Curatorial Agency in IR Migrations: A Case Study of the University of Toledo Digital Repository

Abstract

This case study focuses on the role of curatorial agency in the migration of the University of Toledo Digital Repository (UTDR). Institutional repository (IR) migrations are necessary preservation actions intended to ensure long-term access to digital content. Disruptions resulting from iterative migrations may diminish user trust in IR services and present other risks. Curatorial agency refers to the responsibility and authority of curators mediating between digital media and audiences and can mitigate some unforeseen or unavoidable effects of data migrations. Curatorial agency is established through connections and negotiations within heterogeneous actor-networks, which result in transformational processes, such as those associated with data migrations. Therefore, this case study takes a sociotechnical approach needed for an analytical framework, which merges elements of the actor-network theory with those of the Digital Curation Centre’s (DCC) curation lifecycle model and a Levels of Representation in Digital Collections framework based on Lee’s model. It focuses on the vital role of curatorial agency in UTDR migrations. Using a detailed account of the repository migration and framework analysis, this case study offers significant insight into the role of curatorial agency in managing migrations and establishing new curation strategies, including virtual exhibitions. Key findings include increased transparency of transformational processes in the UTDR migrations and in the role of curatorial agency in the preservation framework.