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Archiving for AKC ClubsBRYNN WHITE [email protected]
Our New DigsWWW.AKC.ORG/SEARCHLIBRARY
AKC Museum of the DogWWW.AKC.ORG/SEARCHLIBRARY
Objectives to Clarify and Communicate
• AKC Archival Services program• Digital projects
What the AKC is doing
• Basic useful archiving and preservation practices• Paper – Photographs – Audiovisual – Digital
What Clubs can be doing
ArchivingTHE PROCESS BY WHICH INACTIVE INFORMATION, IN ANY FORMAT, IS SECURELY STORED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME
Enduring ValueTHE ONGOING USEFULNESS OR SIGNIFICANCE OF RECORDS, BASED ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE, LEGAL, FISCAL, EVIDENTIAL, OR HISTORICAL INFORMATION THEY CONTAIN, JUSTIFYING THEIR CONTINUED PRESERVATION
Archival ProcessingGoals
Intellectual Control Physical Control
Know what you have and where it is.
Archival ProcessingKey Activities
Arrangement The process of organizing materials to protect
their context
Description The process of analyzing, organizing, and
recording details about the formal elements of a record or collection of records, such as creator, title, dates, extent, and contents,
To facilitate the identification, management, and understanding of the materials
3. PreservationTHE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY THROUGH ACTIVITIES THAT
MINIMIZE CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL, AND/OR DIGITAL DETERIORATION AND DAMAGE AND THAT PREVENT LOSS OF INFORMATIONAL CONTENT
Archival Processing Key Activities
AKC Archival Services
To preserve the material record of the breed and its parent club’s operations, functions, and activities
To contribute to the efforts of the AKC Library & Archives to comprehensively chronicle the history of the sport of the purebred dog
To secure a permanent storage solution for club’s records, which will be organized, described, and preserved according to professional best practices
To make information about breeds and the sport available to a larger researcher base
FOUNDED IN 1998…
www.akc.org/searcharchives
AKC Archival Services
Donations made through a formal Deed of Gift Priority (due to resources) is Parent Clubs
40 collections donated
Will consider other donations of historical significance on a case-by-case basis Photographs and Audiovisual material very desirable
Books should be checked against our online catalog
A/V Digital Transfers 8mm and 16mm film, VHS, Beta, and DVD
More focus on digital preservation Development of formal digital repository
Planned pilot program: Club Periodicals
Content Distribution Channels
www.akc.org
@akclibrary
AKC Digital Library
Complete run of the AKC Gazette since 1889 Secretary’s Pages / AKC Board minutes
Event Results
Breed Columns
Stud Books, 1878-2004 October Paywall: can purchase in year bundles
Free access to elected parent club representatives
Official Marked Show Catalogs, 1870s-1983
[all downloadable and fully text searchable]Coming soon in 2019
Amending Information GapsELECTRONIC RECORDKEEPING BEGAN CIRCA 1985
There is no magical, mystical,
database.
Getting Started with Archiving
Recruit or elect a volunteer (or 2 or 3…)
Reach out to members and
assemble archival record
Identify gaps and priorities
Develop record retention plan
Record Retention Schedule
Provides for the systematic review, retention, and destruction of documents received or created in the course of operations. The policy will identify documents that need to be maintained, contain guidelines for how long certain documents should be kept, and save your club valuable computer and physical storage space.
