The creation and development of the University of South Carolina's Digital Activities Department.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the University of South Carolina's Digital Activities Department's history and development. Design/methodology/approach – This article recounts the development of the Digital Activities Department and examines local policies and procedures. In addition, the article discusses the fundamental issues of choosing a digital repository, creating metadata, and scanning images. The authors take a practical, in-depth approach in discussing their experiences. Findings – After just a few years, the Library has launched the department and successfully provided online access to a growing number of digital collections. Collaboration has been the key element in the department's success. Originality/value – The lessons learned will help other institutions develop digital activities departments and provide online access to digital archives and collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]