Lowering the Barriers to Computational Access for Digital Archivists : a launch event

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Lowering the Barriers to Computational Access for Digital Archivists : a launch event

6 July 2022 | 13:00 - 17:00 UTC+1 Online | Zoom

Computational access is a term that is mentioned with increasing frequency by those in the digital preservation community. Many practitioners are aware it might be helpful to them (and their users) but do not have a handle on what exactly it entails, how it is best applied and where to start. It is often linked, however imprecisely, with concepts like text mining, machine learning and artificial intelligence. It also raises professional and ethical concerns pertaining to data protection and sensitivity review. These well-founded but ill-formed concerns, in combination with the relative dearth of experience and know-how means computational access has been relatively slow to develop. And yet, preventing or constraining access seems to put archives and institutions on the wrong side of often-stated ambitions to unlock archives.

To help address this challenge, the DPC have been working with SSI fellow Leontien Talboom on a getting started guide to computational access for the digital preservation community. Working with experts from across this domain we have been pooling community knowledge, case studies and tips to get started and have brought these together into a guide which intends to lower the barriers to getting started with computational access techniques.

This event marks the launch of this guide and provides an opportunity to learn more about computational access. Presentations will include a basic overview of the concepts and terminology, a selection of case studies from those working in this area and plenty of opportunity for discussion and Q&A. Attendees should come away with some ideas for how they might try and employ these techniques going forward.