RecordRetentionRecommendations
Meeting Minutes• Indefinite
Officer Lists• Indefinite; AKC does not maintain but may be available in catalogs
Finance Records / Treasurer’s Reports• Seven years per IRS requirements
Show Plans / Reports• Indefinite
Club Publications• Indefinite
AKC General Correspondence• Subject to Review; AKC only maintains correspondence relevant to club
problems, violations, and bylaws changes
Membership Lists and Applications• Subject to Review; AKC does not maintain but may be available in catalogs
Show Catalogs• Subject to Review; AKC digitization through 1983 and does not maintain physical
copies past that date
Arranging Club Records
•Meeting Minutes•Committee Reports•Articles of Incoproration•Constiution and By-Laws + revisions•Code of Ethics•Membership Directories
Club Administration
•Marked Catalogs•Pedigree Lists•Judges Ballots•Planning Documentation Files•Win Shots•A/V Footage
Shows and Events
•Newsletters•Clippings•Yearbooks
Publications
Arrangement and Description
Aim for modest goal of a box-level inventory
List important folders or items within box when relevant
Can come back and organize further later
Create inventory in Excel spreadsheet
List content, formats, and date ranges
Number and label boxes to match to spreadsheet data
Don't get too fussy and over-organize
Better to err on side of keeping documents together
The common access point is often dates
Create a related materials column
Cross-referencesNote oversize and alternate
format materials located elsewhere
Archival Inventory
Box Number
Location
Formats ( Documents, Photographs, Publications, etc)
Category (Administration, Events, etc)
Description
Preservation Concerns
Related Materials
Other Notes
Skye Terrier Club of AmericaPRELIMINARY ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION
ID BOX TYPE SERIES FURTHER DESCRIPTION YEARS
1DocCLUB ADMIN 1960sDOG SHOWS Annual Specials/Trophies 1930s-1960s
2Doc CLUB ADMIN Membership 1940s-1960s3Doc CLUB ADMIN Meeting Minutes 1940s-1950s4Doc CLUB ADMIN 1940s-1960s
5DocCLUB ADMIN General Correspondence 1950sCLUB ADMIN Membership 1980s
6Doc CLUB ADMIN Club Correspondence 1950s-1960s; 1990s7Doc CLUB ADMIN Club Correspondence 1960s; 1980s-1990s
8DocCLUB PUBLICATIONS Pedigree Book 1990sCLUB PUBLICATIONS Pamphlets 1990sCLUB PUBLICATIONS Pedigree Book 1980s-1990s
9Half-Doc CLUB PUBLICATIONS Pedigree Book 1970s
10CARTONCLUB ADMIN Finance 1960sDOG SHOWS Film 1960sARTIFACTS Framed Championship Certificates 1950-1977
11Doc DOG SHOWS Correspondence 1950s-1960s12Doc ADAMS - personal Publishing/Gen Correspondence 1930s13Doc ADAMS - personal Publishing/Gen Correspondence 1930s14Doc ADAMS - personal Breeder FIles / General Correspondence 1940s-1950s
PH.1 Flat PHOTOS Portraits, Candids, Snapshots 1940s-1990s
PH.2 FlatPHOTOS Win Shots 1960s; 1980s-1990sPHOTOS Scrapbook 1960sPHOTOS Scrapbook 1950s - 1960s
Basic Preservation Tips
Traditional Archival Formats
Paper •Documents, Ephemera,
Publications
Photographs
Audiovisual Materials
Scrapbooks
General Handling Rules Always wash hands Keep away from all food
and drink Use only pencils or
waterproof archival ink Cotton gloves
recommended for prints, negatives, and film but not for paper and fragile materials
Isolate materials that appear to have mold or other extreme and/or active deterioration
Preserving Archival MaterialsAim for a controlled, relatively stable environment
Heat and Humidity will accelerate deterioration Ideal temperature is 60-70 degrees Photographs and film: the colder the better
CONSISTENCY is key, avoid excessive fluctuations Favor concealed, well-ventilated spaces not exposed
to light, the outdoors, or other sources of dirt and dust
Basements Attics
Garages/Sheds
All the typical storage spots pose great risks to archival materials.
Interior ClosetsARE THE MOST STABLE STORAGE LOCATION
Preservation is like leftovers…
The Wonders of a Simple Box
Protects from light and dust Insulates against
temperature/humidity fluctuations Layer of protection against water,
pests, and even fire
Preservation Shopping List Boxes
Document BoxesFor foldered documents and other materials; (publications, A/V, artifacts, etc.)
