September 25, 2014 Library of Congress, Institute of Museum and Library Services Launch 2015 Digital Stewardship Residency Program

The Library of Congress Office of Strategic Initiatives, in cooperation with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will launch the next Washington, D.C.-area class of the National Digital Stewardship Residency (NDSR) program in June 2015.

Prospective residents will be able to put in applications starting Dec. 17 for this fourth class in the program, which has educated residents in Washington, New York (ndsr.nycdigital.org External) and Boston (projects.iq.harvard.edu/ndsr_boston External).

Five post-graduates in the June 2015 Washington, D.C. program each will be paired with an affiliated host institution for a 12-month residency that will afford opportunities to develop, apply and advance their digital stewardship skills in real-world settings.

To be eligible, applicants must be graduate-level or post-graduate students currently enrolled or recently graduated from nationally accredited Library Information Science programs. Current graduate students may apply, but must be graduated before the June 2015 start date.

“We are excited with the success of our first class of residents and look forward to continuing this success with our upcoming program in Washington, D.C.,” said Supervisory Program Specialist George Coulbourne of the Library of Congress. “The experience gained by the residents, along with the tangible benefits for the host institution, will help set the stage for a national residency model in digital preservation that can be replicated in various public- and private-sector environments.”

Updates and application information for hosts and residents will be available in coming weeks on the NDSR website (www.digitalpreservation.gov/ndsr/).

The program provides each resident the experience gained from on-the-job training—all residents from the inaugural year of the program have found jobs or fellowships in related fields. The residency also brings the host institutions expertise for their digital preservation-related projects. Previous Washington, D.C.- area host institutions include the Association of Research Libraries, the Smithsonian Institution Archives, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the National Library of Medicine, Dumbarton Oaks, the National Security Archives, PBS, the University of Maryland Libraries, the World Bank Archives and the Library of Congress.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (www.imls.gov External) is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.

The Office of Strategic Initiatives’ mission is to support the Library of Congress’ vision and strategy by directing the Library’s digital strategic planning and its national program for long-term preservation of digital cultural assets. It leads a collaborative, institution-wide effort to develop consolidated digital future plans and integrates the delivery of information technology services.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. It seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs, publications and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.