This episode reviews existing software collections and the users of those collections. In order to better capture current efforts in collecting software, Research & Facilitation Lead, Anne-Marie Trepanier (Canadian Center for Architecture), provides different collection profiles and the set of features that characterize each of them. Through round-table discussion, guests explore how collection development policies and strategies for existing collections impact community goals of sharing and reuse. Episode 2 features Patricia Falcao (Tate), Paula Jabloner (Computer History Museum) and Tim Walsh (Canadian Center for Architecture).

More to come next week after “Episode 3: Software (Re) Use Cases” featuring special guests Eric Kaltman (Carnegie Mellon University) and Matthew Allen (University of Toronto, Harvard Graduate School of Design)! Episode 3 Research & Facilitation Lead is Andrea Altenbach (Studio Gang).  

About the Series

The Software Preservation Webinar Series provides a survey of software preservation contexts. Each episode explores a different software preservation context by providing an overview, discussion with guest speakers (specialists in digital preservation, software studies, scholarly communication, open source software and more) and open discussion with attendees. The webinar is jointly hosted by the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) and the Software Preservation Network (SPN). Special thanks to Sarah Middleton (DPC) and all the members of SPN Training & Education Working Group: Anne-Marie Trépanier (Canadian Centre for Architecture), Sherry Lake (University of Virginia), Andi Altenbach (Studio Gang), Neil Chue Hong (Software Sustainability Institute), Elizabeth Parke (McGill University), Daina Bouquin (Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics).

Due to user limits on our web conferencing software, registration for the series is now closed. However, all episodes will be recorded and posted to the DPC and SPN websites.

We plan to build on this series with additional programming, including a series of in-depth interviews with researchers, developers, archivists, curators and others on their work in software preservation and curation. Stay tuned!

On behalf of the SPN and DPC,

Jessica Meyerson