Video presentation of three preservation policy case studies: NARA, the Cheshire Archives, and the University of British Columbia libraries.
Overview
Our analysis considers the applicability of each policy for institutions with small collections of privately owned materials and any possible impact on our project methodologies. We each chose a policy, and contributed our findings to the group Prezi presentation (linked above).
For our group project, we’re working with a private collection of letters and photographs related to James Monroe Sigafus and his family (circa 1900). Sigafus was a Civil War veteran, mine owner, and businessman. We will be using Preservica for curation.
Broadly, we found that the NARA, UCB, and Cheshire preservation policies each offer guidance toward creating a policy framework for our collection, Cheshire’s in particular. Larger institutional needs, such as NARA’s, require broader policies, whereas smaller institutions require more targeted policies. Based on this finding, we will emulate the latter while using the larger institutional frameworks as wholistic guidance.
Presentation Script
Introduction
Welcome to our Group 4 Preservation Policy Study. The following presentation was created using Prezi, and recorded in Zoom.
Mia Jaeggli looked at the NARA policies, while Krystal Costa examined UBC. I, Amanda Green, studied the Cheshire Archives. I will also be the narrator for this presentation.
SLIDE - Sources
Our analysis involved:
The National Archives and Records Administration, Strategy for preserving digital archival materials.
The University of British Columbia Libraries, Digital preservation strategy.
And the Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, Preservation policy.
SLIDE - Our Project
For our group project, we are working with a private collection of letters and photographs related to James Monroe Sigafus and his family (circa 1900). Sigafus was a Civil War veteran, mine owner, and businessman.
Our analysis will consider the applicability of each policy for our project (i.e., a small collection of privately owned materials), and any possible impact on our project methodologies.
Mia – NARA
Slide 1.1 - Introduction
As the official records institution of the US, NARA's extensive records management and archival documentation is referred to by other US government agencies for guidance, such as disposition schedules to standing up digital archives. What makes NARA's preservation policies ideal to study is its risk management for both the digital repository and the institution. Oliver and Harvey (2016) explain that policies protect the organization from "wrongdoing…and [demonstrate] to the rest of the world that the organization takes its curation responsibilities seriously" (pg. 133).
Slide 1.2 - What it is
As a guiding document, NARA provides a solid foundation for an institution starting a digital preservation program. It’s high-level policies outline aspects of their preservation initiative and establishes NARA as a trusted digital repository.
Slide 1.3 What it isn’t
But what it's not is a procedural handbook or implementation plan. Instead, preservation policy documents such as NARA’s exist in the OAIS Administrative function, not under Preservation Planning (CCSDS Secretariat, 2012; Harvey & Oliver, 2016). However, preservation planning and procedures can’t effectively be developed without policies as guideposts.
Slide 1.4 - The policy scope
NARA’s high-level policy includes most of the best practices of digital curation programs. It first addresses NARA's mission and goals of preservation, including the broad designated community and how digital preservation responds to their needs. The policies then address the core aspects of preservation in light of risk management. These include, but aren't limited to:
Restrictive file formats;
Infrastructures, such as storage and digital curation tools
Metadata;
Authenticity; and
Format and media sustainability such as refreshment and versioning.
Slide 1.5 - What is missing
Yet NARA's preservation policies miss some key points.
The policy neglects to specify the details of content coverage, such as the materials they will accept for preservation. For NARA, narrowing content coverage may be unwise. But historical museums or societies must specify what they will preserve in order to prevent unwanted donations requiring unavailable resources.
But most critically, they don't include a section on sustainability, closure, and succession plans (Jones, 2010). The Digital Preservation Coalition ("Digital Preservation Briefing," 2015) warns that as a "long-term activity," digital preservation will undoubtedly be affected by internal and external environmental changes. Despite its fixed status as a national archive, NARA is at risk of the same institutional changes such as re-organization, funding cuts, or even the closure of repositories. Closure or loss of funding are not risks that a small digital cultural repository can afford to ignore.
Slide 1.6 - Why it’s only a starting point
Every institution has different user and collections needs, and as stated, NARA's policy is a starting point for those developing their own.
NARA's broad policies fit their vastly diverse requirements. But that may not work for a small institution with a narrow subject, such as a local historical society.
Policies such as the scope of data preserved may need to be much more targeted. For example, data sets are not appropriate to a special collection of historical artifacts, while treaties, letters, and maps are.
Slide 1.7 - Good policies (conclusion)
Regardless, as Oliver and Harvey state, "good policies usually have elements in common." NARA provides those elements.
