Teaching digital curation: A functional approach

The University of Arizona School of Information Resources and Library Science, the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, and the University of Arizona Office of Continuing Education are collaborating to develop and administer a new post-baccalaureate certificate program (DigIn) that introduces students to the theoretical knowledge, conceptual frameworks and practical skills required to create, maintain and curate collections of digital information. DigIn is a graduate college-approved study program consisting of six newly developed graduate-level courses to be delivered online. The certificate serves as an entry point for students who are considering pursuing master's degrees in archives or library science and who also have an interest in technology and digital curation. For those already holding or concurrently pursuing a master's or doctoral degree in library and information science, it serves as a post-master's certificate of specialty or an area of concentration. Finally, the certificate offers current practitioners a practical way to update and enhance their skills for existing employment or in contemplation of new opportunities. Curriculum development is grounded in a functional approach designed to integrate the practices of librarians, archivists, records managers and technologists within a framework of disciplinary knowledge and the work of interrelated communities of practice. The coursework balances subject knowledge and practical hands-on skills relevant to digital curation and insures that students acquire an understanding of the professions while demonstrating comfort and proficiency with technology and the ability to continue to develop their technical skills upon completion of the program.