Post on 09-Jul-2015
description
While the Sun Shines: Assessing Born-Digital Holdings
Before It’s Too Late
Assessment Overview
• Quantitative Assessment:
– Not technical, but potentially time-consuming
– Informs an electronic records program
• Qualitative Assessment:
– Slightly more technical, but potentially very powerful
– Requires some kind of formal born digital plan
Quantitative Assessment
1. Will every box be opened?
2. How will extent be measured?
3. How will content be identified and categorized?
Quantitative Assessment
1. Will every box be opened? Let’s hope not
2. How will extent be measured? BYTES
3. How will content be identified and categorized?
1. Media type
2. Disk label
3. Other administrative info
Inventory
Coll. Name Coll. # Media Type
Label Info Box/Folder
Fiona Pitt-KethleyPapers
2457 3.5 inch disk
ANTHOLOGY & PAN BOOK EXTRA
Fiona Pitt-KethleyPapers
2457 3 inch compact floppy
START OF DAY
Craig Thomas Papers
11749 DVD Senator Craig Thomas Portraits Senate Photographic Services 202-224-6000
Box 26
Craig Thomas Papers
11749 CD Afghanistan & Iraq Video march 2006 CT visit
Box 24
Inventory Challenges
• Digital media not noticed or well-documented
• If documented, legacy media not well-described in archival management systems
• Distinguishing between ‘born-digital’ and ‘audio/video’
Inventory Challenges
Inventory Challenges
• “Digital,” “Electronic,” “Digitized,”
• “Disk,” “Disc,” “Diskette,” “Floppy,” “Floppies”
• “Computer-mediated”
• Format- or tech-specific: “doc,” “pdf,” “email,” “website,” “Microsoft,” “Mac”
• “CD,” “DVD”, “CD-ROM”, “CD-R,” “DVD-R,” “DVD+R,” “DVD-RW,” “Compact Disk”
Inventory Challenges
• A/V ≠ CD and DVD ≠ Born Digital (maybe)
– Most all of today’s A/V is born digital
– Playable DVD/CD vs. Data Disks
– Ripping vs. File Transfer
Why Do This?
• Documenting media types present helps determine hardware requirements
• Documenting and totaling media types helps determine storage requirements (Extent)
• Lays the groundwork for working with born-digital materials, which:
• Enables qualitative assessment
Qualitative Assessment
• Condition (Preservation)
• Physical Access (Arrangement)
• Intellectual Access (Description)
• Research Value
• Other Value
** Assumes some kind of formal accessioning plan for born digital material.
Assessing Condition
Software Used: DROID (Digital Record Object Identification)
Assessing Condition
Physical Access (Arrangement)
Software Used: Karen’s Directory Printer
Software Used: TreeSize
Intellectual Access (Description)
Software Used: Quick View Plus (not free)
Research Value
• Most collections are hybrid
• Let the analog inform the digital
“Other Value”
I am probably out of time
Ben Goldman
Digital Records Archivist
Penn State University
goldman@psu.edu