PARBICA 14 Recordkeeping for Good Governance Toolkit Training Workshop 1 – Digital records Samoa, August 23, 2011 Helen Walker – National Archives of Australia Emma Buckley - National Archives of Australia Anna Gulbransen – Archives New Zealand

August 23 - Workshop 1 sessions TimeSession 9.00 – 10.00Session 1 – Managing – 10.30Morning Tea – 12.00Session 2 – Scanning Paper Records to Digital Records – 1.00Lunch

Yesterday… Phase 5 Toolkit products Digital records and recordkeeping - ‘similar to, but different from’ traditional record keeping Assessed level of digital readiness Looked at the best strategy for managing digital records

Session 1 – Managing

Managing – key points is a type of record and needs to be captured Not all s are records Titles of should have a clear meaning (eg removing the ‘RE:’ and indicating what the is about) Staff need rules about what to capture, who will capture and where to capture for ongoing management

What to capture? The record decision tree can help you decide

Using the decision tree Example 1:

Using the decision tree Example 2:

Using the decision tree Example 3:

Who is responsible for capturing s? Everyone uses – everyone is responsible! Organisations need to establish rules for capture. Common options are: –the sender of the –a recipient with responsibility for an action –a secretary or personal assistant

When should an thread be captured? Capture each as it is sent or received (lots of , but less risk of s not being captured) Capture the last of the thread (not as many s, but more risk of s not being captured) Capture the significant points in the thread, such as which/when major decisions were made.

Where should be captured? Into a records management system If your organisation doesn’t have an EDRMS, options include: –Printing to paper and filing –Saving s to directories, archiving systems or shared drives

When should I use ?

you want to deliver a message quickly, but do not necessarily need a quick reply you want to deliver the same message to a large number of people you want to create a record of a spoken conversation you need to contact a colleague in a different time zone.

When should I use a different method of communication?

you need an immediate response you are sending confidential information and you cannot risk a breach of privacy you need to hold a back-and-forth discussion you need to deliver bad news or discuss an emotional matter you need to involve a lot of people in your discussion – an option such as teleconferencing may be better.

checklist QuestionY/N Am I sending the message to the right person? Does the subject line clearly convey what the message is about? Is the body of the well-structured and clearly written? Does the message contain anything that could offend or harm someone? Have I checked the spelling, grammar and punctuation? Do I expect a reply or some other action? If so, have I specified a timeframe? Does the message contain sensitive information? If so, should I still send it by ? Does the message contain previous messages? If so, do they need to be included as part of the or can I delete them? Is there an attachment? If so, have I included it? If there is an attachment, does the person I am sending it to have the right software to be able to read it?

Morning tea

Session 2 – Scanning paper records to digital records

What is scanning? A digital copy made of a physical record, such as a paper file or photograph The process is also known as digitising, digital reformatting, and imaging Equipment used includes flat-bed scanners, sheet-feed scanner and digital cameras

Reasons for scanning Organisations scan records for both records management and archival purposes: –In the course of business –To improve access to records –To provide backup copies as security –To preserve the original records –To save physical storage space (depends on the organisation being able to dispose of paper originals)

Plan before you scan! Before starting a scanning project, it is very important to ask questions such as: What records will you be scanning? Why are you scanning them? How well-organised are the records? What hardware and software will be used? What types of files will be generated? What software will be used to store and manage the images? What quality assurance mechanisms will be in place? How will the files be stored? Backup very important

Technical standards The proposed use of the digital file will determine the technical standards you need Technical standards need to be established at the start in order to get the results you want

Formatthe file type - RAW, JPEG, TIFF, PDF, PNG Resolutionthe amount of detail a picture holds, often counted in dpi or dots per inch Compressionthe reduction of the size of an image file for storage purposes Bit depththe maximum layers of brightness available in an image - 2-bit, 4-bit

Equipment Computers Scanners Cameras Imaging software

Managing your digital files Like all records, digital files need to be managed so they can be found, retrieved and used over time Files should be ideally captured into a system (an image or contents management system) along with the necessary metadata Storage of digital files and backup copies Preservation of files (migration, refreshing)

Managing your digital files Metadata Content management software for metadata (that ‘talks’ to the database housing the images) Disposing of original records

Project done in-houseProject outsourced Original records are always available and are controlled by the organization. Original records are unavailable to the organisation for a period of time. Requires purchase (or leasing) of equipment which, if the project is a one-off, may be difficult to justify. Generally requires payment for the cost of scanning, not separate payment for equipment or staffing. Requires specifically skilled staff.Trained operators can be expected. Organisation pays for costs associated with technical infrastructure problems. Quality control still needs to be carried out by the organization, independent of vendor quality processes. Greater controls on the security of the record. Vendor pays for costs associated with technology problems that occur during the scanning process. Skills and quality assurance maintained in house. Involves physical transportation and handling protocols and processes for moving to vendor premises.

Digitisation vs micrographics Digitisation AdvantagesDisadvantages Highly accessibleTotally dependent on electronic systems Software and hardware becoming cheaper If not well organised, images can be hard to find Copies can be made quickly and cheaply Cost required to preserve files can cancel out savings due to extra physical space Images can be re-used for various purposes Digital storage media do not last a long time

Digitisation vs micrographics Micrographics AdvantagesDisadvantages Long-established and proven technology Harder to find information Can survive a long time when processed and stored well Can only be used at one time in one location Not dependent on electricityTechnology falling out of use Additional set of copies = additional cost

A 10-step process for scanning projects 1.Why? 2.What? 3.Technical Specifications 4.Plan (who, how much?) 5.Prepare 6.Image capture 7.Metadata capture 8.Quality control 9.Storage, preservation, backup 10.Access

1. Objectives Preserve the German records collection within Samoa. Digitize records of German Administration Produce and deliver copies for the Federal Republic of Germany.

Cooperation Agreement Funds Trainings Equipments

1. Federal Republic of Germany Digitization Equipments Technical Advisors/Trainers 2. Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture Staffing Facilities/Utilities

Item listing Cleaning Folio numbering Dis-binding Re-housing/re-boxing Paper ironing (if required) Paper mending (if required)

Atiz model B copying system 2 canon 5D Cameras 2 50mm prime lens with filters 2 35mm prime lens with filters Dell graphic PC Eizo Graphic monitor External hard drives (1tb) UPS power conditioner

Familiarizing with required software. Focus to meet digitization/scanning as required by Archives NZ Where Samoa stand from the regions digitization/scanning technical standards? Areas needed to be further developed.

Dealing with unplanned circumstances. The advantages of the project. Capacity building of employees

Lunch

Thank you!