Sharks, digital curation, and the education of information professionals

Museums, libraries, and archives are creating and acquiring a growing volume of digital resources, including collection documentation, digitized versions of holdings, and original born-digital collections. All these institutions need information professionals who can manage and preserve digital resources and work with colleagues in their own and other institutions to meet the public's increasing expectation of finding the information they want online. All types of cultural heritage institutions will benefit from taking an interest in the education of a new generation of information professional with skills in digitization, digital archiving and preservation, and what is now being called 'digital curation' - the ability to add value to digital assets for use and re-use over the long term. These new professionals may also have disciplinary expertise that enhances their value to cultural heritage institutions, and they may forge new career paths that cross traditional boundaries among libraries, archives, and museums.