ncompass live: digital preservation, part 1: inventory and selection

Managing Digital Content over Time:Part 1: Identify and Select

Karen KeehrNebraska State Historical Society

Digital Preservation Outreach and Education (DPOE)

Overview Introductions Objectives Identify module Select module

DPOE Baseline Modules: Intro, version 2.0, Nov 2011

Husker Heritage NEtwork

• New training opportunities for collections caretakers • emergency preparedness planning • care of paper materials

MORE INFO TO COME, BUT IN THE INTERIM go to

www.nebraskahistory.org/connect saving treasures.org

http://www.nebraskahistory.org/connect

Library of Congress Digital Preservation Outreach & Education Train-the-Trainer Workshop

Midwest Region

August 21 - 24, 2012

Indianapolis, Indiana

DPOE’s Mission“The mission of the Digital Preservation Outreach and Education (DPOE) program of the Library of Congress is to foster national outreach and education to encourage individuals and organizations to actively preserve their digital content, building on a collaborative network of instructors, contributors, and institutional partners.”


This workshop won’t be covering…. Digitization Specific storage solutions for digital

content Specific solutions for making digital

content publicly available

What is digital preservation?

Digital preservation is the active management of digital content over time to ensure ongoing access.

Digital Preservation Terminologies

Digital preservation, digital curation, digital stewardship

Digital Preservation Set of activities aimed towards ensuring

access to digital materials over time. In the United States, digital preservation

tends to be interpreted as the life-cycle management of [digital] materials from the point of their creation.

Why do we need to preserve digital content?

Digital content is fragile and require special care to preserve them

Digital content depends on technology to make them available (digital formats and media become obsolete)

Digital content requires active management to ensure its ongoing accessibility

Mandate and responsibilities Legal information is at the core of

democracy

DPOE Baseline Modules

Identify - what digital content do you have?

Select - what portion of that content will be preserved?

Store - what issues are there for long term storage?

Protect - what steps are needed to protect your digital content?

Manage - what provisions are needed for long-term management?

Provide - what considerations are there for long-term access?


identify

select

storeprotectmanage

provide

Managing Content Over Time

Objectives

Provides an overview of digital content management stages

Suggests concrete steps for each stage Helps identify specific next steps for you Recommends additional sources to consult

after the workshop


Modules







DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 2.0, Nov 2011

Why do we identify content?

• Preservation requires an explicit commitment of resources

• Effective planning is based on knowing the extent of what will be preserved

• Identifying content is a first step to planning for current and future preservation needs

• Not all digital content in and around an organization will be preserved

• An explicit inventory is the best way to identify content


How will an inventory help?

Good preservation decisions are based on an understanding of the possible content to be

preserved

The Identify stage addresses: What content

do I have, will I have, may I have, shall I have, must I have, could I have? (by Right, Purchase, Persuasion,

Coercion)


Inventory Considerations Inventory content more important than style

and format Inventory results should be:

Documented: an inventory needs to be captured Usable: simple format to sort, list, etc. Available: accessible to team, managers, others Scalable: content will be added during Select Current: update periodically


Inventory Examples

An Excel spreadsheet on a server A Microsoft Word document on a server A Google Document or Spreadsheet A database format familiar to everyone

working with the collection

Inventory Scope

• What content are we already preserving?• What other digital content do we have?• What content do/will our producers create?• What content are we required to keep?• What content do we need to review?

Inventory Tips

Use available, familiar software to get started What software or tools do you already have? What free or open source tools might be

useful?

Be consistent, comprehensive, and concise


Level of Detail Inventories can be general to detailed Determine appropriate level of detail for you Factors in determining level of detail:

Extent of content to be inventoried Nature and location of content to be inventoried Resources available to complete inventory Timeframe, deadlines for completing inventory


Level of Detail - Simple

• What type of content is it? (ex: image, video, web site, document)

• What format is it in? (ex: jpg, mpg, html, pdf)

• Date of creation?(ex: date document was created, date it was scanned)

• Location? (ex: on a shared server, on an external hard drive, burned to disc, in a Flickr account)

Inventory ExamplesCategory Title/Description Creation

Date(s)Location Extent Format(s)


Level of Detail - Complex

• Copyright considerations – do I have the right to preserve this material?

• What operating system is required to read the file?

• What software program is needed to read the file?

