Managing Digital Content Over Time

Sarah Grimm, WHSEmily Pfotenhauer, WiLS

Slides and handouts: recollectionwisconsin.org/wilsworld2013

Supported by WHRAB

Managing Digital Content Over Time:

Identifying Content

Supported by WHRAB

DPOE Mission

The mission of the Digital Preservation Outreach and Education (DPOE) program of the Library of Congressis to encourage individuals and organizations to actively preserve their digital content, building on a collaborative network of instructors, contributors, and institutional partners.

Six Training ModulesIdentify - what digital content do you have? Select - what portion of that content is your

responsibility to preserve? Store - how should your content be stored

for the long term? Protect - what steps are needed to protect

your digital content? Manage - what provisions are needed for

long-term management? Provide - how should your content be made

available over time?

What is Digital Content?Digital content is any content that is

published or distributed in a digital form, including text, data, sound recordings, photographs and images, motion pictures, and software.◦ Digital materials created from analog

sources◦ Born-digital content

Digital materials you currently have – or expect to acquire or create – that you want to preserve.

What’s the Problem?Increasing amounts of digital

assets are arriving on our doorstep or being created by us

The digital assets arrive in all formats and on all formats

Time sensitivity - the longer we wait or the longer our donors wait the increased chance that something will be unreadable

Digital Reality in 2013 Everyone is

◦creating digital content ◦distributing digital content ◦using digital content

And we are responsible for managing digital content now or expecting to in the near future

What are the Challenges?

Who takes the lead?What can I do?Where do I start?

The impedimentsToo complex (I don’t understand...)Too daunting (I don’t have time...)Too technical, etc. (Computers scare me...)

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Digital Preservation

Digital preservation combines policies, strategies and actions to ensure access to reformatted and born digital content regardless of the challenges of media failure and technological change. The goal of digital preservation is the accurate rendering of authenticated content over time. Working group on Defining Digital Preservation, ALA Annual Conference, 6/24/2007

Why Do We Identify Content?Not all digital content can or should be

preserved

Preservation requires an explicit commitment of resources

Good preservation decisions are based on an understanding of the possible content to be preserved

First Steps• Identifying content is a first step to planning

for current and future preservation needs

• Ask: what content do I have, will I have,might I have, must I have?

An inventory is the best way to identify what content you have now – and raise awareness

in your institution.

Does your institution have an inventory of your digital content?

If not, do you need permission to begin an

inventory project?

Inventory ConsiderationsInventory content more important

than style and format Inventory results should be:

◦Documented: an inventory should actually exist

◦Usable: use a simple format to sort, list, etc.

◦Available: accessible to others◦Scalable: content will be added

during Select◦Current: update periodically

Inventory Tips Don’t let implementing the

software become the focus. Use software you know and have

availableStick with a single format; don't

change once you've decided on it.

Be consistent, comprehensive, and concise

How Much Detail to IncludeInventories can be general to detailed Determine appropriate level of detail

for youFactors in determining level of detail:

◦Extent of content to be inventoried◦Nature & location of content ◦Resources available to complete

inventory◦Timeframe & deadlines for

completion

What Do You Have? Identify collections of digital

materials.

Provide a brief title and description

Estimated growth over time ***

Who Manages It? Department – currently

managing the collection/digital content

Staff – primary people responsible

Creator (Internal or External) – who created the digital content

What does it consist of?Medium (6cds, 1 hard drive)

Extent = Format + Amount (600 .pdfs, 30 .doc)

File Size – (MB, GB, TB)

http://www.csgnetwork.com/memconv.html

Date Considerations

Inventories should note:• Date of inventory and updates to it• Dates associated with the content

(18721901)• Date of files – created or modified

(2009)• Date received – if relevant / possible

(2011)

Content LocationLocations of content are important :• List primary locations (Network

drive location, Hard drive on Bob’s shelf)• List locations of all backups/copies

(CDs in the storage room, weekly backup tapes)

Must remember to change locations as content moves

Analyze the ResultsWhen the inventory is complete, ask yourselves what digital content

◦ do we have that we didn’t know about?

◦ should we be keeping that we aren’t now?

◦ will we create or likely acquire in the future?

◦ are we required to keep? ◦ do we need to review?

