Presentation by Claudia Engelhardt, Goettingen State and University Library at the DigCurV International Conference; Framing the digital curation curriculum 6-7 May, 2013 Florence, Rome

1. A deepening of training needs
in digital curation
Claudia Engelhardt
Framing the digital curation curriculum
Florence, 6-7 May 2013

2. 1. DigCurV research on training needs:
Basic information
2. Online-Survey on training needs
3. Focus groups and analysis of job advertisements
4. Summary
Overview
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

3. 1. DigCurV research on training needs:
Basic information
2. Online-Survey on training needs
3. Focus groups and analysis of job advertisements
4. Summary
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

4. Aims:
– Identify skills & competences necessary in digital
preservation & curation
– Identify the need for training with regard to these
skills & competences
Purpose:
– Inform DigCurV Curriculum Framework
Development
Lead: Göttingen State and University Library
February 2011 – January 2012
Review of sector training needs
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

5. Review of sector training needs
Research activities carried out:
Online survey
– July and August 2011, 454 responses
Focus groups
– September-November 2011, 9 focus groups
Analysis of job advertisements
– 48 advertisements, collected between
February 2011 and January 2012
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

6. 1. DigCurV research on training needs:
Basic information
2. Online-Survey on training needs
3. Focus groups and analysis of job advertisements
4. Summary
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

7. Target audience:
– staff members of cultural heritage organisations,
scientific and educational institutions
Conducted: 4th
July – 26th
August 2011
454 valid responses from 44 countries
– Europe: 81%
– North America: 14%
– Others: 5%
Survey on training needs
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

8. Structure of the survey:
Basic information on organisation and respondent
Training plans and preferences
Skills and competences needed
Training needs
Survey on training needs
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

9. Type:
– cultural heritage institutions (majority)
e.g. archives, libraries, museums
– scientific & educational institutions (large proportion)
e.g. universities, research centres
– Others (considerable proportion)
e.g. authorities, broadcasters, companies etc.
Size:
– 45% small (1-100 FTEs)
– 30% medium (101-500 FTEs)
– 25% large (> 500 FTEs)
Survey respondents’ organisations
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

10. Role of respondents
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Respondents involved in variety of tasks with
regard to digital preservation and curation, e.g.
Management
Hands-on tasks
Research
Training and education

11. Large majority of organisations (94%) storing digital
materials for the long-term or planning to do so:
Yes already: 76%
No, but plan to do so: 18%
Neither storing nor planning to do so: 6%
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Involvement in digital preservation

12. A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Digital preservation staff
Existing staff (N=325):
– Mainly core funded and partly (63%) or exclusively
(31%) assigned to preservation/curation tasks
– Some externally funded (12% exclusively, 10% partly)
– No staff assigned to digital preservation tasks: 12%!
Plans to hire staff (N=335):
– No: 57%
– Yes, staff partly assigned to dp/dc: 31%
– Yes, staff exclusively assigned to dp/dc: 17%

13. Considerable number of organisations planning
digital preservation / curation training:
– For inexperienced staff: 35%
– For experienced staff: 31%
Not planning training:
– 35%
Already providing training:
– 26%
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Training plans

14. Training methods considered most suitable:
– Small group workshops: 75%
– Blended learning: 39%
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Training preferences

15. Which training methods for digital preservation/ curation do you consider the most
suitable for your organisation? (up to two answers allowed) N=446

16. Training methods considered most suitable:
– Small group workshops: 75%
– Blended learning: 39%
Time frame considered most suitable:
– One time event of 1-2 days: 55%
– One time event of 3-5 days: 30%
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Training preferences

17. Which time frame for training in digital preservation/ curation do you consider the
most suitable for your organisation? (up to two answers allowed) N=443

18. Respondents were presented two lists, one each
containing:
– General tasks and skills
– Digital preservation-specific and technical
tasks and skills
Importance of each task/skill in terms of the work of
staff involved in digital preservation/curation
assessed on four-stage scale:
– essential – important – not important – non essential
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Skills and competences

19. General skills
General skills assessed:
Collaborating with others
Communicating with others
Affinity for technology
Managing projects
Training others
Managing budgets
Leading a department or team
Organising conferences, workshops or other events
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

20. In terms of the work of staff involved in digital preservation/ curation, how
important do you consider the following general skills?

