Making Digital Curation a Systematic Institutional Function

1. Making Digital Curation a Systematic Institutional Function 6th International Conference on Digital Curation December 8, 2010 Chicago, IL Christopher J. Prom, Ph.D Assistant University Archivist and Associate Professor University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign prom@illinois.edu

2. Real World Digital Curation “[We] submitted a proposal for developing a plan, with guidelines, for managing [electronic] materials.  The need for this plan is becoming acute, as many member governance materials are created only electronically, distributed electronically and referenced electronically—except that they might be stored as documents on the  website, as documents in [an online membership portal], or on various people’s hard drives.  We will be losing our history if we don’t act now.” “The goal of the project is the plan—and we need your help.  First, we need your expertise to guide us toward appropriate archival principals and to point us to a process that will mesh with your capabilities; second, we need your input on a possible investigator to survey the need, describe best practice and suggest a plan.”  “The amount is relatively small, so we’re hoping a graduate studentor recent graduate might be available. The time frameis from now until the end of August.”

3. Non-Lifecycle Digital Curation How can institutions make digital curation a systematic institutional function?

4. Records of the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom

5. Univ. of Illinois Archives: Context • Founding, Collections, Systems • Institutional Repository: IDEALS • Reputation for electronic records research projects: GSLIS, NCSA • Multitude of uncontrolled records across campus • Lack of formal records management program • Growing backlog of ‘unprocessed’ or ‘semi-processed electronic records in Archives. • No preservation repository yet in place.

6. The Need: Broadly Put http://www.oclc.org/research/publications/library/2010/2010-11.pdf, p. 57

7. Projects and and Resources (Sample)

8. Scary OAIS Diagram

9. The Real Problems* • We know digital data is an asset with long term value. • Activities, functions and actions also need to be documented; data is incomplete w/out them (e.g. email) • Deployment depends on people, software, hardware and funding. • Software, hardware and people change. • Access is not guaranteed without (some) action • ...therefore… • Many agencies and people need to be involved • We needed to build internal competence and exteral trust * Thanks to William Kilbride!

10. Practical E-Records Project: Why • Ensure Archives Involvement in Digital Curation Process • Don’t make archives wholly responsible . . . • But period of semi-solitary study needed in order to. . . • Enable true collaboration • . . . and establish potential model for other archives • Common goal: • Identify, preserve, and provide access to a “good- enough” record of past human activities

11. Practical E-Records Project Goals • Read digital preservation/curation lit from archival perspective • Assess and review software tools to appraise, process, preserve, provide access • Develop policy templates • Formulate recommendations • Apply method post-sabbatical • http://e-records.chrisprom.com

12. Practical E-Records: Key Elements • Intended Audience • Need for Partners • Flexible custodianship model • Micro-services—deploy as needed • http://e-records.chrisprom.com/?page_id=508

13. Recommendations I • Assess available resources (e.g. staff, technology, IT support, institutional commitment, and budget). • Write an electronic records program statement. • Engage carefully selected records producers and IT staff in a pilot digital archives program. • Implement policies and procedures concerning submission of content from creators/producers

14. Recommendations II • Begin implementation of a trustworthy digital repository • ensuring that the records included complement and do not duplicate those preserved by other trusted internal or external agencies. • advocate, fund, and implement a trustworthiness over time • Begin with do-it-yourself TDR

15. JHOVE Metadata for files (chained via Data Accessioner) Stored on file system Provided by Local file to app Associations Package ID Checksums and file identification provided by Duke Data Accessioner Internal Rel’s: (keep original order) and External Relationships (described in Catalog) Zip file and its PDI, checksum Record in current catalog system ID Linking

16. Recommendations III • Develop preservation and access action plans. • Tailor processing, preservation, and storage workflows to immediate needs. • Provide an appropriate access pathway to all records. • Launch and promote a full digital archives program.

17. Very Useful Learning Tools • Karen’s Directory Printer • DROID and JHOVE • Duke Data Accessioner • FITS: File Information Toolset • Migration • Imagemagick • Xena • Aid4Mail (eArchivist edition just released)

18. Emerging Tools of Note • Archivematica—microservices approach • Alfresco: CMS with Records Management Capabilities • ThinkUp: “Social Media Insights Engine” (really an aggregator) • Aid4Mail v. 2.0 (scripting)

19. Gaps/Needs • Education • “Understanding Recordkeeping Technologies” • Tools • Records Appraisal Tool (lifestreaming, again) • Submission Agreements? • TAPER (http://dca.tufts.edu/?pid=49) • Case studies: does the method work?

20. Making Digital Curation a Systematic Institutional Function Christopher J. Prom, Ph.D Assistant University Archivist, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign prom@illinois.edu Thanks to those who sponsored the research on which this talk was based: