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Topic: Collections and preservation

Blog Post
January 29, 2024

Shared Infrastructure for the Second Digital Transformation of Scholarly Publishing

The scholarly publishing sector is undergoing its second digital transformation. In the first, we saw a massive shift from paper to digital, but otherwise publishing retained many of the characteristics of the print era. In this current second digital transformation, many of these structures, workflows, incentives, and outputs are being revamped in favor of new approaches that bring tremendous opportunities, and also non-trivial risks, to scholarly communication. In a report published today, with funding from…
Research Report
January 29, 2024

The Second Digital Transformation of Scholarly Publishing

Strategic Context and Shared Infrastructure

The scholarly publishing sector is undergoing its second digital transformation. The first saw a massive shift from paper to digital, but otherwise publishing retained many of the characteristics of the print era. In this current second digital transformation, many of the structures, workflows, incentives, and outputs that characterized the print era are being revamped in favor of new approaches that bring tremendous opportunities, and also non-trivial risks, to scholarly communication. It is our objective with this paper to examine the…
Past Event
February 1, 2024

Selecting and Implementing Digital Preservation Systems

Lyrasis Workshop

In this two-part Lyrasis workshop designed for heritage organization staff who are considering the long-term management of their digital assets, Ithaka S+R’s Oya Rieger will present strategies for assessing local preservation needs and selecting and implementing digital preservation curation systems and tools. Heritage organizations use digital preservation and curation systems (DPCS) such as Preservica, MetaArchive, APTrust, Samvera, and others, to undertake digital preservation and curation work in the context of their institutional needs and priorities. We will discuss how these…
Past Event
September 27, 2023

Collaborative Collections Lifecycle Project (CCLP) Fall Public Update Webinar

In December of 2022, Ithaka S+R announced participation in a multi-institutional partnership to facilitate the cross-industry development of collaborative library collections, funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services in a grant awarded to the National Information Standards Organization (NISO), the Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration & Innovation (PALCI), Lehigh University Libraries, and Ithaka S+R, along with 27 other partner organizations. The project aims to create a suite of best practices, prototype middleware, and improve standards in order…
Past Event
September 20, 2023

Approaches to Digital Preservation Product and Service Sustainability

Comparing Alternate Approaches

How do we apply the lessons of ongoing evaluations of digital preservation sustainability within single institutions to the products and services on which this sector increasingly depends? A session at the iPres 2023 conference will look at this key question from different viewpoints to pool best practice and explore the issues to ensure the community can expect more durable systems however they are delivered. Panelists include Ithaka S+R’s Oya Y. Rieger alongside Jack O’Sullivan, Kelly Stewart, Thib Guicherd-Callin, David…
Blog Post
August 28, 2023

Archives in the Anthropocene

An Interview with Eira Tansey

Cultural organizations and the government agencies that support them are increasingly devoting serious attention and financial resources to reducing their carbon footprints and climate-proofing their facilities. In a new addition to the growing body of literature on the topic, archivist and founder of the consulting firm Memory Rising, Eira Tansey outlines an ambitious policy agenda for mitigating the threats that climate change poses to archival collections and archivists. The agenda she proposes in A Green New Deal for…
Issue Brief
August 21, 2023

Redressing Relationships with the Historically Marginalized/ Redresser les relations avec les personnes historiquement marginalisées

This publication provides four focused examples about specific institutions that have worked to address the imperative to redress their relationships with historically marginalized communities/ Cette publication fournit quatre exemples ciblés d’établissements qui ont spécifiquement travaillé pour répondre à l’impératif de redresser leurs relations avec les communautés historiquement marginalisées.
Past Event
August 24, 2023

Book Talk: Moving Theory Into Practice

As the digital library field emerged in the mid- to late-1990s, librarians faced numerous challenges in building the skills necessary to provide digital access to their collections. That changed in the summer of 2000, when Anne R. Kenney and Oya Y. Rieger produced “Moving Theory Into Practice,” a groundbreaking week-long workshop & digitization guide that offered hands-on, immersive training in digitization and preservation. On August 24 at 1:00 pm ET, Ithaka S+R’s Oya Y. Rieger will join Internet Archive’s Chris Freeland…
Blog Post
June 29, 2023

Recentering Cultural Heritage with(in) the Community

The Haudenosaunee Archive, Resource and Knowledge Portal

In early June, we sat down for a virtual conversation with three researchers on a recent Mellon grant that brings together several topics of interest for Ithaka S+R: digital archives, preservation, open access, DEIA, and data sovereignty. In the following transcript, we discuss the development of the Haudenosaunee Archive, Resource and Knowledge (HARK) portal at the University of Buffalo with Theresa McCarthy (Principle Investigator (PI), Onondaga Nation Beaver Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, associate professor…
Past Event
June 8, 2023

