The NSF Office of Cyberinfrastructure Initiatives with Research Libraries

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The NSF Office of Cyberinfrastructure Initiatives
with Research Libraries
Briefing to ARL Membership October 19, 2006
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Context for E-Science Task Force

• Computationally-intensive, data-rich environment
• Evolving cyberinfrastructure for science
  (collaborative, computation-intensive,
  data-driven)
• Growing imperative for models to support, manage
  and preserve data
• Challenge of integrated knowledge environment

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New paradigms for library engagement

• Multi-institutional, international, collaborative
  context
• Data roles management, preservation, curation
• Well-integrated, sustainable models of support
  for research process

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ARL E-Science Task Force Charge

• Informing, educating membership
• Publications, highlighting models for
  positions/projects, policy landscape
• Understanding needs, experiences of researchers
• Explicating the research process, documenting
  desired relationships between components
• Understanding disciplinary differences, cultures
• Curation of long-lived digital data
• Infrastructure, repository development, data
  models, metadata, tools

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ARL E-Science Task Force Charge

• Developing new roles for research libraries
• Collaboration models, position models
• Cooperation with information programs
• Identify skills for information professionals
• Workshops for science library leaders, library
  technologists
• Also Research agenda behaviors,
  infrastructure, tool development

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Data Workshop Goals

• sustainable economic models
• structure of new partnerships
• infrastructure requirements

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Framing Questions

• What are the most important challenges that must
  be met to create a reliable framework for
  preservation and access to digital data?
• What are the critical steps necessary to meet
  those challenges?
• What are the roles of each of the various sectors
  
• What resources (funds, people, expertise,
  infrastructure, etc) are needed to take those
  steps?
• What new technologies and new research are needed
  to take those steps?
• What benefits would accrue from meeting the
  challenges and what are the costs of failure?