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Digital Curation Task Force Paper

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Digital Curation Task Force

Preamble:

The Digital Curation Task Force (DCTF) is charged with developing a digital curation plan for a small university archives organizationally located within the library structure. The focus of the plan is on the feasibility of building a digital repository program for the archives to provide better access to their holdings.

Task Force Composition:

A successful digital curation effort requires collaboration between individuals with varied skillsets. Therefore, the DCTF should be comprised of members of the archives unit, the library, and the larger university community. All types of individuals listed below will be valuable additions to the DCTF:
A digital curation expert with knowledge of best practices …show more content…

The University Archivist will be the most significant ally to the Digital Archivist in the execution of the digital curation plan. A digital repository would make the archives more visible and be a valuable resource to many on campus and beyond.
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Archives Assistant
In addition to performing general administrative duties relating to the day-to-day operation of the archives unit the Archives Assistant assists with reference requests; accessions, arranges, describes, and processes archival collections; and assists with other initiatives designated by the University Archivist, including research, planning, and outreach activities. This archival position, like the other two listed, is deeply rooted in caring about records from their creation to disposition. A digital repository would be a welcomed addition to the scope of the archives function.
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The state of the current economic climate is common knowledge, resources for post-secondary educational institutions are not plentiful and budgets are tight! Some may question our motives for choosing this moment to embark on creating a digital repository to provide better access to the holdings of the archives, but I believe that we can tailor our strategy to the current climate and develop a plan that is creative, feasible, and sustainable. The resource that I would like you all to explore is a book titled Building a Digital Repository Program with Limited Resources, which is available as an eBook via the library catalogue. This book was written recently from the academic archives/library perspective by an expert in the field. Most importantly, the book focuses on how creating a well-designed, efficient, sustainable, fiscally responsible repository program “with realistic, quantifiable goals can help showcase...knowledge centers in this era of shrinking budgets and an increasingly digital environment” (Clobridge, 2010). The author intended the book to function as a handbook for both those beginning and well versed in digital repository work, so everyone in the DCTF should be able to come away from this resource more knowledgeable about the work ahead (Clobridge, 2010). Part One of the resource focuses on big picture stuff like

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