1. Born-digital archives: a simple SWOT analysis
Simon Wilson, Senior Archivist

2. Overview born-digital archives the AIMS Project and White Paper
SWOT analysis
- reflections on our capacity and capability
UKAD Mar | 2

3. Born-digital archives
Material created digitally – documents, images spreadsheets, databases, s, web pages, twitter etc etc
- need strategies for both media and the content
archives have to be extracted/accessed without affecting their authenticity
Not talking about digitisation where material is converted into digital format, although many issues are similar
UKAD Mar | 3

4. The AIMS Project and White Paper

5. The AIMS Project
Two year project Oct 2009 – Sep 2011 funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Virginia (project lead), Hull, Stanford and Yale
Digital archivist at each site & software developer at UVa
Core project team also included lead archivist at each site and involvement of digital repository experts
UKAD Mar | 5

6. AIMS Project – White Paper
Recommendations for good-practice, based on partners shared experiences
not based on specific infrastructure or tools
starts from ‘paper-based’ archival principles
technical and professional standards
build-upon work of other projects
UKAD Mar | 6

7. AIMS Project – White Paper
Framework split the workflow into four main areas:
Collection Development
Accessioning
Arrangement & Description
Discovery & Access
With-in each section it identifies key factors for success, pre-requisites, objectives, outcomes, tasks and decision points
UKAD Mar | 7

8. SWOT analysis: reflecting on the archive sector’s capacity and capability

9. Strengths: they are still archives
We already possess most of the skills needed - processes for accessioning - principles for appraising material - procedures for identifying/closing sensitive material
We each already have relationships with
hundreds of individuals & organisations
we might want to collect material from
UKAD Mar | 9

10. Strengths: free tools are available
Range of free software that we can use
Karen’s Directory Printer - to create a file manifest
OS Forensics
DROID - for file identification
Some software is being developed to fill gaps in workflow
Curator’s Workbench – collection preparation tool
Hypatia – arrangement and description tool
BitCurator – digital forensics tool
UKAD Mar | 10

11. Weaknesses: fear Plenty of reasons not to do anything
software/hardware is constantly changing
range of media and formats
OAIS terminology
Skills
specialist skill by 1 person in the team, but skills/experience must be shared
The transition from paper to hybrid & digital only collections
UKAD Mar | 11

12. Weaknesses: gaps There are multiple routes to reach the same objective
makes it confusing for those starting-off
difficult to join the dots with all of the free tools into a seamless operation (commercial products are available)
dependant on institutional-specific ICT / infrastructure
Advocacy is needed with two key groups:
depositors (ask different questions & work differently)
funding bodies (align collecting with rescue archaeology)
UKAD Mar | 12

13. Opportunities: collaboration
With ICT colleagues
forensic workstation for processing a range of media
digital repository
With other archives
share/exchange experiences but also technical capabilities
potential for shared/comissioned services
UKAD Mar | 13

14. Opportunities: new tools for access
Empowering the user
no-longer reliant upon an archivist’s description
potential to conduct free text search of the archives directly
GPS based search etc
New tools/ visualisation
word clouds
Muse tool (for )
by us on behalf of our users
or by users directly on a
copy of the data/content?
UKAD Mar | 14

15. Threats: user expectations
of access and delivery online
need to ensure security of data and compliance re copyright
user community not yet well-formed – so we don’t know what they might want
Interaction with users – register to gain access (online) or only
provide access in the searchroom?
Material collected much closer to creation - issues relating to access to sensitive material & copyright etc remain unchanged
UKAD Mar | 15

16. Threats: scale of the task
is daunting and overwhelming
we have to automate as much as possible
We are not collecting enough
- what has already been lost from the 1980s on
We need to make the case that born-digital archives aren’t
an optional extra, if we wish to remain a collecting repository
UKAD Mar | 16

17. Accreditation standard co-creation debate
Should digital preservation be a distinct element or part of broader collections policies/strategies ?
Not just about policy (s 2.4) or strategy (2.7)
Also impacts: collections development (2.2), cataloguing plans (2.5), accessioning procedures (2.8), cataloguing (2.9), security of collections (2.10), service development (3.1), access (3.15), user-focused (3.2), user experience (3.3), remote access (3.5) , legal obligations re access (3.6)
UKAD Mar | 17

18. SWOT analysis as a planning tool
Each institution needs to conduct its own SWOT analysis
identify its particular strengths, opportunities etc
Accreditation Standard - planning/advocacy role
Sector needs a vision/roadmap
where are we going, what is our target, how can we get there
AIMS White Paper: policies, issues, decisions, tasks etc
what is feasible now, technically or operationally
- what is sustainable and scalable in the longer term?
UKAD Mar | 18

19. Things you can do tomorrow...
Use traditional survey skills
identify born-digital material already held
set initial priorities; media/file formats to support etc
Build-upon existing relationships
depositors: initial conversations around b-d material
ICT colleagues: transfer files from media to network storage
other archives: making contacts, sharing experiences etc
Update existing policies/procedures - integrate specific aspects relating to born-digital archives
UKAD Mar | 19

20. What is possible...
At Hull we have gone from having a handful of items and no
policies/procedures (in Jan 2010)
7 born-digital ONLY collections (122 GB)
workflows, revised/updated policies etc etc
ask each depositor about b-d material
AIMS provided the spring-board, now making
the transition so that b-d is included in our work as normal,
included in library objectives, institutional reputation etc
Learnt from others & reciprocate by sharing our experiences
UKAD Mar | 20

21. Conclusion
Nature (and format) of archives has changed dramatically, but
most of our professional skills are still relevant
Some new tools, new software, new terminology and more
acronyms to learn
Can’t “keep everything” and hope Google enables access
Trusted Digital Repository
- collaboration between organisations and allow archives to develop capability and capacity - but needs political will
UKAD Mar | 21

22. Contact details Simon Wilson Tel 01482 317506
Blog
White Paper
UKAD Mar | 22