Margaret Hedstrom
Encyclopedia
Dr. Margaret L. Hedstrom is a Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information
and faculty coordinator of the Archives and Records Management specialization within the Master of Science in Information program.
Among the internationally-known research that she has led is the CAMiLEON
project. This project, which was conducted jointly with the University of Leeds
and funded by the National Science Foundation
in the US and the Joint Information Systems Committee
(JISC) in the UK, investigated the use of emulation tools as part of a strategy for long-term preservation of digital records. Her current research interests include digital preservation strategies and cultural preservation and outreach in developing countries. She has also been a consultant to more than a dozen government archival programs, the World Bank
, the International Council on Archives. She has served on doctoral committees at the State University of New York at Albany, the University of Pittsburgh
, as well as the University of Michigan.
.
Even prior to her academic career, Dr. Hedstrom conducted research on the management and preservation of electronic records for nearly 20 years beginning at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin
(1979–83). She was a principal planner of a major conference on electronic records research held in 1991, which established national priorities for research and development.
She has done much to enable the shaping of a research agenda in digital preservation, and her 1991 article "Understanding Electronic Incunabula: A Framework for Research on Electronic Records", published in The American Archivist (v. 54, no.3, pp. 334–354) remains a profound statement of the research challenges posed by the emergence of the digital order.
She was an author of It's About Time: Research Challenges in Digital Archiving and Long-Term Preservation (2003), sponsored by the Digital Government Research Program and the Digital Libraries Program Directorate for Computing and Information Sciences and Engineering at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Library of Congress
' National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
. In 2002-03 she co-chaired the Working Group on Digital Archiving and Preservation, which was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and by the European Union
through DELOS Network of Excellence.
She co-authored the report Invest to Save: Report and Recommendations of the NSF-DELOS Working Group on Digital Archiving and Preservation(2003). These agendas attempt to respond to upcoming challenges predicted for the near future.
's Distinguished Scholarly Achievement Award for her work at the University of Fort Hare
in South Africa
.
In 2008, the Library of Congress
recognized Hedstrom as a "pioneer of digital preservation".
University of Michigan School of Information
The School of Information or iSchool at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is a graduate school offering both a Master of Science in Information and a Doctor of Information ....
and faculty coordinator of the Archives and Records Management specialization within the Master of Science in Information program.
Among the internationally-known research that she has led is the CAMiLEON
CAMiLEON
The CAMiLEON project was a joint undertaking by the University of Michigan and the University of Leeds to develop and evaluate a range of technical strategies for the long term preservation of digital material suffering from digital obsolescence...
project. This project, which was conducted jointly with the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
and funded by the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
in the US and the Joint Information Systems Committee
Joint Information Systems Committee
JISC is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body whose role is to support post-16 and higher education and research by providing leadership in the use of ICT in learning, teaching, research and administration...
(JISC) in the UK, investigated the use of emulation tools as part of a strategy for long-term preservation of digital records. Her current research interests include digital preservation strategies and cultural preservation and outreach in developing countries. She has also been a consultant to more than a dozen government archival programs, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the International Council on Archives. She has served on doctoral committees at the State University of New York at Albany, the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, as well as the University of Michigan.
Biography
Before joining the faculty at Michigan in 1995, she was Chief of State Records Advisory Services and Director of the Center for Electronic Records at the New York State Archives and Records Administration (1985–95). She earned Master's degrees in Library Science (1977) and History (1979) and a Ph.D in History (1988), all from the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
Even prior to her academic career, Dr. Hedstrom conducted research on the management and preservation of electronic records for nearly 20 years beginning at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
(1979–83). She was a principal planner of a major conference on electronic records research held in 1991, which established national priorities for research and development.
She has done much to enable the shaping of a research agenda in digital preservation, and her 1991 article "Understanding Electronic Incunabula: A Framework for Research on Electronic Records", published in The American Archivist (v. 54, no.3, pp. 334–354) remains a profound statement of the research challenges posed by the emergence of the digital order.
She was an author of It's About Time: Research Challenges in Digital Archiving and Long-Term Preservation (2003), sponsored by the Digital Government Research Program and the Digital Libraries Program Directorate for Computing and Information Sciences and Engineering at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
' National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program is an archival program led by the Library of Congress to archive and provide access to digital resources. The U.S. Congress established the program in 2000...
. In 2002-03 she co-chaired the Working Group on Digital Archiving and Preservation, which was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
through DELOS Network of Excellence.
She co-authored the report Invest to Save: Report and Recommendations of the NSF-DELOS Working Group on Digital Archiving and Preservation(2003). These agendas attempt to respond to upcoming challenges predicted for the near future.
Awards/honors
Dr. Hedstrom is a fellow of the Society of American Archivists and she was the first recipient of the annual Award for Excellence in New York State Government Information Services. She received the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
's Distinguished Scholarly Achievement Award for her work at the University of Fort Hare
University of Fort Hare
The University of Fort Hare is a public university in Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was a key institution in higher education for black Africans from 1916 to 1959. It offered a Western-style, academically excellent education to students from across sub-Saharan Africa, creating a black...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
In 2008, the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
recognized Hedstrom as a "pioneer of digital preservation".
External links
- "It's About Time" Digital Preservation website (PDF)
- Invest to Save, NSF-DELOS Working Group on Digital Archiving and Preservation
- Schwarz, John. "In Storing 1’s and 0’s, the Question Is $", New York Times, April 9, 2008