Katelyn Fryer, December 11th, 2024
This year for International Mountain Day we decided to blog something a little different! Let me introduce the MLP’s new data repository, Borealis.
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The Mountain Legacy Project (MLP) has a foundation deeply rooted in history. We work with some of the earliest photographic records in Canada, immerse ourselves in old surveyor’s diaries, and listen to individuals and communities who have long held connections with mountain landscapes. In our work we look to listen actively, learn humbly, and discover thoughtfully.
However, this International Mountain Day the MLP is taking a slightly different trail. While we honor the history that guides us, we are looking ahead to the future of mountain research, collaboration, and data-stewardship. Central to this is the launch of our very own MLP dataverse stored in the Canadian repository, Borealis. Focused on the managing and sharing of research data, Borealis provides a long-term solution for data accessibility and the facilitation of data preservation. In addition to the glass plate negatives cared for at Library and Archives Canada, and the high-resolution scans on Explorer, Borealis provides another layer of data preservation.
Through this pilot project we have been fortunate to have the support of the University of Victoria Library, which recently became the first Canadian academic library to achieve CoreTrustSeal certification – the highest standards of data management and preservation. We would especially like to thank Data Curator and Organizational Analysis Librarian, Shahira Khair, and Data Science Librarian Nick Rochlin. We are deeply grateful for their expertise, guidance and partnership as we learn to navigate Borealis and make our research available to an even wider audience.
Below are our first two published datasets, now available through Borealis and give a glimpse into some of our most recent research:
Mountain Image Analysis Suite Tutorial Dataset
Mountainscape Segmentation Dataset
Whether you are summiting to new heights of research, navigating trails of data, or just taking a hike, we hope your International Mountain Day is a good one!
Virtual photograph constructed from elevation data through MIAS replicating the view in the two oblique images. Claire Wright, 2024, https://doi.org/10.5683/SP3/PR368H
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You can visit our Borealis repository here: Borealis – Mountain Legacy Project