Leading by Diversifying Collections

At the EBSO User Forum taking place on Thursday, June 8, Ithaka S+R’s Tracy Bergstrom and Danielle M. Cooper will present a recent publication, Leading by Diversifying Collections: A Guide for Academic Library Leadership. The presentation will be followed by a demonstration of the ways in which EBSCO’s content, features, and business practices support DEI in libraries and research.
Blog Post
April 26, 2023

Three Questions for Tracy Bergstrom

Earlier this month, Tracy Bergstrom joined Ithaka S+R as a program manager focused on collections and infrastructure. Previously she worked at the University of Notre Dame as director of the specialized collection services program within the Hesburgh Libraries. In this interview, we asked Tracy about her career trajectory, the challenges facing academic libraries, and what types of projects she will be undertaking in her new role. You worked at Notre Dame for a number of years. How did you get…
Blog Post
March 30, 2023

Findings from the Most Recent US Library Survey

Today, we are publishing our findings from the latest cycle of the US Library Survey, fielded from October to December 2022. This report is designed to provide library and other higher education leaders with a high-level look at how library deans and directors conceptualize the role, strategic alignment, and value proposition of academic libraries on campuses. In this sixth iteration of the project, we continue to explore library strategy, budgets, and staffing. We also introduced new batteries of questions…
Past Event
March 17, 2023

Casting a Different Kind of Net

Diversifying Collections in Academic Libraries

At ACRL’s 2023 Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Mark McBride will participate in an OCLC hosted panel discussion on diversifying collections in academic libraries, alongside Andy Breeding and Merrilee Proffitt. The panel is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 17 at 9 – 10 am. Panelists will share findings from recent research and related discussions that explore: What does it mean to diversify collections? What practices can support those efforts? What barriers are being encountered? What does a better future look…
Past Event
March 9, 2023

A Library for All

University of Michigan, Google, and the Importance of Having a Copy

On Thursday, March 9 at 7 pm ET, Ithaka S+R’s Roger Schonfeld will serve as a panelist on a University of Michigan event focused on library digitization, digital archiving, and the idea of a universal library, speaking on his book Along Came Google: A History of Library Digitization, co-authored with Deanna B. Marcum. Other panelists will include University of Michigan Edward M. Gramlich Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Economics and Public Policy Paul Courant, former University Librarian and…
Past Event
February 15, 2023

Creating Digital Collections with and for Indigenous Communities

NISO Plus 2023 Conference

On Wednesday, February 15 at 9:30 – 10:45 am at the NISO Plus 2023 Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Oya Y. Rieger has organized a session to discuss the increasing recognition of the value of Indigenous knowledge and how it is being supported by the current research infrastructure. The session will look at best practices for working with Indigenous communities to create digital collections that meet their needs. This includes, for example, consideration of data sovereignty, privacy issues, and other acknowledgements…
Blog Post
January 31, 2023

Insights from the A*CENSUS II Archives Administrators Report

On Tuesday, January 31, we published the A*CENSUS II Archives Administrators Survey findings. The Archives Administrator Survey Report is the second report in the A*CENSUS II series, the first being the All Archivists Survey Report published in August 2022. The Archives Administrators Survey gathered data from the most senior archives leaders and decision makers regardless of the size of the archives, including administrators who oversee large archives organizations, archives units within broader institutions, and small community archives collections.
Past Event
February 17, 2023

Insights from the A*CENSUS II Archives Administrators Report

On February 17, from 2:00-3:30 pm (ET), Makala Skinner and Beth Myers will present findings from the A*CENSUS II Archives Administrators Survey during a webinar hosted by Ithaka S+R. The Archives Administrators Survey is the second survey of A*CENSUS II, the first being the All Archivists Survey, initially published in August, 2022. The Archives Administrators Survey report, published on January 31, includes data on budgets, collection sizes, staff recruitment and retention, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,…
Research Report
January 31, 2023

A*CENSUS II: Archives Administrators Survey

Seven hundred and forty-six archives administrators representing academic institutions, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and community archives across the United States shared information about their organizations and their perspectives on key issues in the field by completing the A*CENSUS II Archives Administrators Survey. This report shares findings on archives’ budget and collection sizes, staff recruitment and retention, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility practices.
Blog Post
January 30, 2023

A Librarian’s Perspective on Streaming Video in Educational Contexts

Almost exactly one year ago, I added “Streaming Video Coordinator” to my portfolio at Cornell University Library, a role which includes looking strategically at our streaming media offerings. In this capacity I started thinking about what a collection policy focused on streaming video might look like. In fact, libraries don’t collect streaming video at all, but rather prioritize timely access to films needed to support course instruction.
Blog Post
January 26, 2023

Teaching with Streaming Video

A New Report from Ithaka S+R Provides Insights from Instructors

Instructors from all disciplines have incorporated video into their syllabi, and—unsurprisingly—streaming video is now the dominant format to which they turn. Faculty and students appreciate the flexibility of streaming video, which students can access on a variety of platforms ranging from YouTube to subscription services licensed by university libraries. Libraries are now making significant investments to license streaming content for educational use and anticipate that their spending in this area will double over the next five years. As the…