Visual Arts Research Data Management

Posted: February 17, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Alternative Careers, Discussion, Metadata/Tagging | Tags: , , , | Comments Off on Visual Arts Research Data Management

Visual arts research data management (VARDM) seems to be a burgeoning subfield among art librarians and visual resource professionals that will be increasingly relevant to the success of emerging professionals in these fields. VARDM is the subject of a workshop at the VRA Annual Conference in March and, with the advent of data management services and interdisciplinary research, we can expect to see data management spread beyond the sciences into the arts and humanities.

VARDM is currently  more developed in the UK than the US, due to a series of JISC funded projects that have investigated the topic since 2007. These projects have labored to define the field, its component parts and the different roles that exist for researchers and data managers. The projects have made their various outputs available – most notably a series of online training toolkits aimed at students, researchers and data managers.

A common thread among these projects is the struggle to define key terms like ‘research data’, ‘data set’, and ‘research output’ as they pertain to the visual and performing arts. Some definitions that recur in the existing literature appear below.

Research Data

  • “A useful point to consider is that the research data of today may well be the special collections of the future” (cited in Murtagh, 2011)
  • “Research data is digital information created in the course of research but which isn’t a published research output. Research data excludes purely administrative records. The highest priority research data is that which underpins a research output” (Research Data Management Glossary)
  • “Data which arises out of, and evidences, research” (Garrett and Gramstadt, 2012)

Research Output – regardless of presentation, is a planned public statement of new knowledge or interpretation

Data Set – research collated in a certain way to substantiate a particular interpretation, analysis, or argument. May not always lead to a research output (Garrett and Grandstadt 2012)

Evidence – Evidence which is used or created to generate new knowledge and interpretations. (Garrett 2012)

The concept of the ‘visual arts researcher’ is a broad one, drawing from the fields of art, architecture, art history, design, dance, performance, etc. and including both practitioners and researchers from within each – including those who would identify simultaneously as both. Thus, ‘research data’ is understood to encompass sketches, samples, notebooks, process materials, reference materials, and any number of other things. Thinking about VARDM poses interesting challenges because, in addition to the logistics that need to be resolved in order to effectively preserve and provide access to the materials throughout their life cycle, one must constantly be distinguishing between the creative process and the research process, all the while recognizing moments when they intersect and align.

To date, most of the efforts to tackle these problems and get a handle on research data in the visual arts have been funded in various ways by JISC in the UK. Between 2007 and 2009, JISC funded a project called Kultur which developed an institutional repository model for research output in the creative and applied arts. Kultur was succeeded by a project called Kultivate which applied the best practice developed by Kultur. In August 2010, the JISC Managing Research Data Program (MRDP) funded the CAiRO project (Curating Artistic Research Output) which ran until July 2011 with the goal of creating a teaching and learning module designed for researchers at the postgraduate level.

CAiRO was followed by the KAPTUR project (also funded by JISC MRDP) from 2011 – 2013 which, “investigated the nature and scope of research data in the visual arts”, and, “created a sectoral model of best practice in the management of research data in the visual arts, consisting of: toolkits, workshops, case studies, institutional policies, a technical requirements analysis, and business and sustainability plans”. For more information, see the project’s outputs – in particular the  KAPTUR Environmental Assessment Report. The report investigates issues of terminology, the role of the visual arts researcher and the visual arts research data lifecycle by exploring the following two research questions:

What is the nature of visual arts research data?

How can we support the needs of visual arts researchers through institutional infrastructure

KAPTUR also developed three of the previously mentioned online toolkits designed to provide an introduction into research data in the visual arts and its management – two of the toolkits are geared towards researchers (Introduction to Research Data, Data Management Planning) and the third is intended for visual arts data managers (Managing the Material).

KAPTUR was succeeded by a group called VADS4R (Visual Arts Data Skills for Researchers) from February 2013-July 2014 which built upon the work of KAPTUR by piloting and further developing additional training plans and making the KAPTUR toolkits available. VADS4R created two additional toolkits: How to Avoid a Data Disaster and Writing the AHRC Technical Plan.

