The BitCurator project has funds for a limited number of on-site BitCurator training and workshop visits. We are requesting proposals from collecting institutions (libraries, museums, and archives) who are interested in having a member of the BitCurator team visit their institution to conduct a workshop and/or provide hands-on training for archivists currently working with born-digital materials. Priority will be given to institutions who are already working with digital collections and wish to add BitCurator to their workflows.
About the BitCurator Project
BitCurator, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is a joint effort led by the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (SILS) and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) to develop a system for collecting professionals that incorporates the functionality of many digital forensics tools.
In Phase I (November 2011 – September 2013), the BitCurator team developed the BitCurator environment, a highly customized Linux distribution that includes both existing open source digital forensics tools and custom tools developed by the BitCurator team. The BitCurator environment stands out from other digital forensics environments (CAIN) and commercial software suites (FTK) in that it was designed specifically for use by memory institutions.
In Phase II of the BitCurator project (now ongoing) we are continuing to develop the BitCurator environment while simultaneously working to build a community of BitCurator users who will help sustain the project into the future.
Scope of Site Visits
Site visits are a chance for you to learn more about the use of digital forensics in digital curation and receive hands-on training from a member of the BitCurator team. Site visits might include visiting a library, museum, or archive, or attending an event such as a professional conference or workshop. We also welcome proposals to visit area institutions that may include any of the above.
There are three main objectives to the BitCurator site visits:
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Educate digital curation practitioners (considered broadly) at the host institutions/events about the BitCurator project, its goals, and development thus far
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Provide hands-on training in the BitCurator environment for one or more digital archivists at the host institutions/events
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Work to develop digital curation workflows that include the digital forensics tools in the BitCurator environment
To achieve those goals, the BitCurator Community Lead, Porter Olsen, will visit the host institution for one to two days, depending on the pre-arranged itinerary.
Proposal Details
Please submit your proposal by emailing it to Porter Olsen at: polsen at umd do edu. Proposals should include the following information:
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Name of the host or hosts (proposals involving multiple institutions in the same location are strongly encouraged)
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Type and name of the host institution or event
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Date on which you would like to host the visit
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A brief description of existing digital curation efforts currently underway at your institution
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The outcomes you would like to achieve as the result of a BitCurator site visit
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Any opportunities for public demonstrations or discussions of BitCurator (ex: guest lectures, speaking engagements, workshops, etc.)
You may also wish to include details regarding the digital or hybrid collection(s) you are working with at your institution. Such details might include:
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Name of the collection
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Types of media in the collection
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Hardware being use to process the collection
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Current digital curation workflows
As noted, the BitCurator project has funding to cover travel and lodging at the host institution; however, cost-sharing is welcome, and may impact our ability to accommodate a given visit.
Submission Details
Please submit your proposal to Porter Olsen via email at: polsen at umd dot edu. Submissions will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, but all site visits must be conducted before September 15, 2014.
