NCompass Live: Digital Preservation, Part 1: Inventory and Selection

Editor's Notes

• #2: Note to trainers: Whether you are presenting 1 module or all six, you should include some version of the Introductory Module. You might rename the Module simply Introduction and/or simply insert the slides into the first module you present. The introductory module sets the stage for the workshop you will be presenting.
• #5: This summer is also when I attended the Library of Congress Digital Preservation Outreach and Education Train-the-Trainer Workshop in Indianapolis. It was a three and a half day training program, and you had to apply to get in – there were 21 attendees from 13 Midwestern states, and the idea was that we would be trained, and then we would agree to teach at least one module of the curriculum within six months of completing the training. So that’s what this is today. This was the second Train-the-Trainer workshop put on by DPOE.
• #6: Note to trainers: Mention relevant local, regional, or state examples and collaborative examples to contribute to (e.g., World Digital Library) to encourage people to think about what they might accomplish – and emphasize that it is happening where they are. Consider adding a simple timeline of activities or milestones (e.g., samples from the DPM Workshop tutorial), but for novice audiences, be sure to not overwhelm them.
• #7: So I think it’s important to start off with what this workshop won’t be covering. I know I had certain expectations of what the workshop was going to cover, and I was a little disappointed.. Digital preservation is sort of like a moving target – your needs are going to change, and the software solutions are going to change, but the principles behind digital preservation will stay the same. Now I know that some of you are not working with digital objects at all – you’re not collecting born digital items, and you’re not digitizing. You may not have any plans to digitize in the near future. I still hope that this content will be useful to you, if not now, then at some point in the future.
• #8: So if I’m not covering digitization, what will be talking about today? What is digital preservation? It’s the active management of digital content over time to ensure ongoing access. Once a physical item has been digitized, or a digital item has been created, you can’t just put it on a shelf and expect to open it fifty years from now. It needs to be managed over time to ensure that you can still access it. In the physical world, and I’m sorry if I’m simplifying this a bit, you can put a book on a shelf, and as long as it stays dry, then you should feel fairly certain that you can read it fifty years into the future. If I create a Microsoft Word document right now, click Save As, and save it somewhere, will I be able to open that document fifty years from now? That’s what digital preservation is all about – ensuring that we can access digital items that we are creating all the time now.
• #11: Note to trainers: You might re-label this slide “Topics” or “Management Stages” or something to convey the range of content covered. You should begin any workshop with a version of this Intro Module and this slide is the time to run through the six modules, whether you are presenting all six or not. If you are presenting as subset of the modules, you might highlight the ones you will focus on, but show the whole list so the context is clear.
• #12: Note to trainers: Identify and Select are in the center – repeat over time: identify new/additional content then select the portion to preserveStore the selected contentProtect what is storedManage it over time (preserve it) – including policies/rules for identifying, selecting, storing, protecting and providing contentProviding preserved content over time (long-term access) relies upon good management over time
• #13: Note to trainers: You can adjust these to reflect specific outcomes you have in mind. If you are not presenting all of the modules, you will want to revise accordingly.
• #14: Note to trainers: This places Identify into context with the other modules. Only spend time running through the modules if you haven’t already done that.
• #15: So the first step is identifying what it is that you need to preserve. It’s important to do this first because preservation requires an explicit commitment of resources, and you can’t plan ahead if you do not know how much content you will be preserving. Now, if you’re scanning your entire photo collection – that might be content that you want to plan to preserve. But there might be digital content that you don’t think it’s worthwhile to expend that effort to preserve. And an explicit inventory is the best way to identify that content.
• #16: Understanding your content to be preserved is a good foundation step in planning for digital preservation, and for thinking not only about the content that you will have, but what the rate of growth is. So it’s not only the content that you do have, but it’s also the content that might have in the future. Some of you may have fairly static collections, and some of you might be collecting things very rapidly, so that will affect your inventory.