Record CartonsFor foldered documents and other materials; can buy insert trays for artifacts and other irregular formats
Flat BoxesVariety of sizes for photographs, ephemera, posters and other oversize materials; drop-front preferred for ease of access
The more uniform your boxes, the easier they are for you to store
GENERAL RULE OF THUMB
Trusted Suppliers of Archival Storage MaterialsDon’t trust everything on Amazon and other sites that claims to be “Archival” – or always cross-reference the products to see if they are carried by these vendors.
Preservation Shopping List
Plastic sleevesFor fragile documents and photographs – polyester, polethylene (Mylar), or polypropylene
Acid-Free PaperCan be interwoven with heavily deteriorated items to protect surrounding materials; 11 x 17 can be folded into a sling for protection and grouping together materials
Indicates whether the material your archival materials are currently stored in is acidic or neutral/alkaline – you want to see that purple, not yellow, line
pH Pen
StorageDocuments• Store upright in document
boxes or record cartons
o Do not leave boxes half-fullo Create or purchase supports
o Crumble acid-free paper to stuff in empty space
o Can also purchase half-size doc boxes
Storage
Acid-Free Folders
• AVOID ENVELOPES
• LABEL IN PENCIL WITH: Contents Dates
Club name/abbreviation Box (and folder) number
Enemies of Preservation
Paper Clips and Rubber BandsReplace with plastic clips or fold a 17 x 11 piece of acid-free paper into a sling to hold materials together
Newsprint and Cheap PaperPhotocopy or scan newsprint and/or interweave acid-free paper between severely oxidized documents
Post-itsThey may however contain important information; get in the habit of avoiding use
Storage Photographs Remove items from frames and albums Store like-sized prints together
Prints smaller than 8 x 10 can be stored upright
Oversize prints should be stored flat
Use a soft-lead pencil or grease pencil to make markings on backInterweave paper between photos with adhesive or ink on the back Acid-free folders can be used in flat boxes or cut to create section dividers
StorageAudiovisual
Remove DVDs from cases and store in Tyvek® CD Sleeves You can write information
on the envelope rather than on the disk
This also saves space!
Store VHS tapes vertically (never flat) Can use document boxes or
record cartons
Do not overstuff boxes
StorageArtifacts Wrap textiles in acid-free tissue paper
For small collections you can purchase divided insert trays that fit into record cartons
Store trophies and other artifacts on stable shelf or surface but will require routine dusting
Alternatively order custom-made box or box in which it will loosely fit without being jammed
Surround and secure with acid-free tissue paper
Storage Scrapbooks and Photo Albums
Loosen binding laces or posts
Remove blank pages
If possible, remove binding altogether and store pages in archival folders
Contents can be placed inacid-free album boxes with archival mounting pages or archival photo sleeves
Preservation Scrapbooks and Photo Albums
Interweave good-quality acid-free tissue or paper
Plastic sleeves can be inserted on individual pages
Make photocopies or photograph individual pages
Reattach loose material with high-quality photo corners or store in archival folders
Other Preservation
Resources
New England Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) https://www.nedcc.org/free-
resources/preservation-leaflets
Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/preservation/
National Archives http://www.archives.gov/preservation/famil
y-archives/
Digital files also require preservation measures.
WITH TECHNOLOGIES EVOLVING AT RAPID SPEEDS, SOME DIGITAL FILES ARE AT MUCH MORE IMMEDIATE RISK THAN SLOWLY DETERIORATING PAPER. THEY TO REQUIRE WORK TO SAVE
AND PROTECT THEM FOR FUTURE USE.