• What tools are available to help you determine the file format?

http://www.arma.org/records%20retention/pdf/Electronic%20Records%20Inventory%20Form.pdf

Inventory Examples ARMA International

http://www.arma.org/records%20retention/retentionInfo.cfm?key=retentionforms

California Digital Library (CDL) / UC Libraries Digital Assets Submission Inventory www.cdlib.org/services/dsc/contribute/docs/submission.inventory.rtf




http://www.cdlib.org/services/dsc/contribute/docs/submission.inventory.rtf

http://www.cdlib.org/services/dsc/contribute/docs/submission.inventory.rtf

Content Categories

Inventories should include all relevant, e.g.: • Institutional records • Special collections• Scholarly content – licensed and open• Research data• Web content


Format Types

An inventory should identify format types within categories of content - examples:

Indicate the range of file types when possible

• Images• Video• Audio • Text

• Maps/geospatial • Drawings• Web content• Structured data


Software and Operating Systems

An inventory should identify the software and operating system required to read the file:


• Apple• Linux • Windows

Is a specific software program needed to read the file?

Date Considerations

Inventories should note:• Date of inventory – and updates to it• Date of files – when possible• Dates covered in content – even approximate• Date created/received – if relevant, possible


Location, Location, Location


Cloud Platform

Location Issues

Locations of content are important – consider:• Method to specify online/offline location• General location – e.g., with us, with creator• Ability to change locations as content moves• Method storage systems use to note location

Be clear enough without going to extremes…


Identify Outcomes

Identify potential digital content you may need to preserve

Treat the inventory as a management tool that grows as your program grows

Use it as a planning tool to prepare – e.g., staff, training, annual growth

Provides a basis for acquiring content, defining submission agreements, plans


Modules







DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 2.0, Nov 2011

Why select content to preserve?

• Storage may be cheap, management is not… especially over time

• Quality of content• Discovery and dissemination services

… scale, scope, performance, sustainability• Matching mission to content


Terms for Select

Different terms in different domains:• Archives – appraisal and scheduling• Libraries – e.g., selection• Museums – e.g., acquisition

We may call it by different terms, but we’re heading towards the same outcome: determining the portion of digital content your organization will take responsibility for preserving.


Steps

Review your potential digital content Define and apply selection criteria Document (and preserve) selection decisions Implement your decisions


Priorities

If you need to prioritize your review, consider:• Most significant (producer, content)• Most extensive• Most requested • Easiest (e.g., most familiar)• Oldest (possible historical importance)• Newest (possible immediate interest) • Mandate (local, legislation, etc.)


Selection Criteria

Acquisition or collection development policy Departmental criteria (priorities, precedents) Core record/content types (need no review) Research criteria (interests, significance) Uniqueness (only source) Value (historical, evidential, can’t reproduce) Preserved elsewhere (avoid duplication)


Considerations during Review

Stop if or when the answer is ‘no’…1. Content

– does the content have value? – does it fit your scope?

2. Technical– is it feasible for you to preserve the content?

3. Access– is it possible to make the content available?


Project Management

Treat selection as an ongoing structured project to plan and coordinate the process

Contact content creators (as needed) Arrange a convenient time for them Prepare brief statement of outcomes Identify list of materials to review with them Send a reminder before the meeting Document the results and send them a copy


Build selection into an ongoing structured project

Communication is Key - Make sure every player knows their role - Keep content creators in the conversation

Whose project is this anyway?

Project Management

Skills and Experience

May benefit from a team-based approach• Analytical skills

– Review and understand content – Determine relationships and significance – Make sound and consistent judgments

• Interpersonal skills– Communicate clearly and compellingly

• Technical Skills– Determine feasibility of preservation and

access


Documentation

Supplement inventory from Identify • Descriptions – more granular

– Not item level, but enough to specify categories• Extent

– How much content is there/will there be?• Use

– When will content no longer be active? • Rights

– Who owns rights to preserve and disseminate?


Select OutcomesPossible products of selecting content:• Expanded inventories of content to preserve• Agreements with producers: e.g., retention

schedules, acquisition lists, submission agreements

Objective: • Gain control of possible content for planning• Develop a sustainable program


Thank You February 20: Part 2 - Storage and

Protect Modules

March 6: Part 3 0Manage and Provide Modules

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

ncompass live: digital preservation, part 1: inventory and selection

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