• #17: Note to trainers: Consider a group discussion: “will you need support or approval to start an inventory project?” Consider the value in using an inventory project to raise awareness. So the most important aspect of an inventory is just that it exists. It should be in a format that is usable, and accessible to others, so it doesn’t exist on one person’s hard drive. It should not be a static document – you have to be able to add information to it. And it should be current, and updated on a periodic basis.
• #18: So it can be as simple as an Excel spreadsheet or a Microsoft Word document on a server, or maybe a Google doc accessible to everyone in your organization, or maybe a database format that everyone is familiar with.
• #19: What should the inventory include? It should list the content that you’re already preserving, other digital content that should be preserved, any new content that your producers are creating, any content that you may be required to keep (or that retention schedules require you to keep), and any content that needs review.
• #20: Note to trainers: Stress that attendees should avoid delaying starting or complicating the inventory by searching for or implementing new software – implementing the software will become the focus rather than simply completing the inventory itself.
• #21: Note to trainers: These descriptions are provided to make the inventory process more real to attendees – they will need to adapt the inventory to their environment
• #22: Inventories should note: What type of content is it? What format it’s in? The date and location. Date of inventory – and updates to it; Date of files – when possible; Dates covered in content – even approximate; Date created/received – if relevant, possible The dates associated with digital files are very important. Usually, we think of dates from a user’s point of view – of course the user is going to want to know the date associated with content. However, for digital files, dates are even more important, because they have such a shorter lifespan than physical files. So when you’re completing an inventory, you’re going to want to take note of how old a file is – older files are going to be harder to read today, and harder to migrate into newer formats. Depending on your resources, that might mean that you prioritize that content, or it might mean that you do not have the resources to devote to preserving it. Another very important issue to consider is where the digital content is located. Just because something is digital, does not mean that it is online and accessible to you. You need to learn where something is located, who has access to it, and whether you can gain access to it if you decide to collect it. Also, content may change locations over time – what method will you use to keep your inventory current?
• #24: For a more complex inventory, you might also want to note the copyright status of the material – do I have the right to preserve this material? What operating system & software program are required to read the file? If you do not know the file format, are there any tools available that will help you determine that?
• #25: This is a more detailed inventory form from ARMA, and it’s a little more complex, and geared towards records managers.
• #27: Note to trainers: The categories will depend on the types of content they have
• #28: Note to trainers: the format types will depend on what the content they have – encourage them not to worry about formats they don’t have (or don’t have yet) because the will narrow down their scope of concern
• #30: Note to trainers: Dating the inventory and noting when it was last updated will help people using it and may ensure that it is updated more regularly. The inventory should stay current with your content as it changes and grows. The date of the files (creation date) and the dates the content covers (e.g., recent digitized images of historic photos) will help in using the inventory and in prioritizing your review of the content (see Select Module)Why is date important? Here is a rather old chart listing the lifespan of some formats. We all know how long paper will last, if it’s kept in a cool, dry place, or, as the chart shows, Egyptian stone tablets. And the reason we still microfilm a lot of things is because that’s a known format – sure, it’s not the easiest way to make it publicly available, but we still know how long microfilm will last. Digital files are another story, however – they just don’t last as long, and it’s hard to predict how long a digital file will stay viable.
• #31: Note to trainers: The location of the content should stay current. Documenting where the content is stored will be helpful when the content needs to be moved – e.g., be deposited with the archives, move to a new server Why is location important? Another very important issue to consider is where the digital content is located. Just because something is digital, does not mean that it is online and accessible to you. You need to learn where something is located, who has access to it, and whether you can gain access to it if you decide to collect it. Also, content may change locations over time – what method will you use to keep your inventory current?
• #32: Note to trainers: The location of the content should stay current. Documenting where the content is stored will be helpful when the content needs to be moved – e.g., be deposited with the archives, move to a new server
• #33: Note to trainers: review the outcomes to bring the module to a close. If you haven’t already done so, ask for questions before moving to the next module.If you haven’t already done so, introduce a brief exercise using an example in the training notes or one you develop.So, to sum up, you’ll find that taking stock and identifying the digital content that you have will only help you in the future. It will help you identify resources that you may need, such as funding, staff, and training. And it can help you evaluate what tools you’ll need in the future, whether it’s policy related, such as specific submission agreements, or specific digital tools that you’ll need to convert digital formats into newer formats.
