Originally released by NCAR/UCAR Atmos News
CONTACTS FOR THIS RELEASE
David Hosansky, Head of Media Relations
303-497-8611
Bob Henson, Media Relations
303-497-8605
Sylvia Paull, ISKME Media Relations
510-388-8932
Originally released by NCAR/UCAR Atmos News
CONTACTS FOR THIS RELEASE
David Hosansky, Head of Media Relations
303-497-8611
Bob Henson, Media Relations
303-497-8605
Sylvia Paull, ISKME Media Relations
510-388-8932
BOULDER — Management of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) is being transferred this month from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) to the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME).
This agreement helps ensure the long-term sustainability of NSDL. The library provides high-quality, online educational resources with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Since its creation in 2000, the library has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and managed by UCAR. In 2011, reflecting developments in online technologies since the library's creation, NSF directed UCAR to develop and implement a new plan for the library’s sustainability.
After a yearlong process, UCAR selected ISKME to manage the library and work with the educational community to ensure its continued viability and relevance. ISKME was selected in part because of its commitment to online learning and innovation, in addition to past success with a viable business model for open educational resources (OER).
UCAR will remain an active partner in the library with representation on the NSDL advisory board throughout the transition period.
"We are delighted at this outcome after a long and careful process," said Mary Marlino, Director of NSDL and the NCAR Library. "ISKME is a great community resource with a viable business model for building services to support the use of open educational resources. We know they will carry on NSDL’s service to the educational community."
"It is an honor and a privilege to be entrusted as the new stewards of NSDL," said Lisa Petrides, CEO of ISKME. "We are excited to join in partnership with this longstanding community dedicated to STEM education. ISKME welcomes the addition of NSDL into the OER Commons family of high-quality digital resources that are openly accessible to teachers and learners everywhere."
"It is wonderful that the result of over fourteen years of work on NSDL by hundreds of projects and thousands of contributors is being carried forward by ISKME," said Dean Krafft, chief technology strategist at Cornell University Library and one of the original creators of the NSDL site. "I look forward to ISKME’s enhancement of NSDL's delivery of STEM educational resources to teachers and students in the years ahead."
ABOUT NSDL
NSF created NSDL in 2000 to improve access to high-quality online learning materials. The library, a leader in national efforts to improve STEM education, serves as both a repository for STEM educational content and a resource for technology solutions and tools to help STEP practitioner communities.
In its first 10 years, NSDL awarded more than 250 grants in areas such as collections of digital contents, locating and using digital resources and tools, and maintaining organizational and technical infrastructures. It is now putting increasing focus on an educational services model that more effectively collaborates with the increasingly diverse communities that produce, consume, and customize digital learning content, thereby better supporting the needs of teachers, librarians, and students.
ABOUT ISKME
ISKME is an independent, education nonprofit, established in 2002, whose mission is to improve the practice of continuous learning, collaboration, and change in the education sector. Based in Silicon Valley’s Half Moon Bay, California, ISKME supports innovative teaching and learning practices throughout the globe, and it is well known for its pioneering open education initiatives. ISKME also assists policy makers, foundations, and education institutions in designing, assessing, and bringing continuous improvement to education policies, programs, and practice.
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The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.