The Role of Libraries in Digital Data Preservation and Access: The Library of Congress Experience

Deanna Marcum Associate Librarian for Library Services Library of Congress June 3, 2010

LC’s Historical Collections in Science and Technology • Seminal works of science and technology **Newton, Copernicus, Darwin, Pavlov, and Einstein • Works of scientific and technological historiography **Secondary works of analysis and interpretation

Source of Science and Technology Collections • Smithsonian Deposit --1866 act of Congress transferred 40,000 volumes to the Library of Congress • Copyright Act of 1860 - ”all records and other things relating to copyrights ad required by law to be preserved, shall be under the control of the Library of Congress

18th and 19th century holdings • Scientific serials in all languages • Transactions, proceedings, bulletins and memoirs of scientific societies and institutions • Records, diaries, and investigations • Published monographs • Technical reports

Manuscript Collections • Papers of --Alexander Graham Bell --Luther Burbank --Vannevar Bush --Sigmund Freud --J. Robert Openheimer --Wright Brothers AND MANY MORE

20th Century • Textual matter that supports research on current issues, legislation, and public policy • Emerging technologies, environment, fuel cell technology, alternative energies, cyber security, climate

Looking Ahead • eScience • Develop a strategy for digital information and data related to sciences and technology that is appropriate for the National Library

eScience Team • Headed by Peter Young • 15 staff from across the institution (Library Services, Office of Strategic Initiatives, Law, Congressional Research Service • Meets weekly to determine Library’s role

eST’s Approach • Meet with representatives from Federal science agencies to discuss digital data creation, preservation, and use • Coordinating proof of-concept projects

Geospatial Data • Several geospatial data sets transferred to and eST pilot environment to investigate and analyze them as possible models for the Library’s role with eScience data • Formulated study questions regarding target digital data sets to determine challenges

Learning from the pilot • Deeper understanding of Library’s role • Clarify workflows, policies, and technical issues related to transfer, ingest, management and access issues related to digital data sets

Participation in BRDI • BRDI focused on improvement of management, policy, and use of digital data and information for science and the broader society • Library’s interest in supporting these investigations from the national collections

Rethinking our Collections • Digital science and data-driven research • Interdisciplinary research • New processes • New workflows • New curatorial skills

LS’s Challenges • Engage communities of practice in developing preservation, archival, and access policies, methods, and tools • New digital infrastructure to address long-term needs for digital data sets

Initial Efforts • NDIIPP investments and partners • Direction for curatorial and service functions • CRS use of data sets to respond to Congressional requests • Requires sustained access • Continual use and reuse of data

From Reading Room to Research Center • Format- or discipline-based reading rooms are no longer suitable • Move to research centers that respond to specific needs of communities of interest • New capacities to preserve and provide access to scientific and other data

New Requirements • Collaboration • Cross-institutional approaches • Infrastructure • Integration of collections

Thank you!