Description:

This workshop on Disaster Planning for Digital Repositories delves deeply into the essentials of risk assessment and disaster planning for digital collections. Facilitated by Rebecca Frank, a researcher with expertise in risk and disaster planning for digital preservation, this session is specifically designed to arm information professionals with knowledge and practical tools needed for conducting effective risk assessments and crafting robust disaster plans. By focusing on the strategies for identifying risks and practical approaches for developing disaster plans, the workshop addresses the urgent need for preparedness in the face of uncertainty.

The workshop is structured to explore approaches for risk assessment and disaster planning via presentation, discussion, and hands-on activities. The workshop will begin with an interactive presentation and discussion about risk assessment strategies and approaches to disaster planning. After establishing a foundation and shared understanding around these topics, the workshop will transition into hands-on activities. Participants will be guided through practical exercises designed to introduce risk assessment processes and outline disaster plan content. These activities aim to cement the concepts discussed and provide attendees with actionable skills and strategies.

Emphasizing the critical importance of identifying and understanding threats and risks to digital collections, the workshop underscores a strategy for disaster preparedness that focuses on response and recovery. Attendees will leave with a heightened awareness of the vulnerabilities inherent in digital repositories and a clear set of practices for mitigating these risks. This workshop is not just an educational opportunity but a call to action for information professionals to prioritize the preservation and resilience of digital repositories.

Instructor bio:

Rebecca D. Frank, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). She is also affiliated with the Einstein Center Digital Future in Berlin, Germany. Prior to joining the faculty at UTK, she was the Einstein Center Digital Future Junior Professor for Information Management at the Berlin School of Library and Information Science at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Her research examines the social construction of risk in trustworthy digital repository audit and certification. She also conducts research in the areas of open data, digital preservation, digital curation, and data reuse, focusing on the social and ethical barriers that limit or prevent efforts to curate, preserve, and/or make data open. She has a PhD and an MSI from the University of Michigan School of Information, and a BA in Organizational Studies from the University of Michigan. Her work has been supported by the Deutsche Stiftung Friedensforschung (German Foundation for Peace Research), the Einstein Centre Digital Future, the InfraLab Berlin, the National Science Foundation (United States), and the Australian Academy of Science.