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Reflecting on Four Years of the Digital Preservation Outreach & Education Network

By Kirk Mudle

The Digital Preservation Outreach & Education Network (DPOE-N) is a joint initiative between Pratt Institute School of Information and New York University’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation program.

Thanks to the generous funding of the Mellon Foundation, from 2020-2024 DPOE-N has made a tangible impact on digital preservation training and education in the U.S. through its professional development and emergency hardware microgrant programs.

Since 2020, DPOE-N has awarded a total of $314,329 to 210 professionals representing 39 states and Puerto Rico, and 34 emergency hardware microgrants (a total of $18,280) to small libraries, archives, and museums experiencing financial hardships stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic or climate change-related natural disasters.

This poster reports on the accomplishments and lessons learned from the first four years of DPOE-N, including the most commonly requested digital preservation instruction topics, what the demand for training topics indicates about the state of digital preservation training in the U.S., and our plans for the future.

A group of people gathers around a cluttered table filled with various cables, audiovisual equipment, and a laptop. A participant leans forward to operate the laptop while others observe and take photos, indicating a hands-on workshop or training session.
A woman presents at a podium during a conference. Behind her, a large screen displays a Spanish-language slide about audiovisual collection digitization, referencing organizations including Pratt and DPOE-N. Attendees are seated, watching attentively.
A group of people gathers around a cluttered table filled with various cables, audiovisual equipment, and a laptop. A participant leans forward to operate the laptop while others observe and take photos, indicating a hands-on workshop or training session.
Close-up of a table filled with electronic equipment including a VCR, a mixer, and various cables and adapters. A person’s hand is seen connecting wires, suggesting an audiovisual digitization or preservation workshop in progress.
A horizontal bar graph showing categories of training requested by DPOE-N participants. “Other,” “Digital Records Management,” and “Metadata/Cataloging” are the top three categories, with the number of requests labeled beside each bar.
A group of around 35 people pose for a group photo in front of a modern building labeled “CENTRO UNIVERSITARIO.” The group is diverse, with people of varying ages and ethnicities, all smiling. The building features clean white architecture and tropical greenery.

  • Kirk Mudle

    Kirk Mudle is the Program Manager for the Digital Preservation Outreach and Education Network (DPOE-N), a joint initiative between Pratt Institute and New York University, as well as the Archive…