Pacific And Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures

Linda Barwick, University of SydneyPresentation to APAN E-science workshop, Honolulu, 28 Jan

2004

Large-scale digital archives of Large-scale digital archives of endangered Asia-Pacific languagesendangered Asia-Pacific languages

Endangered regional languagesEndangered regional languages

Approx. 2500 of the world’s 6000 languages in Australia’s region (Oceania, E and SE Asia)

Majority of these 2500 are endangered - number of languages likely to fall to a few hundred by 2100 (UNESCO)

Loss of language -> loss of cultural knowledge (e.g. ecological knowledge) and expressions (e.g. songs) -> loss of human diversity

Why digital archives?Why digital archives?

Salvaging materials recorded in endangered analogue formats– Only means of ensuring long-term preservation

and access to audio Optimal format for transcription and analysis Distributed management & access (including

authentication) via broadband R&E networks Participation in international consortia for

resource discovery and advice Quality-controlled citeable primary data

resource to support research results

The coming revolution …The coming revolution …

Quality-controlled citeable primary data resource to support research results requires:– Authenticated resource creation path– Finegrained description of resource

• Metadata• Transcript• Timecoding• (Translation… )

– Sustainability, security, discoverability and accessibility of resource (i.e. needs to be online)

– Instantiation of links between research results and primary data (e.g. via electronic publication)

Other regional digital language Other regional digital language and music archivesand music archives

Archive of Maori and Pacific Music, U. Auckland Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia Vanuatu Cultural Centre Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies Music Archive,

Port Moresby Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

studies audiovisual archive Alaskan Native Languages Center Archive of Indigenous Languages of Latin America Formosan Language archive Others … e.g. Malaysia ….

Some European archives Some European archives hosting hosting Asia-Pacific region materialAsia-Pacific region material

DoBeS (Documentation of Endangered Languages) Archive, Max Planck Institute, Nijmegen, Holland

Endangered Languages Programme Archive, SOAS, UK

Vienna Phonogrammarchiv Berlin Phonogrammarchiv LACITO, France Musée de l’homme, France British National Sound Archive …

About PARADISECAbout PARADISEC

Established 2003 to preserve and make accessible Australian researchers’ field recordings of endangered languages and musics from the Asia-Pacific region

Collaborative project funded by Australian Research council, participants Universities of Sydney, Melbourne and ANU

Does not include Australian languages - these managed via AIATSIS

Present focus on audio recordings - plan to include and integrate other digital resources

Collection status Jan 2004Collection status Jan 2004

1324 assessed records, covering approx. 150 regional languages from 14 countries – (Australia, Burma, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Micronesia,

New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Taiwan, Vanuatu, Vietnam)

392 hours ingested and online via password, APAC store account - on target for 500 hours (1 terabyte) in first year

Metadata quality control via registration with Open Language Archive Community (6/03) and OAI

First collections digitised and returned to depositors

Metadata - Metadata - shared online databaseshared online database

For description, assessment, rights, access Filemaker Pro while

in development Currently moving to

MySQL/PHP Created & managed online

in shared server space Public access to catalogue

planned for 2004 Will link to collection

(for authorised users) Nick Thieberger, Melbourne unitNick Thieberger, Melbourne unitPARADISEC project managerPARADISEC project manager

PARADISEC audio standardsPARADISEC audio standards

24-bit 96khz Broadcast Wave Format (uncompressed PCM audio with encapsulated metadata) 2GB/h

Ingestion managed via Quadriga system (also used by National Library of Australia, Screensound, etc)CD-audio and Mp3 browser copies via batch processing

Frank Davey, audio engineer, Sydney unitFrank Davey, audio engineer, Sydney unit

Depositor and user liaisonDepositor and user liaison

PARADISEC digital archive only - provides temporary storage while objects are digitised– originals returned to

originating institution/depositor with CD-audio copy

– depositors have onlinepassword-protectedaccess to full-resolutiondigital files

– we provide advice on archiving of originals if requested– born-digital originals will revolutionise work practices

