveness, and Sustainability of Data Repositories
Oya Y. Rieger at USDA's Data Stewards Community of Practice Meeting
On December 9, 2021, Oya Y. Rieger will be presenting at USDA’s Data Stewards Community of Practice Meeting. Abstract is below: Assessing the Reliability, Effectiveness, and Sustainability of Data Repositories Researchers feel an increasing pressure to make research data publicly available in disciplinary or general repositories. To enable this process, there need to be standards and processes to assist them in identifying reliable data repositories to ensure that the data will be preserved and made accessible and usable for the…
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Sustainability Implementation Toolkit: About This Project
With generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Office of Digital Humanities, Ithaka S+R undertook Sustaining the Digital Humanities: Host Institution Support beyond the Start-Up Phase, a research project examining the role played by the institutional host in supporting digital humanities resources created in higher education in the United States. This research project builds on a related JISC-supported study conducted by Ithaka S+R in the UK that concluded in fall 2012. The final report from the UK-based project…
Research Report
June 18, 2014
Sustainability Implementation Toolkit
Developing an Institutional Strategy for Supporting Digital Humanities Resources
What do the digital humanities look like on your campus? What types of projects are your faculty undertaking? Which will require longer-term support, and where will that support come from? What roles do your service units, centers, and digital labs play in the various life-cycle stages, and is this clear to faculty? This toolkit will help administrators create a coherent institutional strategy for supporting digital humanities activities and the valuable outputs that they generate.To get started, follow the three steps below.…
Research Report
November 20, 2013
Searching for Sustainability
Strategies from Eight Digitized Special Collections
This report aims to address one of the biggest challenges facing libraries and cultural heritage organizations: how to move their special collections into the 21st century through digitization while developing successful strategies to make sure those collections remain accessible and relevant over time. Through a cooperative agreement as part of the National Leadership Grants Program, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funded the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), in partnership with Ithaka S+R, to undertake in-depth case studies…
Research Report
June 14, 2011
Funding for Sustainability
How Funders’ Practices Influence the Future of Digital Resources
"Funding for Sustainability: How Funders’ Practices Influence the Future of Digital Resources" offers an overview of funders' policies and practices, and provides a framework to assist funders and their grantees in thinking about the key elements of post-grant sustainability planning for digital resources. Over the past decade, philanthropic organizations and government agencies have invested millions of dollars, pounds, and euros in the creation of digital content in the not-for-profit sector. Their grants have facilitated major digitization efforts and encouraged innovative…
Research Report
May 1, 2008
Sustainability and Revenue Models for Online Academic Resources
There is no single formula that Online Academic Resources (OARs) can apply to achieve sustainability, no ‘one-size-fits-all’ plan that any organization can follow to reach a point of financial stability. There are, however, a variety of processes and approaches that can help to improve the likelihood of entrepreneurial success. In an age when traditional content producers – including scholarly publishers and newspapers – struggle to maintain their financial footing in face of the challenges of the digital world, OARs cannot…
Research Report
February 23, 2026
Art Museum Director Survey 2025
Museum Strategy and Operations
The Ithaka S+R Art Museum Director Survey seeks to understand the opportunities, challenges, and strategic issues art museum directors face in their work, particularly in relation to budgeting, public trust and engagement, collections care, and talent management. For the third iteration of this project, we continue to explore how museums are governed, how they serve the public, and what kinds of strategies they develop to respond to complex challenges.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Students' Perspectives on Basic Needs Cohort
On February 10, 2026, Ithaka S+R hosted a public information session reviewing the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Understanding Postsecondary Students’ Perspectives on Basic Needs Insecurity, a multi-year research and cohort initiative supported by ECMC Foundation. With more than 70 attendees, the session provided an overview of the project’s goals, planned activities, benefits of participation, and the application process. We received many thoughtful and practical questions from attendees, and wanted to ensure that all institutions have key information…
Research Report
February 12, 2026
Regional Accreditation Standards
A New Framework for Comparison
Accreditation is an important aspect of higher education, yet its processes and impacts remain largely opaque to the public. This research project aims to systematically analyze accreditation standards from each of the major US accreditors as well as offer insights into how these criteria influence student success and post-graduation outcomes.
Case Study
January 28, 2026
Shared Space, Shared Mission
How the King Library Expands Access and Strengthens Community Impact
Collaboration between San José State University and San José Public Library culminated in the establishment of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. This unique partnership unites the resources, staff, and missions of both a large urban university and a major city library system, offering insights into the opportunities and complexities of co-located service delivery. The case study explores how this partnership has evolved over time, including governance structures, service integration, communication practices, and lessons learned for institutions considering or…
Past Event
January 15, 2026
Findings from a Workshop on Sustaining Open Source Software in the Research Enterprise
On August 8, 2025, Ithaka S+R and the Apereo Foundation hosted a one-day in-person workshop, “Sustaining Open Source Software in the Research Enterprise” (SOSSRE), for 40 people, designed to bolster the ecosystem of open source software (OSS) developed for research purposes and to create holistic pathways for sustaining it within higher education. The workshop strengthened a sense of community between OSS for research and other OSS communities of practice; defined unique sustainability challenges of OSS for research; and identified potential…
Issue Brief
December 8, 2025
Supporting Adult Learner Re-Enrollment Statewide
Key Considerations from Addressing Re-Engagement and Re-Enrollment for New Jersey Learners with Some College, No Degree
According to recent National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) data, at the start of the 2023-24 academic year the population of students with some college, no credential (SCNC) under the age of 65 nationwide reached 37.6 million. Over 757,000 of those working age, stopped out students are New Jersey residents. Re-engaging and re-enrolling these students supports individual economic mobility, generates new tuition revenue for institutions, and advances regional education and economic goals.