Within the VADS4R toolkits the merits of effective research data management are discussed at great length and I will not reproduce all of them here. The concise version, available on the project site, is as follows:

Managing your research data can…

…Ensure you meet research funder expectations

…Make it easier to understand successive iterations of your research

…Make it easier to re-visit your research if changes are required, for example by a journal editor or exhibition curator

…Enable easier access to your research for re-use in other projects

…Avoid the serious implications of having to re-do your research from scratch, for example due to data loss or inaccessible data

For emerging professionals, the point of interest here is not so much the history of VARDM projects in the UK, but the methodical aims and prodigious outputs of these projects which are exceptionally well documented and easily accessible online. While earning my MLIS I was not aware of any coursework addressing VARDM and I would be very interested to hear about any programs that offer this kind of material or institutions that are actively addressing it.

In the recent conference co-sponsored by ArLiSNAP and VREPS, “Visualizing the Future: New Perspectives in Art Librarianship”, Kate Thornhill of Lelsley University College of Art and Design discussed the early stages of her foray into VARDM. If you’re interested in initiating VARDM programming at your institution, I would recommend reviewing her presentation in addition to the VADS4R toolkits and Kultur outputs.

For more information:

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Digital Asset Manager– Detroit Institute of Arts

Posted: February 28, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Metadata/Tagging, Museums, Opportunities: Job Postings, [ ArLiSNAP ] | Tags: | Comments Off on Digital Asset Manager– Detroit Institute of Arts

GENERAL SUMMARY

The Digital Asset Manager will be responsible for developing and maintaining a system to effectively store and retrieve digital assets, chiefly imagery.  Duties include setting up asset catalogs and systems, organizing images, creating and enforcing naming taxonomies and metadata schema, tagging files with relevant and accurate metadata, enforcing asset file standards, ensuring application documentation is up-to-date and distribution of assets to internal users and external partners.

– See more at: http://aam-us-jobs.jobtarget.com/c/job.cfm?site_id=8712&job=16478000#sthash.88WH0Lby.dpuf

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

  • Set up and configure new DAM system
  • Transfer image assets to the DAM system
  • Organize asset catalog structures
  • Create effective metadata schema
  • Enter and validate metadata
  • Generate naming taxonomies and glossaries
  • Create workflow for the use of assets within the DAM system
  • Train and support users on system
  • Ensure dependable and rapid access and distribution of assets
  • Enforce security procedures

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

  • B.A in information technology, information science, or related field
  • 2–4 yrs. experience in setting up and maintaining enterprise-scale asset management systems, Piction preferred
  • Previous museum experience preferred
  • Highly detail-oriented and accurate
  • Able to meet deadlines while juggling many projects and priorities
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Ability to organize information at a high level
  • Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced work environment, and to work effectively with cross-disciplinary teams

– See more at: http://aam-us-jobs.jobtarget.com/c/job.cfm?site_id=8712&job=16478000#sthash.88WH0Lby.dpuf

Full post here.

Are you Library Management Material?

Posted: January 19, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Art Librarianship, Discussion, Education: LIS Programs | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

role-of-Managers

Although it might seem to many of us, while students, that library management is something to consider years from now, if ever, it might be worth a second thought during your MLIS program. If you have been in library school any length of time, you are bound to have picked up on something like “a shortage of qualified library leaders is coming, so get ready!” While this may or may not be true, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that some of us will eventually be library managers. With the proliferation of educational tracks and certificate programs, choosing one is sometimes a daunting prospect. What would entice you to choose a Library Management emphasis over others?

Maybe the answer lies in taking stock of your personality, skills, abilities, and goals. For me personally, Management Studies is ideal. I LOVED 5300: Library and Information Center Management. I reveled in topics like Strategic Planning, Organizational Culture, Human Resource Management, Ethics, and Development/Fundraising. Of course, maybe this has something to do with the fact that I have had some management experience and can envision myself in a leadership role readily. Or maybe it’s simply that I like being in charge!

What about you? Can you picture yourself in a management role of some kind? Do you think the administrative side of the job would perhaps overshadow your primary objectives as a librarian? Yes or no?

 

 

Job Posting: Collections Manager and Registrar, Tenement Museum

Posted: June 30, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Collections Management, Museum Librarianship, Museums, Opportunities: Job Postings, Records Management | Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Job Posting: Collections Manager and Registrar, Tenement Museum

