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MetaArchive Cooperative: A Collaborative Model for Digital Preservation

Katherine Skinner Executive Director, Educopia Institute Program Manager, MetaArchive Cooperative. MetaArchive Cooperative: A Collaborative Model for Digital Preservation. An Age of Discovery, ARL-CNI Washington D.C. Friday, October 16, 2009. Central topics. Why do we need to collaborate?

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MetaArchive Cooperative: A Collaborative Model for Digital Preservation

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  1. Katherine Skinner Executive Director, Educopia Institute Program Manager, MetaArchive Cooperative MetaArchive Cooperative: A Collaborative Model for Digital Preservation An Age of Discovery, ARL-CNI Washington D.C. Friday, October 16, 2009

  2. Central topics • Why do we need to collaborate? • What are some basic principles of collaborative networking? • What do they look like in practice? • MetaArchive Cooperative MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  3. Why collaborate? • Collections • Books, journals, newspapers, unique items, etc. • Services • Building, disseminating, and preserving collections • Once solitary; now defies such boundaries • Competition vs. collaboration issue • Viability at stake MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  4. Collaboration and preservation • Adjust to a more collaborative mindset to accomplish two preservation goals: • To preserve the digital collections we create • Maintain integrity so that we can continue to access both “born digital” and digitized materials • To preserve our own institutional missions • Outsourcing a core mission is a dangerous proposition MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  5. Collaborative network building Collaborative Network: An association of autonomous entities collaborating to achieve common or compatible goals. Source: Wikipedia.org FLEXIBILITY FRAGILITY MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  6. Collaborative network building • Enables communities to work together on a common solution to a common problem • Demands attention to organizational structure in order to work • Requires three key elements: • A common cause • Solid institutional buy-in • Attention to the organizational arrangement that governs the partnerships MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  7. Organizing a Successful CN Management of… • Accountability • How do you allocate responsibility and tasks • Legitimacy • How do you assure members of your clout and value • Conflict • How do you settle disputes and issues of authority • Commitment • What carrots can you use for enticement and motivation • Design • How do you set up and maintain your management structure (distributed, centralized) Source: Milward and Provan. A Manager's Guide to Choosing and Using Collaborative Networks, 2006 MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  8. MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  9. MetaArchive Cooperative • A distributed digital preservation cooperative for digital archives, based on LOCKSS • Founded in 2003; supported by combination of sponsored funding (NDIIPP, NHPRC), consulting fees, and membership fees • Provides digital preservation infrastructure and training and models to enable other groups to establish similar networks MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  10. Rapidly Growing Membership 12 US Members + Lib. of Congress 2 Overseas Members MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  11. MetaArchive Members/Affiliates • Auburn University • Boston College • Clemson University • Emory University • Florida State Univ. • Folger Shakespeare Lib. • Georgia Tech • Pontifícia Universidade Católica • Rice University • Univ. of Hull • Univ. of Louisville • Univ. of North Texas • Univ. of South Carolina • Virginia Tech • Library of Congress • NDLTD • SDSC MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  12. MetaArchive components • Collections • Technical Infrastructure • Organizational Infrastructure MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  13. Collections • Format-agnostic solution • Subject- and genre-based archives • Southern Digital Culture • Electronic Theses and Dissertations • TransAtlantic Slave Trade • Early Modern Literature • Newspapers (coming soon) MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  14. Simple Shared Infrastructure • MetaArchive provides a cost-effective cooperative structure: • secure distributed digital preservation of archives • based on re-use of LOCKSS for archives • Network participation as a MetaArchive-LOCKSS cache is simple and cheap MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  15. Organizational model • Preservation solution needed a long-term, sustainable infrastructure • Question arose: Who’s in charge of a Cooperative of peer institutions? • Sought guidance • legal team, librarians, archivists, and IP specialists • Created core structure in 2006: • charter, membership agreement, papers of incorporation, business plans, etc. MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  16. Organizational model Separating the administrative apparatus and member institutions provides a clear line of leadership and responsibility helps to keep any one member’s goals from unduly influencing the cooperative’s direction gives leverage for external partnerships MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09 16

  17. MetaArchive value proposition • reducing our short- and long-term costs • Investing in a commonly-owned solution, not purchasing a service • Sharing technological development and organizational tasks • decentralizing our activities • Safety in this “brave new world” of digital preservation may well reside in shared knowledge and shared commitment • decreasing dependence on third-party solutions • There is room for various types of solutions • Increased capacity for acting as a community of cultural stewards MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  18. Preserving our missions • Outsourcing core services = risky proposition • Core missions: • Building collections • Disseminating collections • Preserving collections Cannot focus on the collections at the expense of the services … need both in order to carry our missions forward MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

  19. Contact Info • Dr. Katherine Skinner • 404 783 2534 • katherine.skinner@metaarchive.org MetaArchive - ARL-CNI 2009 - 10/16/09

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