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University Collections at Indiana University: digitization and progress

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Gary Motz

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Center for Biological Research Collections

SECTION 1

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aggregation for big data research� utilizing technology in outreach� preservation of digital objects� citizen science engagement� reproducibility of science� sparking public interest� data accessibility� metadata sharing

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Imago

Digitization process automation

Integration of multiple metadata schemas natively

Lightweight with robust metadata managed externally in Specify/Symbiota

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imago.indiana.edu

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Some computing resources provided by NSF Awards ACI-1445604: Jetstream - A Self-Provisioned, Scalable Science and Engineering Cloud Environment and XSEDE

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Collections Data

1 mm

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University Collections

SECTION 2

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2018 – 3 staff�2021 – 6 staff�2022 – 16 staff�2023 – 23 staff�

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Centralization of IT

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collections.iu.edu

University Collections

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Collections-based educational resources

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Collections Digitization� at Indiana University

SECTION 3

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2013 – MDPI launched�2013 – creation of CBRC�2018 – creation of University Collections�2020 – collections strategic plan�2023 -

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The CBRC in 2023

  1. The CBRC just completed its external review and is awaiting judgment
    • The College is struggling financially, why pay for something that IU Research is attempting to centralize in University Collections
  2. Most funding goes toward collections management, student hourly support, and opportunistic engagement with external entities to improve visibility and awareness of the collections
  3. Students that take courses in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences or Anthropology, or work in the collections, are almost the only beneficiaries
  4. The relationship with the Dept. of Biology and the IUB Herbarium is tenuous

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Digitization in 2023

Digitization at IU: where are we now?

  1. Digitization is happening in all collections that can afford it
    • No centralized support, departmental in-fighting about who “owns” the service or infrastructure
    • Centralization of IT resources and major cybersecurity initiatives
  2. Getting back to the basics
    • Collections management infrastructure
    • Digital asset management
    • Informatics and data interoperability

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Digitization in 2023

Digitization at IU: where are we now?

  1. Digitization is focused on short-term, high-visibility impact to garner support from administration, local community, philanthropy, and more
  2. University Collections is focusing digitization support in shared infrastructure development and long-term maintenance

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Coordination in 2023

Digitization at IU: where are we now?

  1. Coordination occurs mostly by collaboration with University Collections
    • Shared infrastructure and personnel
  2. Continues to be driven by “who knows who”

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Investment and Leadership in 2023

Digitization at IU: where are we now?

  1. New leadership for the entire university
    • Promoting costs of management that would be passed along to Provost if centralized office ceased to exist
    • Mitigating costs and leveraging economies of scale
    • CASH vs budgetary commitments

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Challenges in 2023

Digitization at IU: where are we now?

  1. Collections are recognized to be of critical importance in teaching/research
    • Most faculty don’t conduct research in the collections for which they’re responsible
    • Significance of collections is for “others” and posterity, but discovery of collections are limited without coordinated discoverability network and infrastructure
    • “Management” is almost always delegated to temporary employees or students
  2. Collections personnel and capacity
    • Faculty vs. Staff

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Challenges in 2023

Digitization at IU: where are we now?

  1. Mass migrations of digital storage infrastructure � Box 🡪 Google/Microsoft 🡪 Microsoft exclusively
    • “We’ve spent thousands of dollars and months of effort doing just data management”
  2. Staff retention, compensation, and equity
  3. Development of technical skills and project/program management
  4. Decision paralysis in the face of “the Nelson memo” and institutional support

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mccalla.iu.edu

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Questions?

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Gary Motz

Head of Technology�University Collections

812-856-0457�garymotz@iu.edu��University Collections at McCalla�525 N. Indiana Ave�Bloomington, IN 47408

© Gary Motz, 2023. Unless indicated otherwise for specific images, this slide deck is licensed for re-use under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) International license.

Photo by Sarah Whaley, 2023.

UNIVERSITY COLLECTIONS | INDIANA UNIVERSITY