Context in context: applying a content-driven approach in an academic library

Kathleen Fear@kmfear

• Relatively low usage, with a few exceptions• Electronic theses and dissertations; musical scores

• Needed to think about changing software

• Usability research never focused on metadata• Metadata form was challenging for users

• Data can be deposited to UR Research, but it wasn’t a focus of the repository design process

DATA &

DOCUMENTATION.csv, codebooks, research design,

survey, images, images, notes,shape files, specimens,

artifacts, etc.

DATA DEPOSITREQUIREMENTS

description, creator, title, publisher,date, donor, rights, collector, taxon,

documents, subject, coverage, methods, etc.Data

producerRepository

staff

Data Reuser

But based on whose needs? A Context-driven Approach to Data Curation for Reuse

DATA &

DOCUMENTATION

data collection, data producer, and repository information, prior reuse, missing data,

research objectives, provenance, advise on reuse, etc.

The DSpace Digital Repository Model

Metadata librarians

Data services staff

Outreach librarians

Project staff

HPC staff?

Scoping down to data…

For your purposes, what does a data repository need to do?

Producers / ReusersData curation profiles

Walk-throughs of existing systems

StaffIR situation analysisInterviews (informal)

What systems match those needs?

What contextual information is needed to effectively support reuse?

What resources can we devote to developing and maintaining our repository?

…looking back out to library context

What use cases / user needs are in and out of scope?

Should data be treated the same as other scholarly resources in the IR?

What is the library’s strategic vision for data?

User context

IT service model

Library strategic plan

EXXON-VALDEZ ARCHIVE

https://www.flickr.com/photos/arlis-reference/4877037643/

• Kyle Parry, CLIR fellow for data curation for visual and cultural studies

• Nora Dimmock, Asst Dean for IT• Marcy Strong, Head of Cataloging• Kathleen Fear, Data librarian

Conflict and consensus• What contextual information supports reuse of

these images serving multiple goals (artistic, political, documentary, etc.)?

• Where are instances of conflict in what repository staff and different users prioritize? How can these conflicts be resolved?