[LTER-im-rep] Fw: imexec

Thu Mar 17 09:08:50 MDT 2016

Dear Eda,

I am sorry you weren’t able to join our latest water cooler this week to continue this discussion. We did bring up your concerns again and I would like to summarize the discussion. The full notes from the water coolers will be on our IM site soon.

In a round robin we tried to get everyone’s opinion and we all agree that this transition is difficult and means change for all of us. However, most felt that we will be able to find our identity in the data center, albeit a somewhat changed and more inclusive one. There are many good aspects of that change without losing our identity and still keeping our good social relationships within the group that have propelled us through difficult times. One aspect that some saw as positive is that in the current constellation (LTER IMC with IMExec) we are seen as an impenetrable block fueling a ‘us against them’ mentality. Opening up to other members, e.g., domain scientists and NCO folks, would allow us to overcome those obstacles to successful data management while still keeping bonds through our work. None of us is trying to become a scientist, but we do want to collaborate with them to make IM better serve science.

Changing our focus a bit and letting go of what have been very successful committees in past will pull all our energy into NIMO, which will be necessary to be successful. You bring up centralized IM and I still think that the proposal we wrote with distributed centers of expertise and skill exchange is the best compromise between strictly site IM and strictly centralized IM.

☺ and learning to think in English – I can relate and I don’t think we should loose our ethnic identity, just celebrate and contribute to the diversity. So, I hope we all can embrace the change and move forward together. Sorry, I still don’t have any news on the funding.

Corinna

From: im-rep [mailto:im-rep-bounces at lists.lternet.edu] On Behalf Of Eda C. Melendez-Colom
Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2016 6:20 PM
To: Philip Tarrant; Site IMs
Cc: Remillard, Suzanne; stevan.earl at asu.edu
Subject: Re: [LTER-im-rep] Fw: imexec

Yes. I believe that NIMO can make us stronger. I still insist we should continue progressing without loosing our identity and diluting ourselves... unless NSF wants us to do that, in which case I would wait for their explicit directives to do so...

I am no saying that we should leave IMEXEC intact. It is definitively time to change! What I am saying is that we should not mix the concept of a Data Center with the concept of the network of the IM and we should make sure to conserve the identity of the IMC. That will not happen in a Center of scientists and IMs!

We, IMs are a very heterogeneous group of people and our main function is to facilitate research for our scientific community...The fact that LTER recognized since its inception  the need of a position in site to take care of "data management" tasks and that a network of information managers, i.e. the IMC, eventually evolved from this group says something.

But is this a budgetary problem?...

Maybe Saran (NSF?) and some of us are thinking about centralizing Information Management of the LTER. Saran told the scientific community at the ASM, in front of the IMs, that they should be thinking if they would like to have the 25 of us centralized and giving services to all sites.

On the other hand, in some sites, Information Management takes quite a chunk of the site's budget. Centralization would take care of that! Is this what we are really dealing with here?

...Do you know how difficult it was for me at the beginning I joined this group? Not exactly because I did not know anybody but because I had to learn how to think in English in order for me to understand what was going on (First year at Toronto, I was exhausted after the first 1/2 hour and could not think anymore!). It took me about 6 years to start thinking in English and not hearing and translating. Add to that that it was a completely different culture I was joining...

Why do I say this? Because I succeeded to become one of us by learning to become an IM without loosing my ethnic identity. The minute I tried to act as an American, I started loosing my capacity to give something to this group. After a while, I was able to reconcile both; John Porter described me as a person with two hearts; Barbra Benson said I took advantage of being "different" to have a license to say whatever I wanted to say...and she was right [*:"> blushing] . It was by accepting the differences that I became a proud IM and felt part of the group.

Let us not try to become scientists! Anyway some of us are (the beauty of our group!). Let's be the IMC collaborating with the Scientists!

EDA

Eda C. Melendez Colom Information Manager LTER Program University of Puerto Rico Tel. (787) 764-0000 (1-4943) Fax (787) 772 -1481

________________________________
From: Philip Tarrant <philip.tarrant at asu.edu<mailto:philip.tarrant at asu.edu>>
To: Eda C. Melendez-Colom <edacorreo at yahoo.com<mailto:edacorreo at yahoo.com>>; Site IMs <im-rep at lternet.edu<mailto:im-rep at lternet.edu>>
Cc: "stevan.earl at asu.edu<mailto:stevan.earl at asu.edu>" <stevan.earl at asu.edu<mailto:stevan.earl at asu.edu>>; "Remillard, Suzanne" <suzanne.remillard at oregonstate.edu<mailto:suzanne.remillard at oregonstate.edu>>
Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2016 6:25 PM
Subject: RE: [LTER-im-rep] Fw: imexec

Hi Eda,

I think you make an excellent point that part of this process is a redefining of the historical IMC role. We will have to be careful to ensure that we maintain the identity of the broader IMC within the combined activities of the IMC and the NIMO.

However, we should also remember that the NIMO is an IM entity in itself, with IM management input through IM representation on the Operations Committee, IM Project Managers and an IM Pi. This has the potential to make us stronger (and more influential!) as a community rather than weaker. The key will be to do that in a way that allows everyone to feel they are part of the initiative and not just a passive observer.

Eda’s comments and others received by e-mail and during the VTCs have been very helpful. Please keep the dialog going as we continue planning the transition.

Best regards,
Philip Tarrant
Director, Informatics and Technology | Senior Sustainability Scientist
Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability | Arizona State University
  Sustainable data - use, preserve, re-use

From: im-rep [mailto:im-rep-bounces at lists.lternet.edu] On Behalf Of Eda C. Melendez-Colom
Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2016 10:51 AM
To: Site IMs <im-rep at lternet.edu<mailto:im-rep at lternet.edu>>
Subject: [LTER-im-rep] Fw: imexec

Obviously the majority in this call think we should merge with the scientists community...I will cope, I have always done that. Definitely we are re-defining one of the main characteristics of the LTER.

So let's call things by what they really are to make this discussion clearer:. We are not re-defining LNO and creating NIMO; we are really redefining the IMC hence thé LTER.

EDA
M'y original message:
I am listening on the phone. Although  I agree with Corinna on moving on, there are certain things that should be preserved, at least while we transition to the next stage.
Also, let's think what are the purpose of the Data Center...it is to facilitate collaboration with scientists. It is not to organize the IMC as a group.
You mix thise two and the Data Center will get
lost ..
We need to separate those two functions in order to make a good work with the D C!
EDA
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