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Posted by: Leslie Johnston
In getting ready to make a transition from digital preservation and repository development at the Library of Congress to digital preservation at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), I was asked if I would write a post about what I’ve been doing and what I will be doing at NARA. Don’t mind if …
Posted in: Inside the Library
Posted by: Leslie Johnston
I was asked to present a talk today for an internal group at the Library of Congress based on my recent experiences participating in the Top Tech Trends panel at the 2014 American Library Association Midwinter meeting. It was suggested that I present a “Leslie-fied” version of the always-inspiring landscape talks that my colleague Cliff …
Posted in: Digital Content, Inside the Library, Tools and Infrastructure
Posted by: Leslie Johnston
A ten year-old recently asked what I do for a living. The response mostly involved explaining that the Library of Congress has digital collections and that I lead a team of people that take care of digital things, including writing software. I have often been asked by family, friends and complete strangers to explain what …
Posted in: Inside the Library, Tools and Infrastructure
Posted by: Leslie Johnston
I lead a group that develops software for the management, preservation and delivery of digital collections. In some organizations, digital preservation is part of the physical preservation unit. In some organizations, software development is part of the systems office. Or software development might be part of a central IT unit. I work with colleagues who …
Posted in: Inside the Library, Tools and Infrastructure
Posted by: Leslie Johnston
Some weeks ago I gave a presentation that I jokingly titled “The Challenges of Preserving Every Digital Format on the Face of the Planet.” Except it’s not really a joke. We often have little or no control over what comes into the Library of Congress Digital Collections, and we manage and preserve a wide variety …
Posted in: Digital Content, Inside the Library
Posted by: Leslie Johnston
When I wrote my post on the “Library of Congress” as a unit of measure, I expected to receive some feedback. And boy, did I. As expected, I received some new examples: “In less than two years the app has already hosted more than 500 million images — more than 30 times greater than the …
Posted in: Inside the Library
Posted by: Leslie Johnston
When I meet new people and tell them that I work at the Library of Congress, the first question is usually “What do you do there?” When I explain that part of my job is to oversee a group that develops software, the reaction is often one of surprise: “What? Libraries develop software?” Yes. Yes …
Posted in: Digital Content, Inside the Library, Tools and Infrastructure