The crucial role of Digital Repositories in the dissemination of knowledge

The tenth anniversary of Digital Repository of ECLAC was celebrated with a special event that examined the crucial role of digital repositories from various perspectives. Featured speakers from the United Nations, Latin America and other regions shared their unique perspectives, delving into topics such as the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence, data collections, digital rights and the impact of digital repositories on research, among others.

In 2023, the Digital Repository had 1.5 million monthly downloads on average. Promoting the digital repository and the website is a strategic priority of the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, Dr. José Manuel Salazar Xirinachs.

Javier Medina Vásquez, Deputy Executive Secretary of ECLAC, opened the event by highlighting a decade of digital innovation within the ECLAC Repository, its interoperability with the ECLAC Website, CEPALSTAT and other external repositories, as well as perspectives for the future.

“Not only do we have 10 fascinating years behind us, but we also have many more years ahead with more innovations and new paths in terms of management of digital assets and ECLAC’s knowledge that will allow us to more strongly support the work for productive development , inclusive and sustainable in Latin America and the Caribbean,” Medina shared during his speech.

Presentations were given in English and Spanish, with simultaneous translation available for both languages. You can watch the recording with English translation here and with translation into Spanish here.

A comprehensive conversation about digital repositories

Thomas Padilla, Deputy Director of Archives and Data Services at Internet Archive, gave the keynote presentation titled “Libraries, Repositories and Artificial Intelligence. Collections as Data.” Padilla offered perspectives on the concept of collections as data, an approach that emphasizes the transformation of traditional collections found in libraries, archives, and museums into usable digital data sets, promoting the computational use of digitally accessible collections. He also explored the opportunities and challenges of AI technology for libraries, transforming traditional collections found in libraries, archives and museums into usable digital data sets, promoting the computational use of digitally accessible collections. here.

The first panel explored the current landscape of digital repositories, presenting testimonies from researchers who use the ECLAC repository, presentations on information management, interoperability and the formation of regional information and data networks, Creative Commons licenses and the impact of Digital repositories in academic research and education.

The second panel explored the future of digital repositories, addressing topics such as digital rights in the age of artificial intelligence, the challenges of creating national and transnational digital infrastructure networks, and perspectives on digital repositories, semantic web, linked data and graphs. of knowledge.

Below you will find the full program with the speakers and their presentations.

Program

Welcome wordsJavier Medina Vásquez, Deputy Executive Secretary of ECLAC

Keynote: Libraries, Repositories and Artificial Intelligence. Collections as data
Thomas Padilla, Deputy Director, Data and Archive Services, Internet Archive, Canada

PANEL 1: CURRENT OVERVIEW OF DIGITAL REPOSITORIES

Support and visibility for research through the ECLAC Digital Repository: Expert testimonies
Estefani Rondón, Research Assistant, Policies for Sustainable Development Unit, ECLAC
Orlando Reyes, Senior Assistant for Economic Affairs. Non-Renewable Resources Unit, ECLAC

Information management, interoperability and formation of regional information and data networks
Isabel Rocío Recavarren Martínez, Deputy Director of the Sub-Directorate of Information and Knowledge Management at Concytec, Peru

Creative Commons licenses and improving the reach of publications|
Charlotte Beauchamp, Head of Publications and Design, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), United Nations

Impact of Digital Repositories on academic research and education
María Lucía Lizarazo, Administrative Coordinator of the Resource Center for Learning and Research (CRAI), Universidad del Rosario, Colombia.

PANEL 2: WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL REPOSITORIES?

Digital Rights in the era of Artificial Intelligence
Carolina Botero, Advisor and Former Director of the Karisma Foundation, Colombia

Challenges of creating national and transnational digital infrastructure networks: European experiences
Paolo Budroni, Vienna University of Technology, Head of EOSC and International Liaison Office, Local Coordinator of the EULiST Alliance and Austrian e-IRG National Delegate

Digital Repositories, Semantic Web, Linked Data and Knowledge Graphs
Claudio Gutiérrez, Researcher and Academic of the Department of Computer Sciences of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile

Closing words, Wouter Schallier, Head of the ECLAC Library and Web Services Unit