Bridging Two Programs: Curation & Management of Digital Assets
A specialized program at the University of Maryland for managing digital assets in various sectors. Balancing technology, management, and policy. Combining students and faculty expertise for a comprehensive curriculum.
Bridging Two Programs: Curation & Management of Digital Assets
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Presentation Transcript
Bridging By Design CMDA at the University of Maryland Katie Shilton, Michael Kurtz, Bruce Ambacher, Erik Mitchell, Douglas Oard, and Ann Weeks Framing the Digital Curation Curriculum Conference May 7 2013
A specialization with a focus on the: Curation & Management of Digital Assets • Creation • Management • Use • Long-term preservation • Current and future access Of digital assets in a variety of disciplines and sectors of the economy.
Bridging Two Programs Open to students in two master’s degree programs: • Master’s in Information Management (MIM) • focus on strategic deployment of information technology, especially in corporate settings; • Master’s in Library Science (MLS) • focus on professional information services, especially in non-profits and cultural heritage institutions. First joint specialization • An opportunity… and a challenge
Why Start this Program? • By 2018, US will have a shortage of 140,000-190,000 with skills needed to manage digital assets • Estimated that 1.5 million managers will need to use digital assets in strategic decision-making • Washington DC area needs: • Not-for-profits & advocacy groups, cultural heritage institutions, research institutions, federal agencies, defense and intelligence agencies. • Ideal challenge for an iSchool • Curation requires technology, policy, and management skills
CMDA: An iSchool Opportunity Evolution of library schools into iSchools provides opportunity Expertise in nexus of people, technologies & social context. Faculty work in: • archives and records management • e-government • information and diverse populations • database design • migration and emulation • information retrieval, • web-scale information processing But… none of us does all of this.
Managing the Challenge Planned curriculum: orient and then specialize. Balance technology, management & policy • 3 required courses • Principles of Digital Curation • Implementing Digital Curation • Policy Issues in Digital Curation • 2 elective courses • Personal Digital Curation • Curation in Cultural Institutions • Database Design • Information Retrieval Systems • Information Architecture • Principles of Records & Information Management • Electronic Records • Required field study
Combining Students • Students from both degree programs will take classes together & share their skills. • Challenge: diversity of student preparation for the social, organizational & technical aspects of the program. • Opportunity: peer learning • Those trained in information practices such as reference, preservation alongside those with strong technical backgrounds. • Help students build trust in those with different experience, expertise.
Combining Faculty • We need to teach socio-technical skills • Challenge: • Integrating broad intellectual content that underpins CDMA Divergent expertise, skill sets among professors • Opportunity: co-teaching • Logistics of credit, course loads unresolved • Isn’t this what iSchools are for?
Soft Launch This Fall • 3 required courses will be offered in 2013-2014 • Students will select electives from courses already offered • New electives to be added in 2014-2015 • Planning for cohort of approximately 18 for first run
Thanks! Katie Shilton kshilton@umd.edu CMDA @ UMD http://ischool.umd.edu/content/curation-and-management-digital-assets