The Digital Library for Earth System Science: Contributing resources and collections GCCS Internship Orientation Holly Devaul 19 June 2003

Today’s orientation Background and tour of DLESE Collection building process Your tasks this summer

DLESE Mission “To improve the quality, quantity, and efficiency of teaching and learning about the Earth at all educational levels.” DLESE Strategic Plan

Why a digital library? A well-articulated community goal to transform geoscience education by combining pedagogy, technology and science

What is DLESE? A place to find quality teaching and learning resources about the Earth system Support and services for anyone interested in learning about the Earth A community-led effort, funded by NSF The geosciences node of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL)

What does DLESE offer? Web-based materials (lesson plans, computer and lab activities, data, visualizations, background material, portals) Resources about the Earth are contributed and described by educators and scientists Services to help users effectively create and use materials Search by standards; find teaching tips and reviews; attend workshops and events Interfaces and tools to allow exploration of Earth data sets

Who is building DLESE? Individual K-12 and university educators and scientists contribute resources Partnerships create thematic collections* Community governance guides library development Core services develop library components Collections, Community, Data, Evaluation, and the DLESE Program Center (DPC)

Discovering Resources Using DLESE Discovery only for resources related to Earth system science Resources in DLESE are selected and cataloged by the ESS education community Resources are described in metadata records which enhance discovery and comprehension of the items. DLESE holds metadata records, not the actual web pages.

What is Metadata? Structured descriptive information about a resource that enables discovery “Data about data” Free text as well as controlled vocabularies for audience, resource type and others

Simple search Power search ozone Browse

Browse by subject, grade level or resource type

Select grade level and type of resource

View the completedescription completedescription

The resource itself

Data and imagery for each exercise

New look for Aug. 2003

August 2003: Search over multiple collections; Reviewed collections

Read reviews and teaching tips

Collection Building DLESE library policies Scope: what the collection is about Accession: what’s needed to be a collection Deaccession: when a collection or resource “breaks” IP and Privacy: how we treat the collection DLESE Catalog System – for record creation OAI software - for collection harvesting Broad Collection and Reviewed Collection

BroadReviewed CollectionCollection Relevant to Earth system education Cataloged with a minimum set of information for discovery Wide access to a range of resources All the criteria of the Broad Collection plus: Scientifically accurate Importance Pedagogically effective Well-documented Ease of use Power to inspire Robust

Your role this summer Set the stage for a thematic collection by: Drafting guiding documents Constructing concept matrix to guide resource selection Exploring the potential resources available Cataloging on-line resources Initially available as individual resources in DLESE, eventually as part of a discrete collection Capturing info about off-line resources for future inclusion

Defining a Collection Scope statement – describes types of resources included in collection Topically, resource type Goals of collection ; what niche to fill Short, easy to understand Translates to a short set of principles or requirements as suitable guides to collecting

Building a Collection Selection process In this case, a matrix of topics, subtopics, and resource types will be developed and populated Review process How you evaluate the robustness, integrity and validity of the resources, determining which ones to catalog for the collection

How do resources get cataloged? Web-based cataloging tool (DCS) at -> public tool for general collection Unique instances of cataloging tool for formal, thematic collections – managed at project site or hosted by DPC XML files created outside of web tool – XML template or database generated

DLESE Catalog System Web-based tool to catalog resources with the following: URL, title, description, resource type Grade level, subject (and many more) Tool can be downloaded for local cataloging use Can share cataloged information with digital libraries or use at DLESE

Build your own collection

Free-text and controlled vocabularies

Other considerations Develop preliminary keyword list – possible subsequent specialized vocabulary Off-line resources data gathering

Timetable and Deliverables Weekly Wednesday afternoon group meetings Week One - today Orientation Begin crafting guiding documents Week Two – June 25 th Review of guiding documents drafts Catalog training Wed. June 25 th 1 pm Week Three - July 2nd Flesh out matrix, begin selecting resources and cataloging 15 records ( combined) for group review

Timetable and Deliverables continued Week Four – July 9 15 records revised, 20 new are reviewed Selection and review criteria are revisited Week Five – July revised, 20 new ( total 50) First draft analysis paper Week Six – July revised, 20 new Week 7 Wrap up