data at risk poster for unesco conference

Data At Risk: The Duty to Find, Rescue, PreserveBrought to you by CODATA’s Data at Risk Task Group (DARTG)

Please visit Session D at 1:30pm on September 26, 2012

“DARTG“ is a Task

Group of the Committeeon Data for Science andTechnology, a body ofthe International

1941 2004

Given by Stephen Del Greco, Chief ofNOAA’s National Climatic Data Center

Extending the Climate Record Patrick is also a member of the Group ofExperts (GE) member of the Global Sea LevelObserving System (GLOSS). Topics include:

The Joint Archive forSea Level (JASL),

The Global Oceano-graphic… “it’s easier to get maps from hundreds ofyears ago than maps from the last decade.”

Maps are ubiquitous in the21st century, includingcybercartographic atlases andmany other manifestations.

Nevertheless…

.

Once, these words seemed contradictory.Now, any digital media more than a decade old is“ancient.” This information legacy is at great risk!

Ancient & Digital

Session chair, Chris Muller, founder of Muller MediaConversions (MMC) includes here a brief mentionof an encouraging data rescue project:

Bangladesh Bureau of StatisticsData Recovery Center (BBSDRC)

See http://ils.unc.edu/~janeg/dartg/

We in DARTG define "data at risk“ as scientificdata which are not in a format that permits fullelectronic access to the information which theycontain. Such data may be inherently non-digital(e.g. handwritten or photographic), on near-obsolete digital media or insufficiently described(lacking meta-data).

the InternationalCouncil for Science.

More than 6,000 reels of mainframe

NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center(NCDC) Climate Services and

Monitoring Division (CSMD)

Join us at Session D and hear of the many NOAAdata rescue projects and partnerships, including:

Climate Database Modern-ization Program (CDMP).

Paleoclimatology effortsaround the world.

The first presentation is by Dr. R. Elizabeth Griffinof Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, who chairsthe Task Group as well as other international

Recovering theForgettery of the World

Like Elizabeth, Stephen will stimulate your daywith fascinating facts and ideas. Here’s one of

his phrases we specially enjoy: “Old Weather:

Maps: a fundamental source inthe Memory of the World.

The fourth presentation is by Tracey P. Lauriault,Postdoctoral Fellow, Geomatics and CartographicResearch Centre (GCRC), Carleton University andDr. Fraser Taylor, Distinguished Research

Historical Marine Observations

and much, much more…

The Global Oceano-graphicData Archaeology and Rescue(GODAR) project.

And several other initiatives.

We’ll also hear about the very interesting results

of the GLOSS 2012 data archaeology andrescue questionnaire.

years ago than maps from the last decade.”

www.postersession.com

More than 6,000 reels of mainframetape with important census and otherdata had been accumulated since the1980’s. Frequent power outages andother pressing needs made long-termpreservation very difficult.

IPUMS.ORG via MMC providedthe equipment, software and

training to institute the project.New BBSDRC management has

recently achieved additionalsystem and staff capabilities.

the Task Group as well as other internationalgroups. Her presentation will discuss DARTG’sfounding principles and major goals, e.g. creationof an inventory of data whose unique value is indanger of being lost to posterity.

You will hear many thought-provoking ideas, suchas: “Delving back into the past is a route to instantscience.” … “the complementarity of old and new”… “Doing nothing had inflated expense, andruined lives.” For more on this, please visit:Session D – 1:30pm Wednesday, where wewill also describe initiatives taken by members theTask Group to preserve scientific data at risk.

his phrases we specially enjoy: “Old Weather:Our Weather’s Past, the Climate’s Future”

Tide Gauge Data Rescue

Presented by Mr. Patrick C. Caldwell, Manager,Joint Archive for Sea Level at NOAA’s NationalOceanographic Data Center (NODC), this segmentwill convey such matters as how older records areof great value to understand more completely thetime scales of sea level change.

Dr. Fraser Taylor, Distinguished ResearchProfessor of International Affairs, Geography andEnvironmental Studies at Carleton University. andDirector of the Geomatics and CartographicResearch Center.

Expect to hear of manyprojects and insights.

One example:

Born Digital Maps don’tnecessarily improve matters…

“In Canada we have lost over 90 percent ofthe digital maps produced in the last quarterof the 20th century.”

See www.ipums.org and www.mullermedia.com