Society of American Archivists’ Digital Archives

Specialist Program

Geof HuthCentral New York ARMA

Herkimer, New York | 29 April 2014slideshare.net/geofhuthgeofhuth@gmail.com

Digital Archives Specialist curriculum

Certificate of the same name

Anyone who has completed this successfully

Not a certification program

◦ Archival certification is by ACA

What is DAS?

Non-degree program to help one develop specialized knowledge in specific fields

Document demonstrating the achievement of that knowledge

Not a formal professional certification

◦ Such as CRM or CA

What’s a Certificate?

SAA provides archival training

◦ To its members and others

Digital Archives was an SAA priority

Electronic records training still needed

DAS offers a coordinated training program

◦ Training and tools to manage digital records

The Reasons for DAS

May 2010◦ Digital Archives Continuing Education Task Force

formed

◦ Charge: create detailed digital archives curriculum

Fall & Winter 2010-2012◦ Met in person in Chicago and via conference calls

February-May 2011◦ Report submitted and reviewed 

May 2011◦ SAA Council approved Certificate Program

DAS Initial Timeline

DACE Task Force

◦ Developed initial recommendations

◦ Set the general course for DAS

DAS Continuing Education Subcommittee

◦ Part of SAA’s Education Committee

◦ Developing the details of DAS

◦ Overseeing its development and expansion

DAS Development Groups

Geoffrey Huth (chair, from New York State Archives) Jackie Esposito (Pennsylvania State University) Mahnaz Ghaznavi (Loyola Marymount University) David Kay (Little Airplane Productions) Helen Tibbo (ex officio, University of NC, Chapel Hill)

DACE Task Force Members

Focus on born-digital records

◦ Not digitized records

◦ Focus students on the natively digital

Integrate e-records work into archives work

◦ Do not treated as a separate activity

◦ Demonstrate it as a vital element of archives

DAS Foundational Concepts

A single educational vision

Structured curriculum

◦ Tiers

◦ Metadata on each course

Develop online system to review curriculum

Integrate learning across course offerings

Measure success of the program

DAS Structural Concepts

1. Understand nature of electronic records

2. Communicate requirements, roles, and responsibilities

3. Formulate strategies for managing digital archives

DAS Core Competencies I

1. Integrate new technologies within existing archival functions

2. Continue archival work with new technologies

3. Manage originals and access copies

4. Provide dependable services to customers

DAS Core Competencies II

Archivist Practitioner

◦ Hands-on, front-line archivist who manages or will manage electronic records personally

Archivist Manager

◦ Archivist who has oversight over the work of other archivists and who may manage records directly

The Archivist Administrator

◦ Archivist who oversees archivist managers and ensures general capacity to manage digital archives

Key Audiences I

IT professional◦ In charge of various levels of IT in an organization

and responsible for providing IT support to an archives

Legal professional◦ Responsible for providing legal advice and

support to an archives Librarian

◦ Responsible for publications and their use (including digital publications) and may also deal with digital archival records

Key Audiences II

Museum professional◦ Responsible for management and use of

cultural and scientific artifacts who may have responsibility for digital archival records

Records manager◦ Responsible for the management of records of an

organization across their life cycle who also may have responsibility for the management of an organization’s archives

Key Audiences III

1. Foundational Courses

◦ Essential skills

◦ Focus is on practitioners

◦ Information to implement in the next year

2. Tactical and Strategic Courses

◦ Skills to make significant changes in organizations

◦ Focus on managers

◦ Information to implement in the next five years

Four Tiers of Study (1 & 2)

3. Tools and Services Courses

◦ Focus on tools and services for digital archives

◦ Focus on practitioners

◦ Information to implement immediately

4. Transformational Courses

◦ Skills to transform institutions into digital archives

◦ Focus on administrators

◦ Information to implement over the next ten years

Four Tiers of Study (3 & 4)

Basic Electronic Records Basics of Managing Electronic Records Thinking Digital Standards for Digital Archives Beginner’s Guide to Metadata Appraisal of Electronic Records Digital Curation Arrangement and Description of E-Records I

Foundational Courses

Electronic Records: The Next Step Accessioning and Ingest of Electronic

Records Arrangement and Description of E-Records II Digital Repositories  Preserving Digital Archives Copyright Issues for Digital Archives Developing Specifications and RFPs for

Recordkeeping Systems

Tactical and Strategic Courses I

Digital Archives and Libraries

Providing Access to Digital Archives

Inreach and Outreach for Digital Archives

Privacy and Confidentiality Issues in Digital Archives

Tactical and Strategic Courses II

Archival Content Management Systems

Achieving Email Account Preservation with XML

Digital Forensics for Archivists

Using and Understanding PDF/A as a Preservation Format

Tools and Services Courses

Information Architecture

Managing E-Records in Archives and Special Collections

Digital Curation Planning and Sustainable Futures

Transformational Courses

Helpful knowledge about digital archives

Ability to integrate archives and RIM

Some courses incorporate RIM training

Provides some detailed technical training

Training in email and metadata management

Training on legal issues

Information on file formats and preservation

What’s for Records Managers?

