The World Bank Group (WBG) Archives and the Development Economics’ Development Data & Statistics Department (DECDG) are thrilled to announce that the World Bank has once again been chosen as a host for the National Digital Stewardship Residency (NDSR). The NDSR program is an exciting opportunity for recent graduates of master’s and doctoral programs in relevant fields to complete a year-long residency at one of five institutions in the Washington, D.C. area. Sponsored by the Library of Congress in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the NSDR provides residents with the opportunity to work closely with digital preservation experts on a project that is vital to each institution’s mission.
The WBG Archives’ participation in the NDSR program is an important part of our ongoing Open Archives initiative. In 2013-14, the Archives hosted an NDSR resident from the first cohort of the program. The resident’s contributions were instrumental in the launch of our new Archives Holdings website. The website, which makes our archival descriptions and digitized materials easily accessible online, is a wonderful success and an example of how beneficial the NDSR program is for both its residents and host institutions.
This year, we have designed another challenging project that will contribute significantly to the preservation and accessibility of the World Bank’s digital holdings. The World Bank produces incredibly detailed and expansive development-related datasets and makes these freely available on the World Bank’s Open Data website. We need to ensure that this valuable information is available long term for development practitioners and other researchers. This year’s NDSR resident will be tasked with the creation of a foundational data stewardship and preservation program that will guide future preservation activities. Work will involve the creation of an assessment framework for appraisal of datasets, guidelines for documenting data transformation, and plans for creating links between datasets and the documents and analytical reports upon which they are based or which they reference. The resident will receive guidance and mentorship from staff in both the Archives and DECDG, the World Bank unit responsible for the Open Data initiative.
WBG Archives staff is eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new resident and the opportunity to engage with and benefit from the knowledge and ideas they will offer. If you are interested in applying for one of the NDSR residencies, please take a look at the job overview and requirements on the USAJOBS website.