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Preservation of the digital memory

Defining preservation. Preservation is the sum total of the steps necessary to ensure the permanent accessibility

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Preservation of the digital memory

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    1. Preservation of the digital memory Ray Edmondson Archive Associates Pty Ltd, Australia

    2. Defining preservation Preservation is the sum total of the steps necessary to ensure the permanent accessibility – forever -- of documentary heritage (UNESCO Memory of the World General Guidelines to Safeguard Documentary Heritage 2002) It is an ongoing process Nothing has ever been preserved – it is being preserved The objective of preservation is permanent access

    3. UNESCO Charter on the Preservation of the Digital Heritage (2003) Digital materials include: …texts, databases, still and moving images, audio, graphics, software and web pages Analog material converted to digital, usually for access “Born digital” documents http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13366&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

    4. Access Should be free of unreasonable restrictions Sensitive and personal information should be protected from intrusion Fair balance between legitimate rights of creators and rights holders… …and the rights of the public to access public memory

    5. Threat of loss Obsolescence of hardware and software Uncertain resources Locating responsibility for acquisition, preservation and maintenance Lack of supportive legislation Rapid evolution – attitudinal change lags technological change Cost of new preservation strategies

    6. Continuity Preservation depends on continuous action, from creation onwards Design of reliable systems and procedures Maintaining stable and authentic digital objects Needs sustained, direct action: not passive “benign neglect” Losses usually not recoverable

    7. Selection Criteria vary by country and locality Significance, and lasting cultural, scientific, evidential or other value For preservation, give priority to “born digital”, not transfers from analog Should be accountable, based on defined principles, policies, procedures, standards

    8. Protecting digital heritage Legal and institutional frameworks Archive and deposit legislation for libraries, archives, museums should embrace digital heritage Access to deposits should be assured (without prejudice to normal exploitation) Legal/ technical frameworks to protect authenticity against manipulation and intentional alteration

    9. Roles and responsibilities Urge cooperation between hardware/ software developers, creators, publishers, producers… …and national libraries, archives and museums Develop training and research Share experience and knowledge

    10. The “digital divide” Dependence on expensive technology and software separates “haves” and “have nots” The internet democratises access… …except for those without the technology Written documents require literate users Audiovisual documents don’t require literacy

    11. Determining policies and criteria The Charter and the UNESCO Guidelines for the preservation of digital heritage (which provides practical application of the Charter) – including in limited-resource situations – gives advice on how to: Decide parameters Decide responsibilities Decide what to keep Decide access arrangements

    12. Deciding parameters - 1 These are fundamental policy and strategic issues What material are you responsible for? Who can you cooperate with? What expertise is available? Who are relevant publishers/ distributors – how will they cooperate? Who are potential users?

    13. Deciding parameters - 2 What level of functionality? Interactive? User- modifiable? Read only Do you start small and evolve – or conceptualise the whole? What is under threat? What is most urgent? Paper – a radical alternative?

    14. Deciding responsibilities - 1 What organisations/ agencies are responsible? Archives, libraries, museums, others? Is the responsibility specific and formalised? Where will the data be stored and managed? Will it be regularly refreshed, backed up, transferred as hardware/ software changes? Is it secure against tampering? Is there a disaster recovery strategy?

    15. Deciding responsibilities - 2 Who will handle the “ingest” (receiving, preparing and transferring digital material)? Ingest should include: Applying selection criteria Quality checking Adding a unique identifier within the system Deciding file formats How will documents be kept accessible as hardware/ software changes?

    16. Selection principles - 1 Selection always happens… By deliberate policy By default By coincidence By neglect By deterioration By technical change Take control. Make a considered choice.

    17. Selection principles - 2 Selection is imperfect. We can’t see with the eyes of the future, but need to make a best guess We need to maximise future options, not close them off We shape the future with our choices We’ll be wrong sometimes

    18. Selection policy A written policy is essential – promulgated and observed. Provides accountability – and guidance for others Set out vision, mandate, goals Invoke external reference points – UNESCO, ICA, IFLA, CCAAA… State ethics, standards, relationships Prioritise “born digital” for preservation and access, “born analog” for access only (unless in danger).