21. Digital preservation-specific skills
Digital preservation-specific and general skills
assessed:
Preservation planning
Ensuring access
Managing data
Evaluating and selecting data for long-term preservation
Storing data
Ingesting data
Research & development of a digital preservation
environment
Administering the archive
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

22. In terms of the work of staff involved in digital preservation/ curation, how
important do you consider the following digital preservation-specific and technical

23. Respondents were again presented two lists, one
each containing:
– General skills and competences
– Digital preservation-specific and technical
skills and competences
Need for training with regard to each task/skill
assessed on four-stage scale:
– great need – moderate need – hardly any need –
no need
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Training needs

24. General skills and competences
General skills assessed:
Liaising between customers and information
technology experts
Communication
Project Management
Networking with people
Training others
Administration and finances
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

25. How would you assess the training needs of digital preservation staff
in the following general skills ?

26. Digital preservation-specific and
technical skills and competences
Digital preservation-specific and technical skills
assessed:
General / basic knowledge of digital preservation issues
Preservation & data management planning
Preservation tools
Information modelling and metadata
Trusted repositories
Strategic planning and policies
Technical systems
Legal aspects
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

27. How would you assess the training needs of digital preservation staff in the following
digital preservation-specific and technical areas?

28. respondents were asked which areas they
considered the training need to be most pressing
indicated up to three areas
result: training needs most pressing for digital
preservation-specific and technical skills
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Most pressing training needs

29. In which of the following digital preservation-related fields is the need for training
the most pressing? (up to three answers allowed) N=446

30. 1. DigCurV research on training needs:
Basic information
2. Online-Survey on training needs
3. Focus groups and analysis of job advertisements
4. Summary
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

31. 9 focus groups with stakeholders
held in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania and the
UK in autumn 2011
Findings support survey results:
severe lack of qualified staff
lack of training offers
blended learning and short term offers preferred
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Focus groups

32. broad spectrum of skills needed including:
– digital preservation/curation-specific skills
– knowledge of subject domain as well as of library,
archival and information science
– IT knowledge and technical expertise
– social skills
– management skills
– knowledge of the organisation/institution
urgent need for training expressed,
especially for technical and IT skills, but also others
e.g. communication and management
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Focus groups

33. 48 advertisements for posts related to digital
preservation/curation collected between
February 2011 and January 2012
results support survey and focus group results
broad spectrum of digital preservation-specific and
technical as well as subject specific and generic
skills needed
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Analysis of job advertisements

34. 1. DigCurV research on training needs:
Basic information
2. Online-Survey on training needs
3. Focus groups and analysis of job advertisements
4. Summary
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence

35. strong input from the digital preservation/curation
community, particularly of the cultural heritage,
scientific and education sectors
Results indicate:
severe lack of qualified staff in the field
lack of appropriate training offers
preferred training methods:
small group workshops and blended learning
preferred time frame: short term courses
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Summary

36. skills and competences needed are manifold and
comprise broad spectrum:
– digital preservation/curation-specific skills
– IT and technical skills
– general skills (communication, management etc.)
– knowledge of subject domain
great need for training indicated for both general
and digital preservation-specific / technical skills
most pressing needs expressed for the area of
digital preservation-specific and technical skills
A deepening of training needs in digital curation
Framing the digital curation curriculum, 6-7 May 2013, Florence
Summary

37. Thank you!
Do you have any questions?
Contact:
Claudia Engelhardt
Göttingen State and University Library
claudia.engelhardt@sub.uni-goettingen.de
The “DigCurV Report and analysis of the survey of
Training Needs” is available on the DigCurV website:
http://www.digcur-education.org/eng/Resources