Digital Preservation Steps 1 & 2: Identify & Select

1. Digital Preservation Steps 1 & 2: Identify & Select

2. 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

3. DPOE Baseline Concepts manage protect store identify provide select

4. 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 DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 3.0

5. How will an inventory help? Possible to preserve Actually preserved All Content Good preservation decisions are based on a deep understanding of the possible content to be preserved

6. Inventory Considerations • An inventory’s contentis 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

7. Inventory Tips Be consistent, comprehensive, and concise • 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Format Types • Images • Video • Audio • Text • Maps/geospatial • Drawings • Web content • Structured data An inventory should identify format types within categories of content - examples: Indicate the range of file types when possible DPOE Baseline Modules: Identify, version 3.0

13. 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

14. 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

15. Location Cloud Platform

16. Sample Basic Inventory Category: Special Collections - Slides Title/Description: Circus photographs Type: Images, digitized Format: TIFF Extent: 242 GB, 2250 images Location: Server (Systems), CDs (Digital Center) Coverage dates: early 1950s, Creation date: 2010 - 2012, Inventoried: by Andrew Huot, November, 2013

17. 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: Select, version 2.0, Nov 2011

18. Why be selective? 1 Tb Hard drive= $100 IT Department = $100 hour • Storage may be cheap, management is not … especially over time DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

19. Why be selective? • Quality of content DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

20. Why be selective? • Discovery and dissemination services … scale, scope, performance, sustainability DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

21. Why be selective? Cottonwood Foundation, a charitable grant-making organization, is dedicated to promoting empowerment of people, protection of the environment, and respect for cultural diversity. • Match mission to content: What kind of content would this organization preserve? DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

22. 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

23. Steps to Select Review your potential digital content Define and apply selection criteria Document (and preserve) selection decisions Implement your decisions DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

24. 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

25. Another layer: Audience / Stakeholders DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

26. Quick Review Tool Stop if or when the answer is ‘no’… • Content • does the content have value (consider stakeholders)? • does it fit your scope? • Technical • is it feasible for you to preserve the content? • Access • is it possible to make the content available? DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

27. 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? To Select or Not to Select? Selection can DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

28. Project Management Treat selection as an ongoing structured project to plan and coordinate the process DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

29. Augment Inventory Oh by the way, that whole part about me being Italian in my diary is only half true. Add Descriptions – more granular • Not item level, but enough to specify categories (additional information from the creator) DPOE Baseline Modules: Select, version 3.0

30. Augment Inventory 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. Supplement 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

31. Outcomes for identifying & selecting content to preserve . 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 . 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