W. Christopher Lenhardt, Associate Director for Information Services, CIESIN
at Columbia University; Deputy Manager of the NASA Socioeconomic Data and
Applications Center (SEDAC)
Dr. Robert S. Chen, Director, CIESIN at Columbia University; Manager of the
NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC); and Secretary
General, Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) of the
International Council for Science (ICSU)
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Conducts
interdisciplinary
research related to
human interactions in
the environment
Works at the
intersection of the
social, natural, and
information sciences
Specializes in on-line
data and information
management, spatial
data integration and
training
http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu
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Implementing FEDORA digital object
repository
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Will be using VITAL by VTLS
Creating a long-term archive working with the
Columbia University Library system
Support many digital databases
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The complexities of database
preservation underscore to a much
greater extent the more general
challenges associated with digital data
stewardship
Scientific databases (SDBs) are growing
increasingly complex, large, dynamic, real-time
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Partnerships across disciplines
Within and between universities
Sponsors and data managers
Public and private sectors
Need a mix of top-down and bottom-up
approaches
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Need to leverage existing efforts, such as OAIS,
efforts such as FEDORA, and the effort to
develop an audit checklist for trustworthy
digital repositories
Take advantage of technologies such as DOIs
Need to coordinate various efforts to promote
convergence, or at least to discourage too much
divergence
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Support continued efforts to promote open
access to data through venues and tools such as
the Creative Commons
Support efforts to develop science commons
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e.g. CODATA is working to develop the Global
Information Commons for Science Initiative (GICSI)
which includes as one of its objectives the need for
long-term management of open access data and
information resources
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Digital database stewardship can not be
adequately supported by the scientists alone
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For example, scientists are not required to handle the
logistics of traditional print media and running
libraries
Educate database creators to promote adequate
data stewardship
Increase support to professionalize data
stewardship
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CIESIN/SEDAC Long-Term Archive
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Petrologic Database of the Ocean Floor
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http://www.petdb.org
CODATA Global Information Commons Initiative
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http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/lta/
http://www.codata.org/wsis/GlobalInfoCommonsInitia
tive.html
Center for Research Libraries: Auditing and
Certification of Digital Archives
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http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=13&l2=58&l3=142