Digital Curation: A How‐to‐Do‐It Manual

Citation

Esposito, J.R. (2013), "Digital Curation: A How‐to‐Do‐It Manual", Collection Building, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 48-48. https://doi.org/10.1108/cb.2013.32.1.48.2

Ross Harvey, Visiting Professor at Simmons College, has molded his extensive background in digital stewardship, preservation and research into a concise portfolio of issues, protocols, procedures and models for defining and utilizing the digital curation workflow. “Digital curation,” states Harvey, “is a developing set of techniques that address these issues, emphasizing the maintenance of data and adding value to these data for current use.” The book, quite usable as an instructional textbook, is divided into three segments:

1. 1.

   scope and incentives;

2. 2.

   key requirements; and

3. 3.

   lifecycle in action.

Each chapter is structured with a clearly defined core curriculum, basic knowledge tenets, usable examples, tools, practicums and summary of major characteristics. As such, I would heartily recommend its acquisition by library schools, digital archival collections, data managers, cybercurators and repository technicians.

Digital Curation is detailed throughout the volume based on two key conceptual models: the Digital Curation Centre's (DCC) Lifecycle Model and the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model. Harvey is to be applauded for consistently referring to international and national standards as well as explaining successes and failures across the globe. The descriptive graphics, charts, operational definitions and best practices are worth the purchase price in and of themselves. Harvey argues that “digital curation …requires the sharing of responsibilities. It is important to determine who the stakeholders … are, because each kind…is likely to have different knowledge and skills and different understandings about what the digital objects are and how they are used.” This volume, shared across operational silos, would, at a minimum, create shared language, knowledge sets and requirements for future planning.

Digital Curation places in one volume a wealth of information about a subject whose territorial shorelines are just now being developed. By delineating threats, core skills, research knowledge, life cycle requirements, functional entities, correlations, descriptive formats, risk matrices, preservation methods and a sharing continuum, Harvey establishes a foundation for the digital professional for years to come.