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Wider Lens Podcast, Episode 1: Cliff Harrison, Purdue University Library

by | Feb 25, 2026 | Cultural Heritage News

What does it really take to digitize the world’s cultural heritage — at scale, at speed, and at preservation grade?

It’s here! The inaugural episode of DT’s Wider Lens podcast is officially out. This is the first podcast dedicated to in-depth conversations on Cultural Heritage Digitization, bringing you insights and opinions from some of the leaders in our community.

In this episode we’re honored to welcome Cliff Harrison, Senior Manager of Digital Programs at the Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, for a wide-ranging conversation about advancing cultural heritage digitization within an academic research library.

Cliff Harrison
In this conversation with Cliff, we unpack:

  • Why “instant capture” fundamentally changed the economics of digitization
  • The hidden costs of legacy scanning workflows
  • What FADGI 4-Star and ISO compliance actually mean in practice
  • The concept of the Preservation Digital Object (PDO) — and why it matters
  • How digitization protects collections from catastrophe, conflict, and time
  • Why image quality today determines research value decades from now
  • The balance between conservation handling and high-throughput production
  • How modern RAW workflows future-proof cultural heritage collections

We also discuss real-world case studies — including institutions managing millions of items — and how advances in sensors, lighting, optics, and workflow automation are redefining what’s possible.

Whether you’re a digitization manager, curator, conservator, imaging specialist, or institutional leader, this episode provides a framework for thinking strategically about preservation-grade digitization in a world where demand for access has never been higher.

Listen Now

Wider Lens Podcast Cover

🎧 Listen now to explore how modern digitization is moving from “good enough” imaging to true digital surrogacy — and what that shift means for the future of cultural heritage.

We designed Wider Lens to be an ongoing forum for conversations about preservation-grade digitization, imaging standards, workflow design, and the future of cultural heritage, so be sure to subscribe and share with colleagues to ensure you don’t miss upcoming episodes.

Let Us Know What You Think

And as always, we welcome feedback, comments and questions. Let us know what you’d like to hear on this podcast, or if you’d like to be a guest. Email us at: widerlens@digitaltransitions.com

JOIN US FOR OUR UPCOMING PODCAST EPISODES & EVENTS

Wider Lens: Episode 2

Michelle Gollehon

Michelle Gollehon

Digital Asset Specialist, Utah Historical Society

Michelle Gollehon leads on-site digitization efforts at the Utah Historical Society while also managing vendor-based digitization projects. She is currently helping shape the new Museum of Utah, including the design and implementation of a state-of-the-art digitization lab to expand access to the state’s collections far beyond the museum’s physical footprint.

Event Details

  • Format: Live webinar + podcast recording
  • Cost: Free
  • Date & Time: Wed, Apr 22, 2026, 4:00 PM ET
  • REGISTER HERE

Wider Lens: Episode 3

Martina Hoffmann

Martina Hoffmann

Head of Digitization Services, Swiss National Library

Martina Hoffmann brings decades of experience designing and operating digitization workflows across national libraries and archives. In addition to her role at the Swiss National Library, she works internationally as an independent consultant focused on cultural heritage digitization and quality assurance workflows.

Her background includes senior production and QA leadership within major national programs, making her perspective especially valuable for institutions grappling with scale, standards, and long-term preservation.

Event Details

  • Format: Live webinar + podcast recording
  • Cost: Free
  • Date & Time: Thu, Jul 2, 2026, 10:00 AM ET
  • REGISTER HERE

Join the Conversation

Wider Lens is designed as an ongoing monthly series, featuring voices from across the cultural heritage community — practitioners, program leaders, technologists, and strategists working at every scale. If you work in cultural heritage digitization — or support those who do — Wider Lens is built for you. These live events are an opportunity not just to listen, but to participate, ask questions, and learn directly from peers navigating similar challenges.

We look forward to seeing you there — and to helping us focus a wider lens on the work that preserves our past and shapes its future.

Show Notes

Additional Notes from this episode: