General Questions | Host-specific Questions | Resident-specific Questions
If you do not find the answer to your question on this page, contact NDSR-NY at ndsr@metro.org.
General Questions:
What is the NDSR-NY program?
The NDSR-NY program works to develop the next generation of digital stewardship professionals by funding nine-month hands-on residencies for recent master’s degree recipients to complete digital stewardship projects at host institutions in the New York City area. NDSR-NY is funding a cohort of 5 residents in 2014-2015 and 5 residents in 2015-2016. In addition to their project-based work at host institutions, residents first complete an intensive digital stewardship immersion workshop prior to their residency. After that week-long session, they attend lectures, workshops, and special events; present and discuss their work regularly; and actively participate in the collaborative educational community established by the residency program. Residents complete the program with a presentation about their project to a national audience at a professional conference.
Institutions that host a resident gain the benefit of a dedicated, full-time employee, funded by NDSR-NY, working for nine months on a focused digital stewardship project and participating in the overall organizational life of the institution. The host institution and the resident’s on-site mentor have the chance to participate in a federally-supported, nationwide program to advance digital stewardship education, residencies, and institutional capacities.
How long is the residency program?
Each residency term is nine months, from September 2014 through May 2015 and from September 2015 through May 2016.
What is the timeline for the program?
For the 2015-2016 NDSR cohort class:
Host Applications due: Friday, April 10, 2015
Host Institutions selected/notified: Friday, April 24, 2015
Resident Applications due: Friday, May 22, 2015
Residents selected/notified: Friday, June 12, 2015
Residents confirm acceptance: Friday, June 19, 2015
Residents begin residencies: September, 2015 (exact date tbd)
Residents end residencies: Friday, May 27, 2015 (tentative)
Note: Dates subject to change.
How many residents participate in the program?
There are five residents participating in the NDSR-NY program in 2014-2015 and five additional residents for the 2015-2016 cohort. NDSR programs in Boston and in Washington D.C. are also hosting residents.
Which organizations participated in the residency program in New York in 2014-2015?
- American Museum of Natural History
- Carnegie Hall
- Museum of Modern Art
- New York Art Resources Consortium
- New York University Libraries
Which organizations participated in the residency program in New York in 2015-2016?
- Brooklyn Academy of Music
- CUNY-TV
- New York Public Radio
- Rhizome
- Wildlife Conservation Society
How does NDSR define digital stewardship?
Digital stewardship, for the purposes of this program, is broadly defined and is considered the practice of acquiring, selecting, managing, preserving, and providing access to digital information.
How many hours per week do residents work?
Residents work 40 hours per week. The scheduled report time is flexible and will be determined by the resident and mentoring supervisor. Residents also participate in NDSR-NY related programs and activities away from their host institutions at certain times.
What type of work should residents be doing while participating in the program? What does a typical day as a resident look like?
The best way to get a sense of resident activities and work is to peruse the projects that have been selected for the program in New York, Boston, and Washington D.C. A presentation by Vicky Steeves about her experience as a 2014/15 New York resident is also available online.
Does the Residency program support travel to conferences for residents?
Yes, the NDSR program includes professional development funds (separate from the resident’s salary) to support conference attendance and other professional development activities.
Potential Host Questions:
What host institutions are eligible to participate in NDSR-NY?
Any institution responsible for the long-term stewardship of digital materials, actively managing data or digital information, or in a position to influence other institutions through policy, advocacy, consortia activities, and other non-collecting methods of supporting digital stewardship is eligible. You do not need to be a METRO member to apply. Also, you do not need to be a non-profit to apply. While the focus of the program may lean towards libraries, archives, museums, and cultural institutions, we are very interested in involving hosts organization from outside the traditional heritage domain. More details on eligibility and requirements of host institutions can be found in this document: NDSR-NY Host Institution Requirements.
What percentage of the Resident’s time should be allotted to the project (not devoted to secondary events such as workshops, training, social events)?
The majority of the Residency should be devoted to project work, however secondary events such as training and networking are also important. The resident will be expected to participate in ongoing activities associated with NDSR-NY and the national NDSR program, but host-based project work will be their primary responsibility.
How is the match made between residents and host institutions?
Host institutions will have an active role in determining which applicant works at their institution. Residents, as part of their application, will be asked to rank their preferred host projects. From there, NDSR-NY program officers, the NDSR-NY advisory board, and host institution representatives will work to match residents and hosts.
What activities should NOT be included in a resident’s project?
Residents will be highly-qualified recent master’s degree recipients with both coursework and hands-on advanced training in digital stewardship theories and practices. As such, their work should be similar to that of other emerging professionals. Their work should not be busy work or repetitive, mundane work. Also, while digitization is part of the overall digital stewardship lifecycle, and may partially be included in some projects, the residents are not scanning technicians and projects should not include scanning as the primary activity.
Can we get help or advice on developing our project proposal and application?
Yes, definitely. NDSR-NY program staff are available to meet and talk with you in person or over email/phone and assist with devising and refining a project proposal or any other assistance you might require in the application process. More information on the host application process can be found here: Application Information for Host Institutions.
Potential Residents:
Who is eligible to apply for a Residency?
If you have received a master’s degree (or higher) between Spring 2013 and Spring 2015 in a field related to digital stewardship, you are eligible to apply for the September 2015 resident class. The NDSR-NY program is open to master’s degree recipients from outside the library and information science fields. If you are unsure if your degree is relevant or if you have questions about whether receipt of your degree falls within the allowable time restrictions, email Margo Padilla at mpadilla@metro.org. We realize there may be edge cases.
What kind of skills and qualifications should I have? How extensive does my background need to be in digital stewardship before participating in the program?
We are looking for recent graduates (Spring 2013 or later) that are seeking to bridge their classroom learning with hands-on work experience. Applicants should not be established professionals in the field. Applicants that have studied in affiliated fields are welcome to apply. There is no set formula for the perfect candidate. Each applicant will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Do I need to be a US citizen to participate in the program?
Yes, you must be a United States citizen or permanent resident to participate in the program.
Will I be paid for my work as a Resident?
Yes, residents are paid a bi-weekly stipend by Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO) as part of our administration of the IMLS LB21 grant for NDSR-NY. Residents should expect to receive around $23/hour as a stipend. There will also be professional development funds available in addition to the stipend.
Will I receive benefits while participating in the program? Healthcare, transportation stipend, etc.?
Residents are not eligible for benefits through METRO, but the aforementioned stipend was designed to include enough funds to allow for the purchase of private or federal health insurance.
Is housing provided?
No, residents must locate and finance their own housing. NDSR-NY staff are available to assist selected residents in locating housing in the NYC area.
How many hours per week will I work?
Residents work 40 hours per week. The scheduled report time is flexible and will be determined by the resident and mentoring supervisor. There will also be some participation required at after-work events such as lectures, meet-ups, and social activities.
Can you provide more information about the video / online project part of the application?
The intent of the video or online project is to offer residents a creative way to show their interest in digital stewardship. While we encourage applicants to use their creativity while making the video or online project, we do not require fancy editing tricks, transitions, or production values. We are not looking for feature films or full online digital collections. The most important thing for applicants is to get across their desire to contribute to and further the field of digital stewardship. Videos should be between 2-5 minutes. “Online project” is intentionally broad to allow residents a variety of ways to fulfill this aspect of the application. More information on the resident application process can be found here: Application Information for Residents.
