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Digitization at the National Archives and Records Administration

Learn about the National Archives' comprehensive digitization strategies to provide public access to archival materials. Explore partnerships, priorities, and the digitization process to ensure preservation and accessibility.

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Digitization at the National Archives and Records Administration

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  1. Digitizationat the National Archives and Records Administration Doris Hamburg Director, Preservation Programs James Hastings Director, Access Programs National Archives and Records Administration

  2. Strategy for Digitizing Archival Materials for Public Access, 2007-2016May 2008 http://www.archives.gov/digitization/strategy.html • Introduction • Scope • Digitizing Objectives • Current Public Access to Online Content • Definition of Digitizing for Public Access • Approach to Digitizing • Prioritizing • Process for Feedback

  3. NARA Digitization Strategies • Strategy OneNARA will gather and make available on the web archival materials that we have already digitized in the course of performing our agency functions, but for one reason or another are not available online. • Strategy TwoNARA will establish partnerships with organizations from a variety of sectors (private, public, non-profit, educational, Government) to digitize and make available holdings.

  4. NARA Partnerships NARA Principles for Partnerships to Digitize Archival Materials 1. Non-exclusive 2. NARA gains unrestricted rights to the digital copies 3. Full series or file segments of records 4. Access to the digital copies should be readily accessible and free 5. Partners provide NARA without charge a full set of the digital copies and required metadata 6. NARA makes the final determination on records to be digitized 7. The partner pays for required security, document preparation (including access review and preservation activities), metadata collection and quality control

  5. NARA Digitization Strategies • Strategy FiveTo ensure that users everywhere can access all of our digitized records, we will continue to make our online catalog (currently the Archival Research Catalog, ARC) a hub for discovering NARA's digital images.

  6. NARA Digitization Strategies • Strategy ThreeNARA will conduct digitizing projects on its own with materials that are not appropriate for partnerships. • Strategy FourNARA will pursue digitization of archival materials as part of its preservation reformatting approach.

  7. NARA digitizes for many purposes Meeting Strategic Goals for Preservation & Access • To facilitate access • For online access, exhibits, and publications Ricky Erway, “Supply and Demand: Special Collections and Digitisation,” Liber Quarterly 18 (3/4), December 2008 , p.324–336 • For researcher requests • Unavailable until reformatted – e.g.,special media • Ease of access / Unmediated reference • Security • Support current business processes- e.g.,classified records review • For preservation- • To prevent loss of information due to obsolescence and/or deterioration • To minimize handling and reduce deterioration

  8. Digitization Planning and Coordination Digitization Management Board(DMB) in NARA Office of Records Services-Washington, DC • Identify and select digitization projects • Coordinate, manage, oversee and assess NW digitization projects within Office of Records Services-Washington, DC • Coordinate digitization activities with other NARA offices • Develop and oversee digitization projects • Implement change management strategies

  9. NW Digitization Management Board Coordinate development and consistent practice of standards and standard practices • Digitization Technical Advisory Group (D-TAG) • Digital conversion parameters and the minimum complement of metadata required • File types and file formats for preservation and access • Definition of essential archival and technical characteristics • Parameters for authenticity of digital copies

  10. Digitization Assumption There is not a single approach for digitization and metadata creation – multiple factors affect the approach and work processes • Record type • Media type • Quality and condition of the records, • Nature of information • Preservation risk level • Existing descriptive information • Project goals

  11. Digitization Activities Records Preparation • Archival preparation • Locating & tracking • Pulling and refiling • Access review & screening • Stabilization and Conservation preparation • Holdings maintenance • Treatment to make information physically accessible • Treatment to stabilize condition of records • Handling protocols and training

  12. Digitization Activities Basic descriptive and technical metadata collection • Sufficient to allow retrieval and management of the digital copies • To provide basic contextual information for the user • Collection, creation, management and reuse in other systems of all types of metadata (not just descriptive) • Quality assurance and quality control of metadata • Archival validation and verification of metadata

  13. Digitization Activities Digitization • Technical Requirements • Technical Guidelines for the Digitization of Archival Materials 2004 www.archives.gov/preservation/technical/guidelines.pdf • Digital reformatting • Use and identification of appropriate equipment and handling of records • Quality assurance and quality control of digital copies • Validation and verification – archival verification of the digital copies; technical verification of digital objects

  14. Digitization Activities Digital Copy Status and Records Management • Review reasons for digitization and evaluate status of original records • Determine copy & record status for digital objects and for metadata to be created • Manage and document process to ensure authenticity of digital copies • Finalize status of digital copies and related metadata • Update status of original records if needed

  15. Digitization Activities Data Collection and Management • Entry, collection, import, export, etc. of digital copies and metadata • Links to all appropriate IT systems • Manage and make available digital copies and related metadata • Preservation of digital files Assessment and Evaluation • Per project • Assessment of impact of digitization on other activities – influence on other aspects of NARA’s business processes

  16. Rule of thumb for estimating level of effort in the major digitization phases • 33%Project planning, preservation preparation, management and oversight • 33%Archival description and indexing • 33%Digitization

  17. Many thanks to so many dedicated individuals for their contributions to NARA’s digitization program • Assistant Archivist for Records Services-Washington, DC • Digitization Management Board (DMB) • Digitization Coordination Team (DCT) • Modern NW Digitization Team • NARA Digitizing Strategy Development Group • NARA Digitization Project Teams staff and volunteers • NARA partners

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