April 2026 Happenings and March Recap
Join us on Wednesday, April 1, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Eastern for a discussion on teaching with federal data resources! We want to hear how you’ve changed your instruction practices or adapted existing tools to help learners of all ages use federal data. Don’t forget to register to receive the Zoom information!
March was busy in the DRP (what’s new?), so we wanted to highlight a few exciting updates and opportunities that may have missed your inbox.
The crucial data behind the CDC AtlasPlus dashboard was captured and made accessible in DataLumos. This means that more than 3,100 files were downloaded and processed thanks to our incredible volunteer @louisc. Even though data rescue efforts may have slowed, they have by no means stopped.
Which leads to ways you can get involved! Of course, there are still datasets to be rescued, but you can also join related active groups:
- HIFLD Next, the new iteration of the HIFLD platform, has just launched! They are looking for volunteers to test out the interface and provide feedback on the current iteration and potential future directions. And, shoutout to DRP volunteers for rescuing the HIFLD data: @franknitty,
- The Federal Data Forum is (re)launching the American Community Survey users group! This is a great way to connect with others who are working with this data.
- The Humanitarian Archive Emergency (HAE) project is collecting information about what is at risk. This can be an entire archive, a single record, or a dataset. You can use their anonymous (and short!) form to weigh in.
We have been attending meetings of the wider data rescue community to make connections and provide perspective from our grassroots efforts. A few members of the Steering Committee attended the Information Stewardship Forum at the Internet Archive, so we had the chance to meet many partners in person, like the University of Minnesota #SaveOurSigns crew– some of them for the first time! We also visited Internet Archive's unique building and decor (below)!
