Define Future: Finding the Common Ground Between IT and Digital Preservation
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The document discusses the intersection of information technology (IT), archival practices, and records management, emphasizing the importance of collaboration for digital preservation. It outlines the differing priorities and approaches of IT professionals and archivists, as well as challenges faced in managing digital assets and records in organizational settings. Additionally, it highlights the emerging role of digital curators and the need for effective policies and education in information management.
Define Future: Finding the Common Ground Between IT and Digital Preservation
- 1. Define "Future" Finding the Common Ground Between IT and Digital Preservation Chuck Patch Museum Computer Network Washington DC November 2008
- 2. Roles Information Technologist Archivist / Records Manager Data Creator Digital Curator Museum Curator MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 3. Characteristics (Stereotypes?) of IT What IT deals with: Top priority is data infrastructure Plan Select Implement Support (Start over) Provide Information Systems solutions in response to client requests Clients are “Content Specialists” IT helps clients achieve their goals MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 4. Characteristics (Stereotypes?) of IT How IT approaches tasks: Bottom – up approach to problem solving Define the PROBLEM and develop a plan Analyze and model processes Design a solution Implement Support it Start over from the beginning MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 5. Characteristics (Stereotypes?) of Archivists and Records Managers What archivists and RM’s deal with: Top priority is the “knowledge” infrastructure Systems of documentation essential to business activities Satisfaction of legal requirements Identification of historical importance of systems of information Create solutions pro-actively Clients are “Content Specialists” Archivists help the organization retain its identity MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 6. Characteristics (Stereotypes?) of Archivists and Records Managers How Archives and RM approach tasks: Understand the organization’s functions from the top down Identify the key activities within the organization Understand the business processes that produce documents and records from the bottom up Work with data creators to create categories and classifications for information from the time “records” are created (scheduling) Make judgments about what should be kept and for how long (appraisal) MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 7. Where IT and RM / Archives Intersect ALL data is now digital Digital object preservation requires both archival and IT involvement IT for all technical aspects Back-end data storage Systems to support long-term preservation Archival to identify critical steps in the electronic records creation process Archival to help organize the masses of digital information accumulating in network drives MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 8. Where IT and RM / Archives Don’t Intersect Time Horizon Information Technology The future = 5 Years? The distant future = 10 years? Records Manager Scheduled retention Archivist The future = Forever? MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 9. Where IT and RM / Archives Don’t Intersect For IT “content” matters primarily in regard to system function: How does it effect bandwidth? How much storage does it require? What systems support it? IT has no formal appraisal method for content as it relates to business function IT does have formal or at least defacto appraisal methods as it relates to system function MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 10. Tradition (-al misconceptions) World divided into physical and digital Digital “belonged” to IT Physical data belonged to archivist and curator “ Record”, “Archival” = physical = paper Artifacts belonged to curators “ Records” are “dead” objects Nobody has to deal with them until they aren’t useful (active) anymore MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 11. Life –Cycle vs Records Continuum View of Document Management MCN 2008 Washington DC Archivist / Records Manager Archivist / Records Manager
- 12. Characteristics of the Data Creator “ Important” stuff is printed out and filed according to RM guidance Absence of guidance re: digital information leaves organization to the data creator How to organize file directories Where to put them How to back them up File Naming conventions Long – term information management may not be a first priority MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 13. Characteristics of the Data Creator Files frequently have version identity problems Less than ideal file management coupled with less than ideal physical output Filing and categorization idiosyncratic Rarely matches to organizational standards Rarely matches that of other users MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 14. Email – Proving the rule In most organizations the province of IT Never designed for permanent management of messages or files Users realized from the first that it was a great organizing tool Really easy, intuitive metadata To, From, Subject, Date, description (message body) Built in directory structure Great place to store documents (attachments) MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 15. But… An organizer, but not a permanent one “ Archiving” Hardly anyone uses it In proprietary format Those who do store them on the C drive No one manages the archives MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 16. Progress IT reacts to content issues Content issues are raised by stake holders If it can be “databased” it can be brought under control Collections Management Digital Asset Management Content Management Electronic Records Management Solutions, whatever their names, derive from specific user communities, all speaking digital MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 17. What the Heck is a “Digital Curator” Rarely seen in the wild Not a person but a role – Maybe an organizing principle Concerned with the long-term preservation of digital objects Involved in appraisal of digital objects Not necessarily the same kind appraisal used by a Records Manager or Archivist Many aspects of digital curation subsumed in the work of archivists and records managers, IT specialists MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 18. The Principles: Nearly all information we create is in digital format Everything else is a derivative There is no tactile digital original Digital objects change their names as often as their formats Not all digital objects that are not records should be regarded as temporary Management of digital objects must begin at creation The “M” word MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 19. The Open Archival Information System (OAIS) reference model MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 20. Digital Repositories Most organizations are unprepared to implement digital repositories (or even think about them!) Inadequate institutional organization Poor high and low level understanding of the issues Inadequate policy development Lack of technical skills MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 21. While waiting for the repository… Create simple policies for Location of different categories of data Directory layouts File naming Develop categories and use them everywhere Apply metadata using simple tools you can find around the office MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 22. RSM (Really Simple Metadata) MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 23. Educating the digital curator Requires some IT knowledge Requires archival and RM concepts AND IF you’re in a museum… DIGITAL ART. MCN 2008 Washington DC
- 24. MCN 2008 Washington DC
Editor's Notes
- #18: Ivory billed woodpecker