James A. Lindner Archival Technology Medal

The James A. Lindner Archival Technology Medal, sponsored by James A. Lindner, honors the recipient by recognizing significant technical advancements or contributions related to the invention or development of technology, techniques, workflows, or infrastructure for the long-term storage, archive or preservation of media content essence.

In recognition of her pioneering contributions to advancing technology, techniques, workflows, and infrastructure for preserving and providing access to the public broadcasting archives in the U.S. Her commitment to cultural heritage preservation along with her use of “trusted digital repository” and open-source technology has raised the standards for archival practices. Cariani’s work leading the American Archive of Public Broadcasting and GBH Archives has inspired many to embrace new methodologies, catalyzing positive change. Her passion and visionary leadership in audiovisual preservation have greatly improved our understanding of the past, present, and future.

Karen Cariani, is the David O. Ives Executive Director of the GBH Archives and GBH Project Director for the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB), a collaboration with the Library of Congress to preserve and provide on-line access to content created by public media. Karen has 40+ years of television production, project and archival management experience for projects focused on providing access to audiovisual collections online and long-term digital preservation. She served on the AMIA board, Digital Commonwealth board, and the National Stewardship Digital Alliance (NDSA) Coordinating Committee. She chaired the NDSA Levels of Preservation revision WG, co-chaired the NDSA Infrastructure WG, and AMIA committees including Open Source, Local TV and Doc, and Copyright. Other projects include the GBH Open Vault, and the Boston Local TV News Digital Library. Technology has evolved enabling the creation of digital libraries, archives, and educational resources that can now be widely distributed, allowing better access to unique materials. Karen is committed to using and leveraging technology to preserve and provide access to historical and cultural materials, especially audiovisual materials, to the public that might otherwise be inaccessible. Karen believes in collaborative communities, and as such she is a dedicated beekeeper.