iDigBio is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections Program (Cooperative Agreement EF-1115210). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. All images used with permission or are free from copyright.

Success (and challenges) in broadening participation and engagement in digitization

Deborah PaulInstitute for Digital Information (iDigInfo)

Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio)at Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) 2013 Conference

Florence, Italy October 28 – Nov 1

Theme: Virtual Communities for Biodiversity ScienceSymposium: Empowering International e-Collaboration

for Sustainability

OverviewNIBAWhat is ?Issues and Trends

Digitization Collaboration Workforce training and resources Rich(er) data, data discovery, and data citation Sustainability hints Working group thoughts

(Theme: Hiding complexity and meeting half-way)

The Acronyms…NIBA: Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance

vision: …a vibrant, virtualized community sharing data and digitization experiencescollectively developing requirements for new tools

NSFADBC: Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity

CollectionsiDigBio: Integrated Digitized BiocollectionsTCNs: Museum Thematic Collection Networks

goalsbuild an accessible aggregated, integrated, scalable, vouchered-specimen database (USA collections)

facilitate and increase participation in digitizationenable researchers’ access to and use of the databuild partnerships to expand and enhance

and the TCNs

TCN: Plants, Herbivores and Parasitoids: A Model System for the Study of Tri-Trophic Associations

photo credit: Yon Visell

TCN: Plants, Herbivores and Parasitoids: A Model System for the Study of Tri-Trophic Associations

NIBA Implementation Plan - Goal 4Increase participation in and support for NIBA from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, both nationally and internationally.4.1. Align NIBA’s strategic plan with road-mapping exercises

of other broad-based biodiversity initiatives in order to identify areas of overlap and synergy.

BIS (TDWG) ?

Collaborate! The imperative case.Cross Disciplinary Research (CDR) needs

Cross-Disciplinary Communication

“…practical approaches to enhancing collaboration have emerged slowly…”

tracking contacts and collaborations

examples needed in listener’s terms

TDWG, iDigBio, your project?identify areas of overlap and synergypossible overlap

cyberinfrastructurestandardsworkforce trainingoutreacheducationinteroperability

vision and scope for cooperation and collaboration

NIBA Implementation Plan - Goal 3“…pursue international cooperative efforts in training in

biodiversity science…”3.1. Implement new training opportunities in

biodiversity informatics.

You just saved me a month…Workshops - just in year 2

> 150 institutions, 9 workshops, 3 symposia528 sponsored participantsVideos on Vimeo,remote participationTrain the Trainer’s modelSeries of digitization training workshops (herbaria, wet

collections, entomology, paleontology, fluid-preserved invertebrate imaging, small herbaria, )

“data curation time cut from 7 years to 3 months.”batch process 30 images per night?

iDigBio Working Groups and WorkshopsAugmenting OCR (aOCR)Biodiversity Informatics Management Working GroupCyberinfrastructure (CYWG)Developing Robust Object to Image to Data (DROID1): Flat ThingsDROID2: Pinned ThingsDROID3: 3D Objects and Things in SpiritsEducation and OutreachFluid-preserved Arthropod and Microscopic Slide Imaging Interest GroupGeoreferencing Working Group (GWG) International Whole-Drawer Digitization Interest Group (WDD)Minimum Information Standards, Authority Files, & Semantics (MISC)Paleo Digitization Working GroupPaleontologyPublic Participation in DigitizationStrategic Communication Interest GroupWebsite Content Providers Editorial Board and Interest Group

What’s in a name?Biodiversity InformaticsBiological InformaticsBioinformatics

Issues

Do we mean the same thing?Where are students learning these skills?What skills do they need?

iDigBio Biodiversity Informatics Management Working Group

https://www.idigbio.org/wiki/index.php/Biodiversity_Informatics_Management

iDigBio Biodiversity Informatics Management Working Group MissionWho

bridges the potential gap between collection managers and IT staff?

manages a digital resource, once it is created?coordinates digitization workflow development and

documentation?What socio-technical skills are needed?Where do these skilled individuals come from?Surveys in progressdigital collections need digital collections management

The Flat Sheets and Packets Working Group completed modules and associated tasks for herbarium and related collections (October 2012).

