Archiving with ATE Central – An Interview with Kendra Bouda

The newest NSF ATE RFP stipulates that grantees funded under this solicitation archive appropriate materials and resources with ATE Central. Earlier this month, Kendra Bouda, ATE Central’s Metadata and Information Specialist, provided some very helpful information about what archiving in the context of ATE looks like and why it’s important for ATE projects and centers to think about archiving early in their funding cycle. She also touches on the new RFP requirements, outlines licensing protocols, and offers advice for grantees just getting started with the process.

ATE Central: There’s been a lot of talk about archiving lately. Could you tell me a little about what archiving is and why ATE projects and centers should archive their materials?

Kendra Bouda: While the most recent ATE RFP—the one released this past October—was the first to make explicit mention of archiving, NSF has been requiring that ATE applicants submit a data management plan, or DMP, for close to four years now. The purpose of the DMP is to ensure that data generated with ATE funds are stored and shared with broader audiences. Archiving serves much the same purpose; in fact, archiving with ATE Central may very well be a strategy outlined in a project or center’s DMP.

An archive, in the simplest of terms, is a collection of materials that is preserved for its enduring value. While archives come in all shapes and sizes, the ATE Central archive is a virtual space where deliverables and select administrative documents that have been created by ATE projects and centers are collected, stored, and made publically available in a digital format. By storing materials with ATE Central, projects and centers can rest assured that their materials will remain accessible after their funding cycle is complete.

ATE Central: ATE Central offers an archiving service specifically for members of the ATE community. Can you tell me a little about that?

Kendra Bouda: Sure. The ATE Central archiving service is available to all ATE projects and centers, both past and present. Essentially, we work individually with each project or center to navigate the archiving process, one step at a time. While the process itself can vary widely, we help in selecting materials for archiving, import and upload materials to ATE Central servers, and create unique resource records, similar to the library catalog records we’re all familiar with. Those resource records are freely available via the ATE Central resource portal. We’re also happy to provide any additional assistance that ATE projects or centers might need in archiving their materials with us.

For more from this interview, check out the complete post on the ATE@20 blog. Additionally, if you have specific questions about the archiving process, or have some success stories you would like to share, please email info@atecentral.net.