Amanda Harris, project Amanda Harris, project administration, Sydney unitadministration, Sydney unit

PARADISEC structurePARADISEC structure

“Azoulay”archive space

working space

digitisation(Sydney)

data entry/administration

metadata/database design

(Melbourne)

Usyd MSS

APACnational facility

(Canberra)

depositorowner

culturalcentre

authorisedgeneral user

passwordauthentication

RightsRights

Depositor and user agreement forms onlineRights information embedded in the

processing system for eventual automated access or restriction of access

Trial password access currently implemented on APAC store and shared database

Access (audio online) Access (audio online)

Download whole files from data store (e.g. for authorised community use)

Streaming MP3 (browsing)– Audition section of file (in development 2004)– Transcript, dictionaries, maps, images etc as point of

entry to collection (in development 2004) Effective access depends on transcripts with

translations and timecoding Need ‘timecoding for dummies’ tools Encouragement for users to add value to

repository by lodging transcripts, indexes etc.

Training & ResourcesTraining & Resources

Demand for practical workshops for researchers and communities

Researcher training to archive in everyday practice not just as end point

Website as gateway for online resources Potential for online collaboration with users and

stakeholder communities in adding value to collection through timecoding and metadata

PARADISEC’s communitiesPARADISEC’s communities

PARADISEC

AustralianHigher Education

Sector

Internationaldiscipline-relateddigital entities

National media archives

Regional stakeholdersand cultural centres

Regional communityRegional community

Speakers/performers and their inheritors

Local and national cultural centres– Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta– Institute of PNG Studies– Etc…

Must be involved for ethical and rights reasons

Significant user community

PARADISEC

Regional stakeholders

IssuesIssues

Differentials in infrastructureDifferentials in fundingTraining and career structuresTechnical supportLocal language access interface

PARADISEC

Regional stakeholders

WishlistWishlist

Effective international networking links to stakeholder communities

User-friendly, cost-effective and open-source database, indexation and annotation software

More opportunities for user workshops and skillsharing within the Asia-Pacific region

Greater awareness of potential for cultural heritage applications in the planning/feasibility study stages of regional infrastructure projects

PARADISECPARADISEC

Regional stakeholders

OLAC OLAC http://www.language-archives.orghttp://www.language-archives.org

Sub-community of Open Archives Initiative

Worldwide virtual library of language resources

PARADISEC one of 27 participating archives

AIMS develop consensus on

best current practice for digital archiving of language resources

develop network of interoperating repositories & services for housing & accessing such resources

PARADISEC

Internationaldiscipline-related

digital entities

DELAMAN DELAMAN http://www.delaman.orghttp://www.delaman.org

Other participants include: Alaska Native Language Center Archives

(University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA) Archive of Indigenous Languages of Latin

America (University of Texas, USA) Archive of Maori and Pacific Music (University

of Auckland, New Zealand) DoBeS archive (Max Planck Institut für

Psycholinguistik, Holland) ELAR archive (School of Oriental and African

Studies, UK)

PARADISEC

Internationaldiscipline-related

digital entities

IssuesIssues

Differentials in scope and mission of participants

Differential IP and rights protocols across international boundaries

Differentials in data structures, standards and system architectures

PARADISEC

Internationaldiscipline-related

digital entities

WishlistWishlist

Networking, ethical agreements and standards to allow mirroring of data between participating archives to provide secure backup and efficiencies in data provision to global user communities

PARADISEC

Internationaldiscipline-related

digital entities

LinkagesLinkages Support and advice from ...

– ANU Internet Futures, APAC, Grangenet – ScreenSound– National Library– AIATSIS

Collaborations ...– EMELD (Electronic Metastructures for Endangered

Languages Data)– DELAMAN and OLAC– Regional cultural organisations– Strategic partnerships with other digital archives

ContactsContacts

Please visit our website

http://www.paradisec.org.au

Director (Sydney unit)

lb@paradisec.org.au

Project manager (Melbourne)

nickt@paradisec.org.au