4 Foundational Courses

3 Tactical and Strategic Courses

1 Tools and Services Courses

1 Transformational Course

Nine Required Courses for DAS

Take an assessment quiz before registering

◦ To determine if you need the training

◦ If not, don’t take that training

◦ Take only the test

Assessment Quizzes

Option 1: Course + Exam◦ Take a ½-day, 1-day, or 2-day course

◦ Take and pass exam within a week

Option 2: Exam◦ Pay a small fee and test out

Option 3: Webinar + Exam◦ Take a 90-minute webinar

◦ Take and pass exam within a week

◦ Additional attendees need to purchase the exam

Three Ways towards Course Credit

Within 24 months

◦ Attend the nine required courses

◦ Pass each course with score of 85% or better

Some may test out of Foundational courses

Pass a comprehensive examination

◦ Within 5 months of 24-month period

Renew certificate every five years

Completing DAS Successfully

Exam will test all core competencies

Much longer that the post-course tests

Requires broad knowledge from candidates

Offered at various locations across US

First offered in March 2013

The Comprehensive Exam

Fees vary Fees for members are cheaper

◦ $95 for ½-day

◦ $185 for 1-day

◦ $299 for 2-day 

Package discount◦ 7 courses and exams at the regular rate

◦ And receive 2 free courses and exams 

◦ For $1,265 total, saving $341

Costs

Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA)

Midwest Archives Conference (MAC)

New England Archivists (NEA)

Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA)

Society of California Archivists (SCA)

New York Archivists Roundtable (NYART)

Society of Georgia Archivists (SGA)

Associations Hosted Full DAS

A consortium in Philadelphia

Penn State

Association of College and Research Libraries

◦ With one week of courses in Syracuse

Any group can do this

◦ Contact Solveig De Sutter at SAA

Others Hosting Some Workshops

Multiple-choice questions

Completed online

Can navigate the exam and change answers

Structure of Course Quizzes

Webinars◦ 10 questions and 1 hour to complete

◦ One free quiz; others at $35/$55

 Half-day Courses  ◦ 15 questions and 90 minutes to complete

 One-day Courses◦ 20 questions and 2 hours to complete

Two-day Courses◦ 30 questions and 4 hours to complete

Passing grade is 85%

Assessment Quiz Rules

May retake the quiz within a week

◦ $35-member/$55 non-member retake fee

If you fail a third time

◦ Must retake the course (at a reduced rate)

◦ Then must retake the quiz

Quiz changes each time given◦ Many more questions exist than need for one quiz

If You Fail a Quiz

961 attended DAS courses in last year

600 individuals have taken exams

55 individuals are at the six-course threshold

89 individuals awarded the DAS Certificate

DAS Participation

Used test validation processes and principles Used a consulting psychometrician SAA DAS Subcommittee

◦ Took item writing analysis

◦ Developed job task analysis table of specifications

◦ Developed a key validation item analysis

◦ Developed standards for item writing

Applicants tested on the entire curriculum ◦ Except for Tools and Services courses

DAS Comprehensive Exam

Has to be taken 29 months after first course

100 questions

Tests on three major domains

◦ Foundational: 55%

◦ Tactical and Strategic: 35%

◦ Transformational: 10%

Exam Details

May retake examination within six months

Before subsequent retakes

◦ Must take additional course work

◦ Based on area of weakness identified in exam

If You Fail the Exam

August 2013 (New Orleans)

November 2013 (Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cheney, Minneapolis, Nashville, and Provo)

February 2014 (Austin, Boston, Chicago, Fairfax, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and NY)

August 2014 (Washington, DC)      

November 2014 (cities with at least 5 takers)

DAS Comp Examination Schedule

Certificate expires in five years

Renewal requires taking 4 one-day courses

◦ 2 webinars equal a one-day course

◦ Up to 4 webinars allowed

Only 1course counts toward renewal in first year after receiving certificate

Only 1 foundational course toward renewal

Balance of courses, any combination of others

Renewing a DAS Certificate

Still unknown

◦ Anecdotal evidence says some archives want it

Every job opportunity requires

◦ You prove the many values of yourself

◦ You demonstrate your knowledge

A DAS certificate demonstrates learning

◦ Employers may prefer DAS certificate holders

◦ Nevertheless, DAS still provides valuable training

Does Certificate Help Find Work?

Visit SAA’s Website

http://www2.archivists.org/prof-education/das/

Talk to SAA’s Education Director

◦ Solveig De Sutter

Talk to DAS Course Instructors

For More Information

These slides available at

slideshare.net/geofhuth