Data files in Dryad don’t just get dumped in there.  Someone is there to look after the accuracy and completeness of the metadata, to migrate data files into new formats when necessary, to help users with new submissions, and generally mind the details so that others can find and reuse the data files down the road.  This activity is called curation, and it is a critical behind-the-scenes function of a digital repository [1].   Here, we’d like to take this opportunity to introduce Dryad’s lead curator, Elena Feinstein.

Elena, who hails from Atlanta, has degrees in biology from NYU, education from Emory, and library & information science from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. Before coming to Dryad, she taught high school and was a science librarian at UNC. Now, Elena works with the UNC Metadata Research Center curating Dryad’s content and continually improving all aspects of the way the repository manages its metadata.

When she’s not working on Dryad, Elena volunteers with the Durham Central Market co-op grocery store, and cooks and bakes until the wee hours.

Next time you submit data to Dryad, rest assured it will receive some quality attention from Elena.

[1] What is Digital Curation?, Digital Curation Centre