Digital Preservation Steps 1 & 2: Identify & Select.

Digital PreservationSteps 1 & 2: Identify & Select

Steps

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?

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 2.0, Nov 2011

identify

select

storeprotectmanage

provide

DPOE Baseline Concepts

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 3.0

Problem Summary: Preservation is a resource commitment, so we need to

effectively plan for our current and future preservation needs, because not all digital

content will be preserved.

Solution: An explicit inventory is the best way to

identify content

How will an inventory help?Good preservation decisions are based on a

deep understanding of the possible content to be preserved

Possible to preserve

Actually preserved

All Content

Inventory Considerations

• An inventory’s content is more important than style and format however…

• Inventory results should preferably be: – Scalable: content will be added during Select– Available: accessible to team, managers, others– Usable: simple format to sort, list, etc.– Current: update periodically– Electronic: Needs to be a dynamic format– Documented: an inventory needs to be captured

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 3.0

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?

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 3.0

Be consistent, comprehensive, and concise

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?

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 2.0, Nov 2011

Exercise

• Where is all our content?

• At your tables, think about the digital content at your library, where it’s located, and what kinds of files there are

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

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 2.0, Nov 2011

Content Categories

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

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 2.0, Nov 2011

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

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 3.0

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

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 2.0, Nov 2011

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…

DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 2.0, Nov 2011

Location

Cloud Platform

Sample Basic Inventory

Category: Special Collections - Slides Title/Description: Circus photographs Type: Images, digitizedFormat: TIFFExtent: 242 GB, 2250 images Location: Server (Systems), CDs (Digital Center) Coverage dates: early 1950s, Creation date: 2010 - 2012, Inventoried: by Andrew Huot, November, 2013

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?

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 2.0, Nov 2011

Steps

Why be selective?

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

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

1 Tb Hard drive= $100 IT Department = $100 hour

Why be selective?• Quality of content

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Why be selective?

• Discovery and dissemination services … scale, scope, performance, sustainability

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Why be selective?• Match mission to content: What kind

of content would this organization preserve?

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Cottonwood Foundation, a charitable grant-making organization, is dedicated to promoting empowerment of

people, protection of the environment, and respect for cultural diversity.

Terminology for Select

Different terms in different domains:•Archives – appraisal and scheduling•Libraries – e.g., selection•Museums – e.g., acquisition•Records Management – vital and non-vital•Commercial media - channelization

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Steps to Select

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Review your potential digital content

Implement your decisions

Document (and preserve) selection decisions

Define and apply selection criteria

Tons of Review Priorities•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.)

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Another layer: Audience / Stakeholders

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Quick Review Tool

Stop if or when the answer is ‘no’…1.Content – does the content have value (consider

stakeholders)? – 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?

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

To Select or Not to Select?

Stakeholders• Archive researchers• Television viewers• Stockholders• Web site users

Policy questions• Is held in other archives• Does it have use value beyond this one

project?• Does it fit our policy?

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Selection can

Project Management • Treat selection as an ongoing structured

project to plan and coordinate the process

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Augment InventoryAdd Descriptions – more granular– Not item level, but enough to specify categories

(additional information from the creator)

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

Oh by the way, that whole part about me being Italian in my diary is only

half true.

Augment InventorySupplement inventory from Identify Extent– How much content is there/will there be? (number of

files, megabytes, number of subfolders) – When will content no longer be active/disposition?

DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

A file full of footage has several extents: Number of files, length of footage, number of

gigabytes, number of reels digitized, number of subseries, etc.

Outcomes for identifying & selecting content to preserve

. Expand inventories of content

. Permit agreements with producers such as retention schedules, acquisition lists, submission agreements

Objectives . Gain control of possible content for planning. Develop a sustainable program

. 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