Zhenxin Wu is Professor of the Information System Department, and Deputy Director of the Digital Preservation Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences at the National Science Library in Beijing, China. She is also responsible for the technical system and data archive for NDPP (National Digital Preservation Program).
The following blog is also available in Chinese below:
This year, the sudden epidemic has had a huge impact on the world. Out of necessity, the global situation has greatly promoted the speed of digital transformation in various organizations as well as the increase of online communication, for example, #WeMissiPRES in September was successfully held online. The National Science Library of CAS has provided several information services to support research on COVID-19, such as VPN-based online access, fast thematic information services and tracking of the latest global research progress. With the changing states of COVID-19, these changes have gradually become the norm.
It also makes us more clearly aware of the impact of this ‘black swan event.’ We realize that an approach of "unbounded symbiosis"(that is to say, living and working together without geographic boundaries) is more suitable for the global fight against the epidemic, as well as for various industries in the digital age, and of course it is especially suitable for the future development of the digital preservation community.
2020 must be a year that impresses everyone deeply. The sudden epidemic can be regarded as one of the biggest challenges in human history. It has had a huge impact on the world. Both countries and economies have been greatly impacted, and people's lives and work have undergone tremendous changes. What is particularly remarkable is that it has greatly promoted the speed of digital transformation in various organizations as well as the increase of online communication. According to a VMware report (https://new.qq.com/omn/20201016/20201016A0BYD000.html): In January 2020, Zoom had only 10 million daily active users. After the outbreak, this number exceeded 300 million in just four months. An example which we all know, the preservation community successfully held online event #WeMissiPRES (https://www.dpconline.org/events/wemissipres) by using ZOOM in September with over 1,500 Person-time attending. The epidemic has brought distance between people, but it could not stop mankind from moving forward.
The Chinese government has made arduous efforts to fight the epidemic. The Chinese people and all institutions and enterprises have given full cooperation. At present, our lives and work are becoming normal. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the NSLC (National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences) where I work has been constantly adjusting to adapt to the changing environment and user needs.
In the beginning of the epidemic, NSLC expanded the VPN mechanism in time to ensure that researchers in more than 120 institutes across the country could smoothly access information resources while they work from home; we provided emergency information services on key technologies of virus analyzers to respond promptly to the needs from related institutes. We quickly built up a platform (http://ncov.scholarin.cn/) to collect research papers, research data, and research progress related to the corona virus. We launched information thematic services (http://www.clas.ac.cn/xwzx2016/xxfyzt_2020//) to integrate important information such as policies, academic research, prevention and treatment information on the prevention and control of COVID-19. We also launched a monitoring service to get the latest research progress of COVID-19 by important institutions around the world (http://stm.las.ac.cn/STMonitor/qbwnew/openhome.htm?serverId=172).
Online access without geographical restrictions by authorized users, fast thematic information services, and tracking of the latest global research progress have become NSTL's the main services to support the epidemic research.. With the changing states of COVID-19, these changes have gradually become the norm. It also makes us more clearly aware that the impact of the black swan event of the epidemic will cause huge changes in the needs and work habits of users in the future. We are at a time when digitalization has been deeply integrated into society, we need to constantly change and improve ourselves if we want to keep up with the development of the times.
The theme of 2020 Learning Cloud Summit of Alibaba Dingding University is "Unbounded • Symbiosis", which means to break boundaries, release vitality; and achieve mutual benefit and mutual flourishing (http://d.youth.cn/newtech/202010/t20201019_12536334.htm). I personally think that this theme is more suitable for describing the global fight against the epidemic, as well as for various industries in the digital age, and of course it is especially suitable for the future development of the digital preservation community.
2020突发的疫情对世界产生了巨大的影响,加快了各行业数字化转型的速度，线上交流急剧增加, #WeMissiPRES也以在线方式成功召开。中国科学院文献情报中心为支持新冠病毒研究，提供了包括基于VPN的在线访问、快速专题信息服务和国内外最新科研进展追踪等多种服务。疫情的反复,使我们更加清楚地认识到，疫情“黑天鹅”事件对世界产生的影响。“无界·共生”适用于全球与疫情的对抗，也适用于数字化时代的各个行业，尤其适合数字保存社区的未来发展。
未来发展：无界·共生
2020是让所有人记忆深刻的一年，突发的疫情，堪称是人类历史上面临的最大挑战之一，它对世界产生了巨大的影响，无论是国家还是企业都受到了巨大冲击，人们的生活、工作更是发生了巨大的改变。特别显著的是极大地促进了各行各业数字化转型的速度，另外在线交流激增。在VMware的一篇报道里提到（https://new.qq.com/omn/20201016/20201016A0BYD000.html）：2020年1月，ZOOM只有1000万日活用户，疫情爆发后，仅四个月它的用户数就突破了3亿。一个大家都熟悉的例子，保存社区在2020年9月利用ZOOM成功召开了在线的#WeMissiPRES（https://www.dpconline.org/events/wemissipres），约有1500余人次参与。疫情带来了距离，但不能阻止人类前进的脚步。
中国政府为对抗疫情付出了艰巨的努力，中国人民和所有机构给予了全力配合，目前我们的生活和工作已趋于正常。过去的这十个月，我所在的中国科学院文献情报中心（NSLC）也在不断调整和改变以适应变化的环境和用户需求。
疫情初起，NSLC及时调整扩展了VPN访问机制，保障全国各地120多个研究所科研人员在居家办公期间，其对信息资源的获取和使用不受影响；及时响应相关研究所联合开展病毒分析仪的研发需求，快速提供关键技术的情报服务；快速搭建新冠病毒知识服务平台（http://ncov.scholarin.cn/），汇集新冠病毒肺炎相关的科学研究论文、科学研究数据、科学研究进展；开通新冠病毒感染肺炎防控信息专题服务（http://www.clas.ac.cn/xwzx2016/xxfyzt_2020/），集成疫情防控有关政策动态、学术研究、防治信息等重要信息；推出新冠病毒科研动态监测平台（http://stm.las.ac.cn/STMonitor/qbwnew/openhome.htm?serverId=172），监测国内外重要科研机构最新科研进展。
合法用户不受地理限制的在线访问、快速专题信息服务和全球最新科研进展追踪，成为NSTL围绕疫情的特色工作。随着疫情的反复,这些变化逐渐成为常态,也使我们更加清楚的认识到，新冠“黑天鹅”事件的影响，将让未来用户的需求和工作习惯发生巨大的改变，而在数字化已经深深融入各个行业的当下，我们要想跟上时代迭代的速度，就需要我们不断进行自我更新提升。
阿里巴巴钉钉大学2020学习云峰会的主题为 “无界·共生”，意为打破边界,释放活力;互利互荣（http://d.youth.cn/newtech/202010/t20201019_12536334.htm）。我个人觉得这个主题更适用于全球与疫情的对抗，也适用于数字化时代的各个行业，当然尤其适合数字保存社区的未来发展。