Position Description

The Tenement Museum seeks a Collections Manager & Registrar, who will be responsible for the day-to-day oversight and preservation of the Museum’s Collections, which include its historic structures and archive. Responsibilities include accessioning, processing incoming/outgoing loans, maintaining collections data systems, exhibition management, preventative conservation care, archives and records management, and emergency response and recovery. The Collections Manager supervises the work of consultants and interns, and works closely with the Museum’s Education Department and Facilities Department. This position reports to the Director of Curatorial Affairs.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Manage the conservation program for 97 Orchard Street, overseeing monthly building monitoring and identifying conservation priorities
  • Supervise access to the collections and archives, respond to public inquiries regarding the collections, and arrange loans to other cultural institutions.
  • Maintain an accessible online photo database; provide access to images and updates image database records accordingly.
  • Monitor environmental conditions in the museum and its collections, interpret data from environmental monitoring equipment and determine corrective action.
  • Collaborate with the Education Department to identify and assemble materials for use in programs and tours.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Curatorial Affairs on collections development and matters related to research on collections items and the museum’s historic properties.
  • Contribute to exhibition planning and installation.
  • Conduct tours of the Museum for the general public.

QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates should hold a Masters Degree in Library Science, History, Anthropology, Historic Preservation or related field and have at least 2 years experience. Candidate should be detail oriented, possess strong oral and written communication skills, and have a working knowledge of PastPerfect Museum Software.

SALARY

Commensurate with experience. Complete benefits package.

Please send cover letter and resume to dfavaloro@tenement.org. No phone calls, please.

Deadline to apply: July 15, 2011.

Job Posting: Records Manager at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Posted: May 2, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Museum Librarianship, Museums, Opportunities: Job Postings, Records Management | Tags: , , , , | Comments Off on Job Posting: Records Manager at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is seeking an experienced Records Manager to administer the institutional records management policy and to serve on project team addressing preservation of electronic records. To apply see:

http://www.mfah.org/about/careers/

Responsibilities:

– Serve on project team researching the implementation of an institutional electronic records archive under a grant funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
– Assist in applying existing retention schedules to institutional electronic records
– Appraise and propose retention schedules for currently unscheduled records in electronic and paper form
– Research regulatory, statutory and industry requirements
– Revise existing retention schedules as necessary for standardization
– Oversee semi-annual records destructions, off-site storage arrangements and accessioning of records
– Perform record audits and oversee compliance with existing records management program
– Provide semi-monthly orientation sessions for staff
– Assist the Archives Department with imaging projects and research requests

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:


– Thorough knowledge of records management and archival management principles and methodologies required
– Knowledge of electronic records archival systems and OAIS reference model required
– Familiarity with e-mail preservation projects preferred
– Awareness of emerging technologies for electronic search and discovery preferred
– Knowledge of MARC21, EAD, DACS, and current metadata standards used in museums, such as VRACore, CDWA, CCO and Getty vocabularies preferred
– Familiarity with MSSharepoint and MS Access preferred
– Excellent communication and organizational skills
– Ability to work independently, climb ladders and lift up to thirty-five pounds
– Knowledge of art history desirable

Education and Experience:

– Masters in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program required
– Coursework in records management and 1-3 years records management experience required
– Bachelors degree in computer science or business preferred
– Background in law librarianship or experience with Westlaw preferred
– Experience with enterprise archive software highly desirable
– CRM highly desirable
– Experience in museum setting desirable

transforming libraries

Posted: July 15, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: Academic Librarianship, Advice, Discussion | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

The latest issue of Library Journal featured an article about Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm’s proposal to eliminate the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. This would involve transferring most Library of Michigan functions to the Department of Education, abolishing the position of State Librarian, and downgrading library services, such as circulation and interlibrary loan – all in the hopes of saving a few million dollars.

Currently, I work at an academic library and budget concerns have been the main topic of conversation and meeting agendas for nearly a year. Last month, we began planning a major restructuring of the university libraries in response to our provost’s charge to create innovative resources and services that will transform and position the library as the center of the university. So far, we’ve brainstormed some interesting ideas that we hope to begin implementing in the near future.

I’m curious to hear about the challenges and opportunities facing other librarians with regard to budgets. How are the libraries you are associated with dealing with the pressure to justify operating costs and emphasize the importance of library resources and services in a climate that, at times, seems eager to view libraries as an unnecessary luxury?

10 Questions to ask your new employees…

Posted: February 1, 2008 | Author: | Filed under: Advice, Professional Literature, Journals, Publications | Tags: | 2 Comments

There’s a great post on Library Garden that lists 10 questions that managers should ask new hires.  I love the spirit of this post, because it suggests that managers should be open to the fresh perspective of a new employee, and should take his/her observations as an opportunity for improvement.  I imagine that if my employer asked me these questions, I’d also immediately feel as if my opinions were important to the organization.  What a great way to feel welcomed!

Just something for all of us students/young professionals to mull over…