Research Report
December 8, 2025
Addressing Re-Engagement and Re-Enrollment Barriers for New Jersey Learners with Some College, No Degree
Data, Policies, and Solutions
Re-engaging and re-enrolling adult learners with some college credit but no degree is an increasing priority nationally and in New Jersey. Credential completion not only enables individuals to access higher paying jobs, but also generates tuition revenue for institutions and supports regional economic development. Recognizing this and the other benefits experienced when students return, New Jersey’s higher education institutions and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) have made significant investments in re-engaging and re-enrolling stopped out students.
Blog Post
October 16, 2025
Building College and Community Partnerships to Support Reentry
Updates from the Cohort
On September 25 and 26, Ithaka S+R hosted representatives from the programs and organizations taking part in its year-long cohort to build better college and community partnerships to support reentry, reintegration, and successful campus transitions for students who were incarcerated. This convening is part of a larger project funded by ECMC Foundation which has already produced a landscape review exploring how colleges and community organizations partner to serve reentry. The in-person event represents the mid-way point in the…
Blog Post
October 9, 2025
“Who Isn’t in the Room Yet?”
Reflections from the Carolinas College Food Insecurity Summit
On September 27, I joined more than 100 advocates for students’ basic needs at the second annual Carolinas College Food Insecurity Summit at Newberry College in South Carolina. Participants gathered from across North and South Carolina, as well as Georgia, to share ideas, strategies, and challenges in addressing students’ basic needs. The event began with a welcome from David Coffman, who helps lead Newberry College’s Wolves Pantry, and reminded us that the tables in our lives, whether at…
Past Event
October 29, 2025
Open Research, Open Science
Is Your Software Ready?
The research enterprise is increasingly reliant on open source software (OSS), propelled by the momentum of the open science movement and evolving funder mandates. However, many researchers lack the tools and frameworks to ensure long-term OSS sustainability. This August, the Apereo Foundation and Ithaka S+R, with support from the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative sustainability framework workshop, worked to help close this gap. The workshop brought OSS leaders from across higher education,…
Blog Post
September 9, 2025
Purposeful Cross-Sector Collaboration Boosts Learning Mobility and Student Success
As the “normal” higher education experience continues to evolve, to better serve students colleges and universities must not only work closely together across systems and regions, but they must also collaborate with K-12, employer, and community partners. These essential collaborations, when effective, can result in an interconnected ecosystem of learning opportunities that seamlessly connect students to careers. At the August convening of the holistic credit mobility acceleration cohort, participants discussed the opportunities and challenges of cross-sector collaboration within…
Blog Post
September 8, 2025
Sustaining Open Source Software in the Research Enterprise
Reflections from a Recent Workshop
On August 8, 2025, we convened 40 people representing a wide range of perspectives to discuss strategies for sustaining open source software (OSS) that is used for research. Sustainability is a major challenge for even the most successful open source software, which requires ongoing community engagement to improve and maintain code. Sustainability also includes identifying a viable financial model, establishing project governance, building the technology infrastructure, and navigating legal and licensing issues. OSS for research often faces further challenges,…
Blog Post
August 27, 2025
Building Stronger Library Partnerships
Lessons from the Library Partnership Development Institute
Working together, academic and public libraries have the potential to meet community needs in powerful and often overlooked ways—providing technology access, digital and information literacy programs, and connections to social services that address basic needs like food, housing, and transportation. These partnerships can also create targeted support for specific populations, including student parents looking for early childhood programming or low-income students navigating financial aid and social service systems. By collaborating, libraries can serve students and their communities more…
Research Report
August 20, 2025
Why Data and Why Now?
The Importance and Challenges of Data for Higher Education in Prison
Nearly 400 higher education in prison programs now operate across the US, yet basic data about these students at scale—such as enrollment, retention, and completion—is often inaccessible or inconsistent. As these programs expand, strengthening data infrastructure has become both a practical necessity and a moral imperative.
Research Report
August 14, 2025
University Open Source Program Offices
Introduction Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) are dedicated units that coordinate and nurture open source software adoption across the organization. In the past two decades, as companies recognized that open source software “was not just a viable option but a critical path for technology innovation,” OSPOs became relatively common in large corporations, especially in the tech sector.[1] OSPOs are often initially focused on corporate compliance with the terms of open source software the company licensed, but…
Research Report
August 13, 2025
The Current State of Academic E-Book Business Models
Access Strategies and Budgeting Realities
This study examines academic monograph publishing in the humanities and social sciences across the United States and Europe to understand how current business models are functioning for their consumer base, namely libraries and authors. Through interviews with librarians, content aggregators, publishers, and authors, we gathered information on a variety of business models (including hybrid, digital, and print models, and those driven by open access imperatives), the needs of academic libraries, and the priorities of authors.