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How DSI Operates

Research Lifecycle Alignment

The team's work aligns with three key aspects of the research lifecycle:

Preservation

Preservation deals with the sustainable, long-term storage of completed works of scholarship or elements of cultural heritage, accompanied by relevant descriptive and contextual metadata.

Incubation

Incubation is about fostering the creativity of scholars through diverse approaches including tools for media creation, guidance on the use of digital methods and tools for research, and support for grant-funded projects.

Dissemination

Dissemination addresses the discoverability and reach of items in the previous two areas. This includes support for digital exhibit creation but has a larger focus on processes that facilitate the visibility of and access to scholarly and cultural objects.

How We Fulfill This Alignment

To support this alignment, DSI serves as a proving ground for new or alternative approaches to scholarship, and a foundation of steady, reliable infrastructure encompassing the systems and platforms that underpin digital scholarship in the libraries. We fulfil this dual role through the exploration of new technologies, the enhancement of existing technologies, and ongoing engagement in the larger fields of digital scholarship, digital preservation, digital publishing, and digital literacy.

The Department oversees the existing platforms, and the selection and implementation of appropriate infrastructure technologies that serve YUL, the larger York community, and global knowledge seekers. This includes:

  • overseeing requests for new digital scholarship initiatives;
  • contributing to meaningful new uses of digital content;
  • collaborating with faculty on grant applications;
  • leading the digital preservation program;
  • leading and collaborating with colleagues on metadata policies and workflows;
  • developing services in support of digital research methods and approaches;
  • democratizing access to media creation knowledges and infrastructure, and
  • supporting openness, digital pedagogy and engagement with new audiences.

Platforms and Services

Access limitations

Some platforms require Passport York credentials or VPN access.

The following platforms are supported, maintained, and recommended for use by DSI:

Publishing & Access

Exhibits & Projects

Infrastructure & Systems

Services

Web Archiving