Helen R. Tibbo School of Information and Library Science

1. Curation Practices for the Digital Object Lifecycle, Part I: Determining Professional Competency Needs Through the DigCCurr Curriculum Development Project Helen R. Tibbo School of Information and Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2. Thank You US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • To Wo Chang and NIST for the opportunity to speak with you today; • To IMLS for funding and providing guidance for the DigCCurr, Educating Stewards of Public Information (ESOPI-21), and the Closing the Digital Curation Gap (CDCG) projects; • To Ken Thibodeau for working with us on three of these projects; and • To several audience members who have shared insights with Cal Lee and I about the work of digital curation and educational needs.

3. This Morning’s Talk US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 What is Digital Curation? Digital Curation education landscape and needs. Brief overview of the DigCCurr and related projects. Matrix of Digital Curation Knowledge and Competencies and the High-Level Categories of Digital Curation Functions . Educational Issues. Lessons learned.

4. Digital Curation US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010

5. What is Digital Curation? US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • The active management and preservation of digital resources over the life-cycle of scholarly, cultural, commercial, and scientific interest, and over time for current and future generations of users. • Education can range from raising awareness through a Ph.D.

6. Digital Curation Life Cycle US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010

7. Education for Digital Curation US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010

8. Need for Digital Curation Education US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • “Mechanisms are also needed to accelerate the transfer of new knowledge into practical working digital preservation systems to prevent further loss of valuable digital collections.” • -“It’s About Time” NSF/LC Report, 2003 • “The new discipline of digital preservation needs to be supported. This should include the provision of continual professional development for existing individuals with relevant skill sets, e.g., archivists, librarians and IT staff.” • -Waller and Sharpe, “Mind the Gap: Assessing Digital Preservation in the UK,” DPC, 2006

9. Digital Curation EducationChallenges US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Developing sustainable and evolving digital curation educational programs • Professional, continuing, life-long education • Graduate, professional education • Doctoral education • Programs need to be: • International • Interdisciplinary • Linked to practical experiences, internships, etc.

10. Digital Curation/Preservation Education Standards? US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 I am listed as a “Standards Track” speaker for this meeting. Hum… what does this mean? Secret – There’s nothing “standard” about most of higher education! Some professional fields have fairly specified educational programs, but not Information and Library Science. Even less standardization for an emerging field like Digital Curation or Digital Preservation.

11. A Framework for Digital Curation Education US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Through the DigCCurr projects we are building a framework for Digital Curation/Preservation education. • Matrix of Digital Curation Knowledge and Competencies. • High-Level Categories of Digital Curation Functions. • We are providing an environment in which to capture and education components that populate the framework: Digital Curation Exchange • http://www.digitalcurationexchange.org

12. http://www.digitalcurationexchange.org US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010

13. An Ongoing Community Process US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 We are adding initial educational content. Community of educators will hopefully add additional content. Iterative process as educational content is constantly evolving. Effort becomes more a clearing house of ideas rather than static, finished products. Conversations, not textbooks. Framework, not standard.

14. DigCCurr Projects US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010

15. DigCCurr I Project US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 Preserving Access to Our Digital Future: Building an International Digital Curation Curriculum. http://www.ils.unc.edu/digccurr. This project is funded through IMLS Grant # RE-05-06-0044. A collaboration of the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) and the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Project ran July 1, 2006 – December 31, 2009.

16. DigCCurr I Goals US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 Build graduate-level curriculum. Fund master’s student Fellows. Host two international symposia. Build a network of digital curation educators and experts.

17. DigCCurr II Project US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • “Extending an International Digital Curation Curriculum to Doctoral Students and Practitioners.” http://ils.unc.edu/digccurr/aboutII.html. • This project is funded through IMLS Laura Bush funds (Grant # RE-05-08-0060). • A collaboration of the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) and the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). • Project to run September 1, 2008 – August 31, 2012.

18. DigCCurr II Goals US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 Continue to foster a growing and evolving network of international experts in the DC arena. Develop a doctoral-level curricular framework; course content; and networked, distributed, international seminars to prepare future faculty to educate 21st century digital curators.

19. DigCCurr II Goals US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 Develop & host 3 multi-stage Professional Institutes for Practitioners in Digital Curation Issues, taught by a team of international experts, designed to have an immediate impact on curation practices. Increase public and professional awareness of digital curation issues, processes, and technologies.

20. Educating Stewards of Public Information in the 21st Century (ESOPI-21) US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 ESOPI-21 seeks to prepare the next generation of public information stewards by building on the existing dual degree program offered jointly by UNC-CH's School of Information and Library Science and its School of Government. Designed to prepare leaders in public information curation and public policy administration. http://ils.unc.edu/esopi21/index.html

21. Closing the Digital Curation Gap (CDCG) Project US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 The CDCG collaboration is designed to serve as a locus of interaction between those doing leading edge digital curation research, development, teaching, and training in academic and practitioner communities those with a professional interest in applying viable innovations within particular organizational contexts. Partners: UNC-SILS, IMLS, Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) (UK), Digital Curation Centre (UK). Focus on building tools for small and medium-sized cultural heritage institutions (LAMs).