GoalsIdentify potential digital content you

may need to preserve Treat the inventory as a

management tool that grows as your preservation program grows

Use it as a planning tool – e.g., to prepare staff, training, annual growth

Use as a basis for acquiring content, defining submission agreements, plans

Managing Digital Content Over Time:

Selecting Content to Preserve

Supported by WHRAB

Six Training ModulesIdentify - what digital content do you have? Select - what portion of that content

will be preserved? Store - how should your content be stored

for the long term? Protect - what steps are needed to protect

your digital content? Manage - what provisions are needed for

long-term management? Provide - how should your content be made

available over time?

Why select content to preserve?

Log jam on the St. Croix River, 1886Wisconsin Historical Society WHi-2364

● Cost: storage may be cheap, management is not…especially over time

● Discovery and dissemination services: scale, scope, performance, sustainability

● Quality of content may be variable

● Matching mission to content

Why select content to preserve?

Basic StepsReview your potential digital

content (go back to inventory)Define - then apply -

selection criteriaDocument (and preserve)

selection decisions Implement your decisions

(Store, Protect, Manage, and Provide modules)

Picking fruitWisconsin Historical Society WHi-67733

What criteria should be used to select digital content for preservation?

Postal workers sorting mail, 1955Wisconsin Historical Society WHi-36392

Selection Criteria

Mission: Scope of Collections, Collecting Policies

Records retention manuals/policies (internal or externally mandated)

Legal & ethical requirements (professional bodies; your stakeholders; future users)

Uniqueness (only source or preserved elsewhere? Avoid duplication)

Value (historical, evidential, can’t reproduce?)

Practical ConsiderationsStop if or when the answer is NO● Content

– Does the content have long term value?

– Does it fit your scope and mission?● Technical

– Is it feasible for you to preserve the content?

● Access – Is it possible to make the content

available? – Are you the only holder of this

content?

Setting PrioritiesAsk yourself which digital content is● most significant to your organization?● most extensive?● most requested/used?● easiest?● oldest?● newest?● mandated? ● at risk?

Include Creators in the Process

● Communication is key, particularly when content comes from external creators

● Keep content creators in the conversation● Arrange a convenient time for them

to talk about your preservation plans

● Identify list of materials to review with them

● Document the results and send them a copy

Selection Documentation

Supplement your inventory with more detailed information about the material you plan to preserve over the long term.

Use◦ What’s the lifespan of the content? ◦ Will its value/use change over time?◦ Retention period

Access and rights Access

◦ How will the public access the content?

◦ Is access restricted? How? For how long?

Rights ◦ Who owns the rights to preserve

and disseminate?

Prioritizing Data criticality

◦ Is it only in digital form? Do we hold the only copy?

Business/mission criticality◦ If we lose it, what’s the damage to

our reputation? How will it impact our function or services?

Selection Exercise

Postal workers sorting mail, 1955Wisconsin Historical Society WHi-36392

Goals/Outcomes• Expanded inventory of content to preserve

…and what you can delete (gray areas identified)• Agreements with content creators e.g.

submission agreements, retention schedules• Well-defined and documented selection

criteria, policies and procedures • Better understanding of content for future

planning and growth

Greater knowledge = greater control!

File Naming

File NamingWhy is this important?

◦ To prevent accidental overwriting◦ To help you find it again

Train Wreck Image ID:

WHi-2011

Don’t use special characters in your file/folder titles (^”<>|?\ / : @’* &.)

Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD…..

ResourcesState Library of North Carolina –

◦Web http://www.archive.org/details/WhyFileNamingIsImportanthttp://www.archive.org/details/HowToChangeAFileNamehttp://www.archive.org/details/WhatNotToDoWhenNamingFileshttp://www.archive.org/details/WhatToDoWhenNamingFiles

◦YouTube http://digitalpreservation.ncdcr.gov/tutorials.html

File ManagementStore similar digital items together

◦Co-locate in a central location

Don’t bury items in multiple levels

Get rid of easy-to-purge items◦Rescued or recovered documents◦Empty file folders◦~.tmp files

File ManagementMake decisions about what NOT

to keep◦File backups/copies/drafts◦Supplementary files that provide no

additional long-term value◦Corrupted files◦File Formats

Leave breadcrumbsDetermine what you don’t know

Document Your Decisions….

DPOE ResourcesTraining calendar:

http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/education/courses/index.html

DPOE listserv: http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/education/join.html

DPOE survey:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/559BFS8

Questions?Sarah Grimm (WHS)

sarah.grimm@wisconsinhistory.orgEmily Pfotenhauer (WiLS)

emily@wils.org

Slides and handouts: http://recollectionwisconsin.org/

wilsworld2013