News, views, & tips to do data science in byte-sized drabbles about my daily life as a data professional.
Behind the Scenes
March has been a truly busy month for me. In terms of projects, I’m still working on my Dungeons-and-Dragons-style turn-based battler video game. I started putting art assets in Godot and creating a storyboard for the game’s opening animation since Godot (the game engine) animation nodes require keyframing. I also partnered with another freelancer, Audrey Walstrom, to write a white paper on how the healthcare industry uses AI in it's data operations (e.g. diagnosing patients).
Screenshot of my game assets in Godot. I started adding art assets into Godot and working on a storyboard for the opening sequence in my Dungeons-and-Dragons-style turn-based video game Don't Talk To Me.
Screenshot of the storyboard. I decided to make a storyboard for my opening animation that plays before you select your DnD character class to help plan out the plot, Janice's placement, and what will be quick and easy for doing in engine.
I wrote a lot this past month for my book, conference papers, and trade publications. I submitted a paper that’s under review on digital preservation challenges to cultural heritage Augmented Reality (AR) apps like the smartphone compatibility, GenAI data environmental demands, and software preservation. I wrote papers on topics like Gen Z’s affective archives and social media algorithms, AR tech preservation issues, still image authenticity, and how to make a living as a freelancer in archives.
I'm writing a book on Archives and the Politics of Tribal Sovereignty Violence in the US with Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited.
I’m presenting a paper on Gen Z's connection to Billy Joel's song "Vienna” for the Billy Joel Symposium in June.
Do You Work With Still Images? Tell Me About It.
The Still Image Authenticity Use Case Survey is Open Until May 12, 2026.
I'm a part of a working group (https://www.doawg.org/) looking at still image authenticity and we made a survey to collect use cases/user stories to be included in the Appendix of a white paper on the subject.
This survey is open March 10 - May 12, 2026.
You can take the survey and learn more about it at https://forms.gle/mt7HwZAz48eUC4xf9.
Feel free to share widely and email me at [email protected] with questions.
Training and Paid Internship Opportunities
Archival Training: Western Archives Institute
I’m freelancing as the Online Program Coordinator for the Western Archives Institute. I’ll be attending class with you and helping troubleshoot any tech issues as they arise.
Come learn core archival skills with me at the Western Archives Institute (WAI). As a freelancer for WAI, I'll be attending class with you and helping troubleshoot any tech issues as they arise.
Open since the 1980s, WAI gives you skills in basic archival practices in a two-week intensive program. It's meant for people with little to no prior archival training, if you have increasing archival material workloads, or no formal education but work as an archivist.
WAI is $950 and there's one scholarship available (you apply to it through the general application).
It runs on PST from 8:30am - 3:30 pm PST (11:30am - 6:30pm EST) on July 20-31st.
Learn more about WAI on their website at https://calarchivists.org/WAI. Applications are open until April 10th.
Paid Remote Internship: Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State, Digital Cataloging and Review/History Internship
App due April 6, 2026
For graduate students or recent master’s-level graduates
3 months June - Aug 31, 2026; $3000 USD
Paid Remote Internship: Library of Congress History and Heritage Advanced Internship
App due April 20, 2026
For undergraduate juniors and seniors, graduate students and recent graduates
20 hours/week M-F 9:30am-3pm EST
Get Smarter About…
Visualizing Your Data Work
I found a cool utility tool that other data professionals (archivists, digital asset managers, librarians, curators, UX designers, graphic designers) might like: https://tools.rmv.fyi/
It's a set of free utility tools like - background remover, social media cropper, seamless scroll generator, contrast checker - that could be useful to show off your work if it doesn't usually have a visual output.
Some examples off the top of my head:
use the contrast checker to show off your web accessibility work
use the seamless scroll generator to show off a webpage or virtual news article about you
use the zine imposer tool to make an 8 page mini zine layout of some images you have
I’m Open to Work
My books for 2026 are open. I’m looking for remote freelance/consulting, contract, and part-time work doing database migrations, data assessments, digital projects, development/programming, digital asset management, analytics, narrative design, or data storytelling.
Have a cool project/kind of work not listed here in mind for me? DM me anyway!
Portfolio: https://www.decolfutures.com/
Email me: [email protected]