The Pinned Things in Trays and Drawers finished and posted its work for entomology (January 2013).

3D Objects in Spirits in Jars and Vials completed and posted its workflows for fluid-preserved specimens (May 2013).

3D Objects in Drawers and Trays workflows group in process now.

Augmenting OCR WG and DROID in process to incorporate ocr tools and output

Preparation-independent workflows to follow (2013).

DROID WorkflowsWorking Groups

Modular Approach

iDigBio Georeferencing Working Group (GWG)

Current Resources Ongoing Work Train-the-Trainers (TTT) I and II

Online Workshop Resource Workforce Training

listserve and wiki videos

More online training materials, collaborative development Webinars Georeferencing Workflows,

Workshop Protocols and Help

iDigBio GWG Train the Trainers I and II5 DaysPay-it-forwardCommunity Resource

Rich(er) Data and Metadata: Wanted and NeededData Quality issues (in the next room)Aggregators and IntegratorsProactive DigitizationStandards for field data collectionData model and subsequent data base changesSocial issues of data re-useData citation <–> Data discoveryHide complexity OR meet half-way?

Association of Research Libraries Report, February 2013

permanence of a digital file

engaged user base

management supports resource

Sustainability?Hints from Library Special Collections Digitization

Key success factors?understand needs of users / stakeholdersidentify activities needed to support themdelegate responsibility to manage costs

develop reliable sources of financial and non-financial support.need an actively engaged manager to set and accomplish goals.

Association of Research Libraries Report, February 2013

Key findings (a few)…Hints from Library Special Collections Digitization

Biggest challenges to long-term maintenance?besides financial resources, technological capabilities, and staff time…establishing / clarifying workflows and standardsexpertise of staffinstitutional culture…

“digitization is critical to future, but updates and upgrades are not sufficient.”management of digital resources often dispersed across departmentsare digitization projects (ever) finished?

budgeting / planning for enhancements

Working Group ThoughtsWG (Outreach) Liaison?

bridge the gap increase participation standards adoptiondigitization maturityproactive digitizationpublic documentation

An outside member?bridge the gap

no expertise

Summary and OutreachIssues and Trends

DigitizationCollaboration and Sustainability hintsWorkforce trainingRich(er) data, data discovery, and data citation

Your questions / issues / ideasTheme: Hide complexity AND meet (more than) half-way

Sources Splashes and Ripples: Synthesizing the Evidence on the Impacts of Digital Resources

Eric T. Meyer, Oxford Internet Institute at The University of Oxford & Oxford University Consulting http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/digitisation/Impact_Synthesis%20report_FINAL.pdf

A Strategic Plan for Establishing a Network Integrated Collections Alliance (NIBA) http://digbiocol.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/digistratplanfinalv1.pdf

Implementation Plan for the Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance (NIBA) http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/NIBA_Implementation_Plan.pdf

Cross-Disciplinary Communication http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/toolbox/

JISC infoNet: Tools A range of analytical tools and templates used across our infoKits. From pilot work and output from the workshop streams, it has been found that these tools can often be used

interchangeably to deal with a variety of scenarios. http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/tools/

Appraising our Digital Investment: Sustainability of Digitized Special Collections in ARL Libraries: A Report from Ithaka S+R and the Association of Research Libraries.

Nancy L. Maron, Ithaka S+R, Sarah Pickle, Ithaka S+R. February 2013 http://www.arl.org/storage/documents/publications/digitizing-special-collections-report-21feb13.pdf

A decadal view of biodiversity informatics: challenges and priorities Alex Hardisty, Dave Roberts and The Biodiversity Informatics Community BMC Ecology 2013, 13:16 doi:10.1186/1472-6785-

13-16 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/13/16

iDigBio Working Groups iDigBio Digitization Training Workshops iDigBio Collections Digitization Workflows iDigBio Workflow Modules and Task Lists iDigBio Georeferencing Train the Trainer Workshops

Thank you TDWG, from all of us at iDigBio