• #34: Note to trainers: This places the Select Module into context with the other modules. Only spend time running through the modules if you haven’t already done that.
• #35: Note to trainers: these address common views regarding selection – this is a place where the module might bog down so be prepared to move the discussion alongSo, why do we need to select content? As time goes on, storage has gotten cheaper and cheaper. Management of digital content, however, is not cheap, especially over the long term. Not all digital content may be preservation quality – if you have high resolution scans of your photos, do you also need to preserve the lower quality versions of these scans? The idea behind long-term preservation is that you will be making this content available at some point in the future – is that manageable giving the type of content that you’re preserving? Also, the selection process for digital content is very analogous to the selection process for non-digital materials – you don’t collect materials for your archive that doesn’t match your mission, and you should keep those same principles in mind when selecting digital content.
• #36: Note to trainers: Domains within the digital community each have different terms for select. If we acknowledge the differences, we can get on the same page for common outcomes. We all have different terms for selection – an archivist might call it appraisal, a records manager might call it scheduling, a librarian might call it selection, and a museum might call it acquisition. Although we may call it by different terms, we’re all heading towards the same outcome – determining what portion of digital content your organization will take responsibility for preserving.
• #37: Note to trainers: Review your potential digital content – NOTE: Scope as defined in the Identify Stage; For large scopes, will need to review in priority orderDefine and apply selection criteriaDocument (and preserve) selection decisions Implement your decisions – Caution: Don’t take or keep content not in your scopeSo the steps to follow in the selection process are to review, or inventory, your potential digital content, to apply selection criteria to that content, to document and preserve your selection decisions, and to implement the decisions that you do make.
• #38: Note to trainers: it may not be possible to review/select everything at once – how might they sequence the process?How do you prioritize your selection process? Again, this process will be very similar to your selection of non-digital materials, and it should also be similar to your digitization selection priorities. What’s significant, or extensive? What’s most used, or requested? What might be the easiest content to preserve? What’s the oldest, or what’s the newest? What are you required to preserve? And what might be at risk? Some formats become obsolete a lot faster than other formats. PDFs are viable for a really long time – video files, however, get old very quickly.
• #39: Note to trainers: creating explicit criteria for selection makes it possible to be more systematic and consistent So creating explicit criteria for selection makes it possible to be more systematic and consistent with your selection process. Maybe you have an existing collection development policy that can be adapted to include digital content. Maybe there’s a review process you want to implement, and maybe some of your material will always be preserved. Maybe you want to evaluate how significant the material is, or how unique it is, or whether it’s preserved elsewhere. Your selection criteria will depend on your institution, and your needs, and your resources.
• #40: Note to trainers: this may be a good place to insert an exercise (insert a slide that says exercise so attendees know what you’re doing) – pick one from the training notes or develop one (and share it)A few other things to consider….does the content have long-term value? Does it fit the mission of your organization? Is it feasible for you to preserve the content? Can you make it available? And are you not duplicating someone else’s work?
• #41: Note to trainers: For content that will be deposited by creators, the selection process involves interaction with creators to reach agreement about the retention and ultimate transfer of digital content to the organization that will care for it over time. These reminders apply to many situations, but managers of digital content may not have much experience with these kinds of interactions and it’s important to establish solid, ongoing relationships with creators of content.
• #43: Note to trainers: encourage them to think about who (what skills) to include in the selection process to make it run smoothly.
• #44: Note to trainers: During Select add this kind of information to the inventory you initiated during Identify.Note that intellectual property issues are covered in Provide (so don’t dive into those here unless you are doing Select without doing all of the modules)
• #45: Note to trainers: review the outcomes to bring the module to a close. If you haven’t already done so, ask for questions before moving to the next module.If you haven’t already done so, introduce a brief exercise using an example in the training notes or one you develop.A few other things to consider….does the content have long-term value? Does it fit the mission of your organization? Is it feasible for you to preserve the content? Can you make it available? And are you not duplicating someone else’s work?