July 26, 2010 -- Barrie Howard is the newest staff member of the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program, where he will have extensive project management responsibilities. 

Howard's journey to the Library of Congress began as a graduate student at The Catholic University of America, where he earned a degree in library science.  In his studies, Howard followed dual interests in preservation and technology.  While attending school, Howard took a position with the Digital Library Federation (external link), which brought him in contact with a variety of working partners, including the Library of Congress. 

Howard was responsible for DLF communications, grants, finances, contracts, conference planning, board meetings and web content creation and maintenance.  In this position, he came to know the major players in the world of digital library initiatives, and worked closely with them on efforts to preserve the scholarly and cultural record. 

Howard said it was a great time to be working with DLF. "They were doing groundbreaking work, collaborating across institutions and interests, and working hard to leverage shared resources, efforts and infrastructure models," he said.  "A lot of learning was done at that time, and I had the privilege of not only witnessing it, but being a part of it."

With rich experience accrued at DLF, Howard went on to work as a contractor at the Library of Congress, working on the eDeposit program. Focusing on amending regulations regarding mandatory copyright deposit of online only serial publications, this initiative is concerned with acquiring, providing access to and ensuring long-term preservation of electronic works. Howard was pleased to continue his relationship with the Library of Congress, which has served as a constant companion in his professional development. 

When the opportunity to work with NDIIPP initiative arose, Howard seized the opportunity.  "I see this job as a homecoming of sorts," he said.  "I first came to know NDIIPP while working with DLF.  Now, through NDIIPP, I get to once again work with partners and projects that I have known for years. It’s great!"

The benefit is mutual. A Project Management Professional with many years of experience, Howard is prepared to monitor, track and advise NDIIPP partners throughout their projects.  He is excited to help the diversity of partners collaborate, identify common problems and solutions, develop shared resources, capitalize on goodwill and bring deliverables to fruition.

Howard has a clear set of goals, noting that, "I hope to support NDIIPP activities and make them as successful as possible through a deeper understanding of participating projects, noting and celebrating milestones, tracking and sharing lessons learned and developing a program library to serve as reference for current and future projects."

He also has a deep appreciation of outreach and community engagement.  "What NDIIPP is doing is very important, because it is allowing the Library of Congress to build bridges with and among outside partners at a grassroots level," he said.  "This way, it's building technical capacity, experience and consensus among and across the entire ecosystem of libraries and archives.  We are keeping our finger on the pulse of innovation, and we are encouraging it by coordinating collaboration.  To be a project manager in this department is not just a homecoming, it’s a great personal achievement."