Krystal – UBC
With the purpose of “building sustainable digital collections to support and enrich the educational, cultural and economic endeavors of the University, the People of British Columbia and communities beyond,” the University of British Columbia Library preservation strategy attempts to lay a foundation for a broad, loosely defined digital collection. With a “commitment to preserving materials for which it has accepted responsibility to the greatest degree possible.” The UBC’s preservation strategy outlines three primary objectives:
-to preserve the intellectual content repository
-ensure the representation of digital or digitized records
-preserve content metadata
SLIDE- SCOPE
In an attempt to outline its preservation activities, the preservation strategy highlights key procedures and policies undertaken by UBC Library, which includes preservation priority, requirements or prerequisites, and levels of preservation. Within ‘preservation priority’ there are two levels. The first being Level 1 or “core requirements.” This level lists three essential, non-negotiable, requirements regarding ingest of an artifact into the collection which are intellectual content, metadata, and intellectual rights. Level two lists preferred requirements in addition to level one, which regard chain of custody (or object origin), object representation, and fixity information. Further requirements and prerequisites touch on rights, metadata, validity, and format. Finally, the UBC’s level of preservation is addressed, which “ranges from protecting data to maintaining and migrating data.”
SLIDE- RELEVANCE
Although the UBC’s collection is vast and loosely defined, the preservation strategy is a brief and easily digestible outline that provides a great framework for both small and large repositories. The key aspects of the strategy would also act as a great foundation that can be amended to better suit institutions whose collections are more refined and/or narrow in scope.
SLIDE- PROJECT IMPACT
With the intent to prepare the collection for a small local historical society, the UBC’s preservation strategy provides a great starting point and outline to which we can base our own methodologies.
Although not every aspect of the strategy is applicable to our project, the levels of preservation priority would be a great contribution in delegating immediate and future practices regarding ingest, storage, file format, and so on. But other factors must be taken into consideration with regards to the policies and procedures including the scope of the collection, intended user group, and access to funds and technology. In this aspect the strategy has many aspects that are not applicable to a smaller institution with financial and technological limitations. But with refinement and adjustments, the UBC’s preservation strategy could act as a framework to build our own preservation policies and procedures.
SLIDE - Cheshire
According to their website, “The Cheshire Archives & Local Studies service identifies, collects and cares for archives and publications that are the evidence of Cheshire communities’ lives past and present. We deliver access for all to our collections for information, learning and enjoyment and work to make sure archives survive so that future generations will be able to do the same.” Cheshire has a rich history, with settlements dating to the Roman period and beyond. The building in this slide, Cheshire’s Little Moreton Hall, was built in 1504. The Cheshire Archives preservation policies reflect their service mission:
1.1– The core purpose of the service is to promote the preservation and use of, and interest in the archives and local studies of Cheshire, as a safeguard of democratic accountability, a resource for lifelong learning for individuals and a means of reinforcing community identity.
1.3 – The service is also concerned to promote the preservation of those archives and records still in private hands which can contribute to a better understanding of the development of the community of Cheshire.
SLIDE – Policy Scope
The Preservation Policy references 8 areas of concern:
Infrastructure and resources
Intellectual control and management
Environmental
Security
Handling and use
Deterioration over time
Electronic and digital record curation
Records held elsewhere
The simply stated guidelines are appropriate for a small archival organization; they outline policies that should be adaptable for any future organizational and environmental changes.
SLIDE – Project Impact
The Cheshire Archives Preservation Policy can offer guidance for working with our donor(s):
9.4. In relation to the deposited records the service will try to proactively engage with depositors and owners to collaborate on identification of records to be preserved and on ensuring availability in suitable formats.
Donor collaboration is an important component of our archiving project.
SLIDE - References
Here is a list of references used in this presentation; we will include them with our assignment discussion post.
SLIDE - Thank you
Please let us know in the class discussion if you have any questions about our project or analysis.
Thank you!
References
CCSDS Secretariat, S. C. and N. O. (2012, June). Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) [Book]. UNT Digital Library; CCSDS Secretariat, Space Communications and Navigation Office, 7L70, Space Operations Mission Directorate. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc123535/
Cheshire Archives and Local Studies (2022). About. https://www.cheshirearchives.org.uk/about-us/about-us.aspx
Cheshire Archives and Local Studies (2009). Preservation policy. https://www.cheshirearchives.org.uk/record-care/digital-preservation/digital-preservation-policy.aspx
Digital preservation briefing. (2015). In Digital Preservation Handbook (2nd ed.). Digital Preservation Coalition. https://www.dpconline.org/handbook/digital-preservation
Harvey, R., & Oliver, G. (2016). Digital curation (2nd rev. ed.). Neal-Schuman Publishers.