Dublin City University Library partner with Arkivum and EBSCO Information Services

Arkivum and EBSCO Information Services are delighted to announce that Dublin City University Library has decided to partner with both organisations to setup AtoM, an open-source archive management system with digital preservation capabilities, to ensure research collections, both physical and digital, are catalogued and accessible online supporting research, education and outreach.

Dublin City University (DCU) is a dynamic and ambitious university with a mission to transform lives and societies through education, research and innovation. DCU is recognised nationally and internationally as a centre of academic excellence with over 16,000 students across 3 main campuses providing learning and research opportunities in faculties such as engineering and computing, business, science and health, humanities and social sciences, and education.

One of the first digitised collections available on AtoM is the Seán Lester Collection, which includes the personal papers of Seán Lester, one of Ireland’s most important diplomats, who in 1934, became the High Commissioner of the League of Nations in the Free City of Danzig, (now Gdańsk, Poland) and from 1940 was the Deputy Secretary General of the League of Nations. The collection contains diaries buried in a metal case during WW2 near the headquarters of the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. After the war ended, Lester dug up the case and returned with them to Ireland where this collection was subsequently donated to DCU Library by Patricia Kilroy and Ann Gorski, daughters of Seán Lester.

Correspondence between James Joyce and Seán Lester is among the highlights of this collection as Lester assisted the Joyce family by obtaining a visa for their daughter Lucia, after officials in Nazi Germany refused to issue her with a visa. Today, on the 80th anniversary of James Joyce’s death, one particularly poignant letter stands out written by Lester to Nora Barnacle, Joyce’s wife, lamenting the passing of Joyce and his literary legacy to the world. Read the digitised letter here.

Chris Sigley, Arkivum CEO said of the announcement, ‘We’re thrilled to have Dublin City University join our growing number of customers looking to secure their valuable digital assets long into the future. I’m really excited to be a part of DCU’s journey as they evolve their approach to digital preservation.’

EBSCO Information Services VP of SaaS Strategies Tamir Borensztajn says, “This partnership allows us to deliver key services that DCU needs today that will help solve their long-term data management needs in the future. By addressing their archiving and preservation challenges now, it will build a strong foundation for a long-term strategy.”

DCU University Librarian John McDonough says, “We are delighted to collaborate with Arkivum and EBSCO in bringing our unique collections to international research audiences. The Sean Lester Diaries are our first tangible step in a comprehensive programme of preserving and disseminating DCU’s historic and scholarly archives. AtoM is a key management tool to this end.”

About Arkivum

Arkivum is recognised internationally for its expertise in the archiving and digital preservation of valuable data and digitised assets in large volumes and multiple formats. The long-term security, integrity and accessibility of data is crucial for all Arkivum’s clients and partners, who share a commitment to good practice in its stewardship and governance.

Arkivum’s specialist software and services are chosen by major institutions and commercial organisations in a diversity of sectors, including life sciences, research (CERN), financial services, and organisations in higher education, culture and heritage. Confident in Arkivum’s reputation and resources, they are in a position to maximise insight and discovery by deriving optimum long-term value from their data, collections and intellectual property.

Headquartered in the UK, with presence in the US, Arkivum advocates the use of the FAIR principles in data management: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable. Arkivum is also certified in ISO 9001 and 27001.

About EBSCO Information Services

EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the preeminent provider of online research content and search technologies serving academic, school and public libraries; healthcare and medical institutions; corporations; and government agencies around the world. From research, acquisition management, subscription services and discovery to clinical decision support and patient care, learning, and research and  development, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and resources to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. EBSCO Information Services is a division of EBSCO Industries, Inc., a family owned company since 1944. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com.