    19. Memory of the World perspective Check selection criteria for registers in the General Guidelines Documents comprise content plus carrier “Born digital” are independent of carrier Analog documents have both content and carrier – the relationship is important Digitised analog documents are a representation of the original

    20. Selection criteria Intellectual criteria: intrinsic significance (historical record, national identity, personalities, places, artistic merit…) Evidentiary value (transactions, deeds, ownership, legal records) Informational and cultural value Decide scope: published/ unpublished, geographic, subjects Choose more rather than less. You can de-select excess documents later; no second chance for what is passed over now.

    21. Metadata Crucial to preservation, control, access Thoroughly document technical character of data to maintain future migration possibilities Absolute consistency in file naming conventions – prefer serial names Conventional cataloguing by trained cataloguers– structured and rigorous, subject and name authorities

    22. Access On line, off line, CD, DVD…. Internal and external Managing rights – back to metadata Digitising reduces physical wear and tear Content analysis tools provide new ways into content… …but the human element remains. Searchability often needs an archivist!

    23. CD and DVD “Mass produced” and “writable” versions Discs and hardware cheap and available CD, DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray Moving image content often compressed Quality of the disc, the “burn”, the player – lack of standards Physically vulnerable: “scratchable sandwich” Limited technology life Unreliable for preservation – OK for access

    24. Moment of truth All digital carriers are unreliable to some extent! So…. Choose data tape or hard disc systems for preservation: the testing, copying and management systems help to maintain data integrity The digital memory must be in constant motion from system to system to avoid loss Aim for a sustainable system (not permanent carriers)

    25. Thoughts for the day - 1 Digitising on demand often necessary but cuts across other priorities Files corrupt. Constant refreshment is essential Software change makes older documents unreadable without emulation software Quality control is vital. Analog to digital transfer involves information loss – sometimes considerable Use open source repository software where possible – less cost, more control

    26. Thoughts for the day - 2 There is no permanent, ultimate storage medium. Rapid obsolesence is characteristic of software and hardware. The format of most digital documents gets quickly out of date. Some analog carriers – paper, film, disc sound recordings – are low-tech and relatively stable. Digitise for access only. No point in digitising for preservation!

    27. Beware the myths Digital is cheaper Digital is permanent Digital is authentic Digital is standardised Digital is safe Digital is simpler Digital is better Everything will ultimately be digital …..NONE of these is true, however appealing!!

    28. Recognise the facts Digital permanently changes how we work “Born digital” must usually be preserved as such Some analog preservation paths are disappearing, but… Our future will be BOTH digital and analog – not either/or Analog loss is gradual and predictable…. …..digital loss is sudden and TOTAL. Migration is a TWO WAY STREET. Going from digital TO analog is sometimes preferable!

    29. Digital Heritage reference points UNESCO Charter in digital heritage http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13366&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Draft Brazilian Charter http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=15870&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html UNESCO resource on E- heritage http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1539&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Guidelines for the preservation of digital heritage http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13271&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

    30. Memory of the World resources www.unesco.org/webworld/mdm and look for the papers of the Technical Subcommittee, including: “Risks associated with the use of recordable CDs and DVDs…..” “Open source archival repositories”

    31. What do you think? Do CDs sound better than vinyl? Will e-books replace the paper book? Will e-news replace newspapers? Will family photos survive longer in digital or analog form? Will you be able to buy a CD or DVD player 10 years from now? What is the average life of a website?

    32. SO…. Never deliberately lose information or reduce your preservation and access options – retain analog originals for their life Use BOTH digital and analog for their different strengths: public access, restoration, preservation Make considered preservation and access choices – case by case ….AND ALWAYS BACK UP!!

    33. Closing thoughts The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting. Milan Kundera, Czechoslovakian novelist (1929 - ) To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to be ever a child. For what is man's lifetime unless the memory of past events is woven with those of earlier times? Cicero, Orator, Roman author, orator, & politician (106 BC - 43 BC)

    34. Muchas gracias! www.archival.com.au

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