Good Enough: Finding what works for processing born-digital archives at the Bentley Historical Library

GOOD ENOUGH?GOOD ENOUGH?GOOD. ENOUGH!Finding what works for processing born-digital archives at the Bentley Historical Library

Mike Shallcross

U-M Bentley Historical Library

MMDP @ GVSU – 2013.03.14

[email protected]

Digital Curation Division• Formed April 2011 • Reports to Director of Bentley Historical Library• Responsibilities:

• Web archives• Digitization projects• Transfer and ingest of born digital archives

• Staffing:• April 2011: 2 FTE, 1 grad student• March 2014: 4 FTE, 3 grad students

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“Digital Processing” in terms of OAIS

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• Term reflects local requirements/needs (Ingest?)• Encompasses traditional archival functions:

• Appraisal• Intellectual Arrangement• Description

• Requires steps to ensure authenticity, integrity, and security of content:• Assume intellectual control of content• Perform preservation actions• Establish integrity of materials

• Goal: creation of Archival Information Package (AIP)

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SIP AIP

“Digital Processing” at the Bentley

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Developing a Digital Processing Workflow (2010)• MeMail Project (2010-2011): Mellon Foundation grant• Reviewed literature and relevant projects (PARADIGM, AIMS, Archivematica, etc.)

• Defined requirements based on local needs and resources

• Developed manual workflow; successful, but…• 40 discrete steps: highly labor intensive & difficult to train staff• 20+ numerous software applications• Strict conventions for naming/saving log files and metadata• Numerous opportunities for user error

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Working Smarter (2011-2013)…

• Inspired by the Archivematica Digital Preservation System and the National Archives of Australia’s Digital Preservation Software Platform (DPSP)

• Attempted to address issues with manual workflow by automating workflow steps• Proof of concept: creation of preservation copies

• Expanded to other steps

• Introduced complete prototype in early 2012: the AutomatedProcessor (AutoPro)

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AutoPro: Overview

• Comprised of 31 Windows CMD.EXE and VBS scripts • Guides archivists and student processors through a nine step

workflow (manual and automated steps) • Provides a single interface to call more than 20 applications and

command line utilities• Employs Windows Command Prompt (CMD.EXE)

• Documents all actions and modifications (if any):• Log files for all operations• Produces a PREMIS preservation metadata file

• Used to successfully process over 160 deposits of digital materials (including deposits of more than 45,000 files/100 GB)

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Storage and Access: DSpace• Not designed for digital archives.• Limited access functionality; need to develop easy to

download DIPs for some collections• At the same time…

• BHL unable to implement its own repository (limited IT/$$$)• U-M Library provides IT support and preservation expertise

• Additional copy of AIP deposited in dark archives• Develop access portal in future

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What’s Next for Digital Processing @ BHL (2014-2016)• Mellon Foundation Grant proposal: “ArchivesSpace,

Archivematica, and DSpace Workflow Implementation”

• Develop conventions and functionality to permit transfer of data/metadata among ArchivesSpace, Archivematica, and DSpace• Create metadata once; reuse in multiple systems• Streamline deposit of content in preservation repository• Share code, procedures, and documentation with community

• Enhance preservation functionality of DSpace

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THANK YOU!

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