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Digital Archiving and Libraries Kathryn Lybarger November 6, 2008

Digital Archiving and Libraries Kathryn Lybarger November 6, 2008. Outline. Digitizing archival materials Archiving digital materials Communicating about archival materials Providing access to digital materials. More practically. How to prepare for a digital archives job

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Digital Archiving and Libraries Kathryn Lybarger November 6, 2008

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  1. Digital Archiving and Libraries Kathryn Lybarger November 6, 2008

  2. Outline • Digitizing archival materials • Archiving digital materials • Communicating about archival materials • Providing access to digital materials

  3. More practically... • How to prepare for a digital archives job • Things to keep in mind once you get there

  4. Digitizing archival materials

  5. Digitizing archival materials • Why digitize? • What to digitize? • How to digitize?

  6. Why digitize?

  7. Digitize for access

  8. Digitization for (any) access • If materials are not online, they will not get used • People may not know they exist

  9. Digitization for better access • Easier searching • Easier distribution • More flexible organization • Zoom in to read small text • Access for visually impaired

  10. Digitize for preservation

  11. Digitization for preservation(no further damage) Digital copies are an effective surrogate • Better than original? • Less handling • More security

  12. Digitization for preservation (conservation) A conservation opportunity! • “Do no harm” • May mean better image • You may find: • Incomplete materials • Mold / damage

  13. Digitization for preservation (information) • Record current state • Copy may last • May have color

  14. What to digitize?

  15. What to digitize (first)? • First come, first serve? • Projects with the most funding? • Artifacts in the best shape? • Artifacts in the worst shape?

  16. What to digitize: Access factors

  17. What to digitize: Opportunity factors

  18. What to digitize: Preservation factors

  19. What to digitize: Other factors

  20. How to digitize?

  21. How to digitize? • Scan once / handle once • Scan at true (uninterpolated) DPI • Master digital image with: • Minimal noise reduction / sharpening • Minimal contrast changes (“gamma”)‏ • Make changes to “display master”

  22. Standards / best practices Example: NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) Guidelines

  23. Standards / best practices Example: Project specific guidelines NDNP‏ - National Digital Newspaper Program

  24. Archiving digital materials

  25. Why archive?

  26. Why archive a digital version? • Digitization for preservation • Many artifacts are born digital

  27. How to archive digital materials • Print to paper / film? • Burn to CD / DVD? • Hard drive? Server? • Tape? • Multiple copies?

  28. Trusted Digital Repository (TDR)‏

  29. TDR - Compliance with OAIS model Open Archival Information System reference model:

  30. TDR - Administrative Responsibility • Use standards and best practices • Environment • Procedures • Security • Transparency • Active sharing with depositors

  31. TDR - Organizational Viability • Commitment to maintaining materials • Appropriately skilled staff • Formal succession plan

  32. TDR - Financial Sustainability • Sustainable business plan • Standard accounting procedures • Adequate operating budget and reserves

  33. TDR - Technological and Procedural Suitability • Consider a range of preservation strategies • Appropriate hardware, software and staff • Plans to replace hardware / software / procedures

  34. TDR - System Security • Standards for copying, redundancy, backups • Disaster preparedness, training • Data integrity checking

  35. TDR - Procedural Accountability • Practices documented and available • Systems monitored • Policies in place to address problems

  36. TDR - TRAC Checklist

  37. TDR may not be possible... But you can: • Show the checklist to administration • Follow the OAIS model • Learn and follow standards and best practices

  38. Digital communication about archives

  39. Communicating about archives: Finding Aids

  40. Communicating about archives: OAI-PMH • Open Archives Initiative – Protocol for Metadata Harvesting • Search “dark archives”

  41. Communicating about archives • Blogs • Websites • Mailing lists

  42. Digital access to archival materials

  43. Digital access to archival materials: Web/FTP sites • Need not be fancy • Simple to set up • Limited functionality

  44. Digital access to archival materials: Content Delivery Systems • Examples: • DLXS • ContentDM • Greenstone • More functionality • Harder to set up • May not be free

  45. Digital access to archival materials: Custom systems • No appropriate system may exist • Custom software may be written

  46. How to prepare?

  47. Classes • Preservation, Archives • Computers / Internet technology • Cataloging • Collection development • Management • …

  48. Get involved with digital projects • Volunteer! • This can give you experience: • working with others • creating content to a standard • quality control, validation • project management

  49. Wikipedia • Collection development • Subject cataloging • Reference • Dispute resolution

  50. Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders • Project management • Scanning / OCR • Proofreading / QA • Standards • PGDP • XHTML • LaTeX • Project-specific

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