Persistent Digital Archives and Library System (PeDALS)

1. Persistent Digital Archives and Library System (PeDALS) A Guide for Wisconsin State Agencies

2. What is PeDALS? • A grant funded multi-state project financed by the Library of Congress and the Institute for Museum and Library Services • Includes five state partners: Arizona, Florida, New York, South Carolina and Wisconsin, with Arizona as the lead partner • Project will run 18-months, until the middle of 2009; if successful, WHS intends to continue participation beyond this period • At the end of the project each partner will have a functioning digital records system Wisconsin Historical Society

3. Why is PeDALS Needed? • An increasing number of state government records of long-term value are created in digital-only format • Due to the large and increasing volume of digital records in varied formats, traditional appraisal and acquisition practices are no longer effective—an automated, rules-based system like PeDALS is one possible response to this new reality • PeDALS is not an electronic records management system, but rather a way to acquire electronic records already scheduled for transfer • To this point, Wisconsin has not had the staffing and technical expertise to address electronic records in a meaningful way • PeDALS is both a learning opportunity and a chance to implement a functioning system Wisconsin Historical Society

4. Goals of the Project • Develop a methodology to support an automated, integrated workflow to process collections of digital records • Implement an inexpensive storage system that can preserve the integrity and authenticity of digital materials over time • Remove barriers to adoption by keeping costs of the system as low as possible • Work with Wisconsin Document Depository Program to develop ways to integrate digital format state agency publications into PeDALS processes; since 2005 the Depository has worked to preserve e-publications acquired from state websites Wisconsin Historical Society

5. PeDALS Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Network Architecture Wisconsin Historical Society

6. PeDALS Network Architecture • Agency records in an electronic records system are transferred via the Internet to the PeDALS system • Supplemental processing checks for file integrity and completeness prior to transfer Wisconsin Historical Society

7. PeDALS Network Architecture • Agency records with associated metadata are transferred to middleware server • Rules-based software will transform records into format for long-term storage along with a copy for web access Wisconsin Historical Society

8. PeDALS Network Architecture • Records are transferred into LOCKSS servers for long-term preservation • LOCKSS is a sophisticated data storage system that scans for and repairs file corruption and other data integrity problems • Hardened firewalls and geographic distribution provides added security Wisconsin Historical Society

9. PeDALS Network Architecture • Web server will provide Internet access to records through a web-based search interface • Access to records restricted by statute or otherwise will be blocked during restriction period • Records scheduled for transfer, but not access, are held in the digital archive, but no user copy is sent to the web server until public access is allowed Wisconsin Historical Society

10. The Metadata Issue • Metadata is data about data, e.g. catalog entry in a library catalog • Metadata associated with the records at both the series and item level are crucial to the success of the project • Adequate metadata will ensure that we have the administrative, access, and preservation information needed to successfully preserve and provide access to records over time Wisconsin Historical Society

11. The Metadata Issue • Ideally, agency systems containing electronic records should be able to output records to PeDALS along with XML-based metadata about the record series and individual records • Some metadata, especially administrative and preservation metadata, may need to be added to records at the time of ingest into the system • Not all existing series and item-level metadata will be retained for long-term preservation Wisconsin Historical Society

12. The Metadata Issue • Agency metadata will be mapped to the PeDALS metadata schema by the middleware server • The exact details of this process will be worked out as the project progresses • An initial dictionary of core metadata elements has been completed. Wisconsin Historical Society

13. Records and Publications Eligible for PeDALS • Electronic records that have been designated for transfer to the Historical Society through the RDA process • Copies of electronic records scheduled for permanent retention by agencies may also be eligible if necessary to ensure record integrity and long-term preservation • The Historical Society will work with agencies to identify appropriate records for this project • For the project period, the Historical Society hopes to identify at least three or four state records series for transfer into PeDALS • Publications that have been preserved in digital format may also be transferred into PeDALS if the proposed interface to create and attach metadata to publications is developed as a part of the project Wisconsin Historical Society

14. State Agency Participation • There is no direct financial cost to agencies to participate in this project • In agencies that participate in the project, records officer and IT personnel assistance may be needed to: • Help identify appropriate records series • Assist with records transfer into system • Help discover and transfer metadata into system • Provide additional technical and other assistance as needed Wisconsin Historical Society

15. Questions? Dennis Bitterlich, Electronic Records Archivist, Wisconsin Historical Society dennis.bitterlich@wisconsinhistory.org