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Creating workflows that involve the work of multiple departments within a large organization can be challenging, especially when the procedure itself is complex and involves a number of stakeholders. This paper describes and evaluates a collaborative project to develop an interdepartmental workflow for the digitization of unique library materials in a mid-sized academic library. The project includes an automated project management and materials tracking system. Project development involved three separate departments with different reporting channels. In order to navigate this difficulty and manage the large size of the project, a visual planning technique that included graphical representations of current and proposed workflows, as well as implementation timelines, was used. This visual planning technique allowed the project team to clearly organize their thoughts and plans and proved helpful in soliciting buy-in from stakeholders. The paper will outline the collaborative planning process, addressing the rewards and challenges of tackling such a project within a large organization, and present lessons learned for others attempting similar endeavors.

As emergency management agencies and organizations implement social media and web technology to support crisis information and communication efforts, many question if present strategies are beneficial. This is especially true if social media is being implemented for the first time or has not been experienced in a live disaster. Studies have been conducted providing information on a variety of interactions between Social Media and Emergency Management (SMEM). However, few have taken a formal scientific approach as a means of measurement providing a ’Comprehensive Performance Metric.’ Performance metrics need to have consistency while providing room for implementing unique measurement criteria for individualized efforts. The authors offer a research design using field studies of real world cases, evaluating rural and metropolitan areas. The result produces a set of ’Best Practices’ through implementation. By offering a means of measuring success, SMEM can continue to evolve by using a methodologically sound approach using social media.