22. DigCCurr I - Curriculum US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Prepare students for digital curation with wide variety of organizations, contexts & types of resources: • Graduate-level curricular framework • Course modules • Experiential components • International guest speakers

23. DigCCurr I - Carolina Digital Curation Fellows US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 5 Digital Curation Fellows pursuing degrees at SILS August 2007 – May 2009. UNC partners providing practical experience opportunities: Academic Affairs Library, Odum Institute, ibiblio, & ITS. Four 2008-2009 Fellows supported by UNC partners started in fall 2008.

24. DigCCurr I - Two International Symposia US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 To bring the issues of digital curation and this curriculum to the attention of librarians, archivists, museum professionals, data curators, scholars, and the general public. First was held April 18-20, 2007 in Chapel Hill. http://ils.unc.edu/digccurr2007/ Second to take place April 1-3, 2009. http://ils.unc.edu/digccurr2009

25. Data Sources for DigCCurr Curriculum Building US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Review of literature (publications, guidelines, standards, reports). • Syllabi & materials from existing courses & workshops. • Job advertisements. • Interviews (transcribed & coded) with & other feedback from 17-member expert Advisory Board. • Materials generated at DigCCurr2007 Symposium (including participant survey). • National survey. • Experience in implementing the curriculum at SILS. • Ongoing feedback from CDC Fellows and partners.

26. Guiding Principles US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Build on an installed base. • Digital curation activities span entire life of digital resources. • Build from modules, rather than entire courses. • Emphasize core, generalizable modules. • Avoid tying the curriculum to one specific institution type • e.g. identifying relatively simple & general set of lifecycle stages & then identifying detailed set of functions that one may apply at each stage

27. Matrix of Digital Curation Knowledge & Competencies US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Tool for thinking about, planning for, identifying & organizing material to cover in curriculum. • Each unit of curriculum content can address one or more dimensions. • Helping us to address a fundamental issue: All digital curation students should all get some aspects of the curriculum, but other aspects will only be necessary for students planning to work in particular types of places or jobs (i.e. balancing core vs. specialized knowledge).

28. Six Matrix Dimensions US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 Mandates, values & principles. Professional, disciplinary or institutional/organizational context. Transition point in information continuum/lifecycle. Type of resource. Function or skill. Prerequisite knowledge. http://ils.unc.edu/digccurr/digccurr-matrix.html

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32. Curricular Issues US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010

33. Different Tiers, Levels or Degrees Offered US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 MSIS/MSLS Advanced Certificate in Digital Curation Ph.D. degree Life-long professional education & support

34. Breadth vs. Depth in Curriculum US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Students need to get a general core foundation, in order to • Have a holistic view of the digital curation picture • Remain flexible in moving between jobs/ environments • Students need some specialized knowledge (e.g. specific domain, function, or level of management/technological abstraction), because • One person can’t do it all – need teams with different backgrounds & skills • Domain knowledge required to understand content & gain legitimacy with stakeholders (e.g. PhD in physics to work with physicists & their data sets)

35. Breadth vs. Depth in Curriculum US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Students need to get a general core foundation, in order to • Have a holistic view of the digital curation picture • Remain flexible in moving between jobs/ environments • Students need some specialized knowledge (e.g. specific domain, function, or level of management/technological abstraction), because • One person can’t do it all – need teams with different backgrounds & skills • Domain knowledge required to understand content & gain legitimacy with stakeholders (e.g. PhD in physics to work with physicists & their data sets)

36. Digital Curation As a Bridging Profession US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Digital Curator must be able to communicate with • Content providers • Repository staff • Technologists • Present and future content users and reusers • Resource allocators • Policy makers • Other stakeholders. • Digital Curators must be bright, agile, political, flexible, and extremely energetic!

37. Practical Field Experience US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 Students should engage in at least two different field experiences. Field experiences should involve some hands-on work of dealing with digital objects in a way that has actual consequences, rather than just conceptual or policy work. Importance of partnering with field experience sites that already successfully engage in digital curation, rather than just advising those who don't.

38. Prerequisite Knowledge US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 • Some (most?) types of digital curation work can require knowledge & experience before students enter the curriculum, including: • Domain expertise - e.g. research experience in physics, in order to work with physics data • IT expertise

39. Lessons Learned Thus Far US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010

40. Big Lessons! US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 Organizing conferences are a ton of work! Creating curricular content is also a ton of work! One never budgets enough resources, or, Things grow grander in their process and progression.

41. Lessons Learned US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 Content must be managed across the life cycle. Life cycle extends well before and after repository life. Not all repositories will be archival but archival principles, i.e., need to preserve authenticity of content, underlie all repositories. Much of the difference between Digital Library work and Digital Curation has been focus – access vs. preservation. Institutional repositories in academic libraries engage all the skills, requirements discussed here and are a great training ground.

42. Lessons Learned US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010 Digital Curation is about maintaining and extending context over time and is essential for re-use. Digital Curators must bridge between content creators/producers and technologists. Digital Curators need to anticipate future re-use of content. Young and evolving field.

43. www.ils.unc.edu/digccurr tibbo@email.unc.edu US DPIF Workshop, Gaithersburg, MD, March 31, 2010