Thomas Padilla
Visiting Digital Research Services Librarian
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Hannah Scates Kettler
Digital Humanities Librarian
University of Iowa
Amanda Henley
Head of Digital Research Services
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Kim Pham
Information Technologies Librarian
University of Denver
In late 2018, Collections as Data: Part to Whole was awarded $750,000 by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to foster the development of broadly viable models that support the implementation and use of collections as data. Collections as Data aims to support computationally driven research and teaching. This project is the successor to the Institute of Museum and Library Services-funded Always Already Computational: Collections as Data (2016-2018). Always Already Computational focused on identifying and supporting collections as data implementation. Part to Whole expands to consider the organizational implications of this work. As computational engagement with collections becomes increasingly ubiquitous, what holistic approaches to staff roles and services might we need to meet demand? Over three years of project activity, Part to Whole will address this question by funding and supporting two national cohorts. Cohort 1 is now active and is comprised of six project teams jointly led by librarians and a disciplinary scholar. Project teams will develop models that support collections as data implementation and the reconceptualization of services and roles that support scholarly use of those data. This project briefing is led by investigators from the Part to Whole project team as well as investigators from two Part to Whole funded projects – On the Books: Jim Crow and Algorithms of Resistance (UNC Chapel Hill) and Uncovering Health History: Transcribing and Publishing Early Twentieth-Century Tuberculosis Patient Records as Data (University of Denver). We aim to brief the CNI audience on Part to Whole goals, seek feedback, introduce two Part to Whole-funded projects, and share the cohort 2 funding opportunity.
Other contributors include: Laurie Allen, University of Pennsylvania; Nathan Kelber, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; Jack Maness, University of Denver