2 Types of Digital Files
Digital-Born Content Digital content that began its
existence within the digital landscape
EXAMPLEs: Word documents, spreadsheets, digital camera photographs, emails
Digitized Content Records and presents characteristics
of an already existing physical object
EXAMPLEs: Scanned print photograph; phone camera image of an old document
Digitization ≠ PreservationIT PRODUCES BACK-UP COPIES AND ACCESS COPIES,
BUT IT IS NOT A REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL
Digital Preservation Overview
Follow FilenamingRecommendations
1Use File Formats recommended for archiving
2Create and maintain metadata
3Store copies of digital archive in multiple places
4
FilenamingConventions and Recommendations
1. Use only alpha-numeric characters for both files and folders. Do not use special characters such as / > < + = ’ ^ | \ { }
[ ] # , ; ? ! $ * &
2. Absolutely no spaces in files names. Alternatively use: Dashes ( - ) and underscores ( _ ) Camel case (where the first letter of each section of text
is capitalized) ex: MeetingMinutes
3. Use a valid file extension, usually only 3-4 characters, separated from last of filename by a period ( . ) Examples: .doc, .tif, .pdf, .jpg, .mp4, etc.
4. Use leading zeroes for clarity and to assure sequential order when numbering files with the same prefix “001, 002… 010, 011…” instead of “1, 2… 10, 11…”
5. Use standard format for dates YYYYMMDD Today: 20190424
6. Try not to exceed 25 characters
Digital files should be consistent and descriptive in naming and organization. In conjunction with how you arrange your file directory, It should be obvious where to find specific data and what the files contain.
They should be brief yet meaningful as possible in their description.
Digital FilesARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION
Digitizing Archival Material
Archival Master FilePreservation file maintained for long-term
use without loss of essential features; to be stored away and used only for
producing access copies
Access CopyWhat you readily access and distribute
to others, will be smaller in size and readily accessible in a number
of computer environments
Technical Specs for Digital Files
Photos/Graphics-Based [BLACK & WHITE]
Master File Format: TIFF
Access File Format: JPEG
Resolution: 400 dpi
Color Space: Color
Bit Depth: 24 (RGB Mode)
Photos/Graphics-Based [COLOR]
Master File Format: TIFF
Access File Format: JPEG
Resolution: 400 dpi
Color Space: Grayscale
Bit Depth: 8
Master File Format: TIFF (multi-page TIFF as needed)
Access File Format: PDF (preferably PDF/A)
Resolution: 300 dpi
Color Space: Grayscale
Bit Depth: 8
Text-Based Documents
Metadata is Data about DataOR, DESCRIPTIVE CONTEXUAL INFORMATION ABOUT A DIGITAL FILE
Examples of Important Metadata
Format (Image, Document, Audio, Audiovisual, etc)
Filename
Title
Dates
Dog Names and Information (ex: Registration Number)
Event Name
Names of People
Copyright Information
Format Image
Filename Gately_AKE_10_1_456
Title Bucks County Dog Show Best in Show winner
Dates 1948-05
Dog Names and Information Ch. Sirius of Gayterry
Event Name Bucks County Kennel Club
Names of People Tom Gately
Copyright Information Evelyn Shafer (Photographer)
Recording Metadata: Two Options
Excel Spreadsheet
Embedded Metadata
Excel Spreadsheet
Pros Allows a lot of information and
flexibility
Can include full paragraphs of description
Easy to create and manage
Cons Information will not travel with the
digital file
File will have to be located separately
Excel Spreadsheet
Tips
Use distinct filenames to avoid confusion as to what file is being described
Use standard formatting for dates, places, breeds, etc
Examples:
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier vs Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Fort Lauderdale vs. Ft. Lauderdale
Excel Spreadsheet Information to Record
Unique Identifier (Filename)
Title
Date
Location • Physical and Digital
Creator • Photographer, Club Name, etc
Tags/Subjects • People, Dog Names, Dog Breeds, etc
Description• A few sentences about the
who/what/when/where/why/how of the image content
Embedded Metadata
Pros The info travels with the file
To view the info, simply right-click and view properties
It will stay with every copy made of the file
Cons Not easy to record info for multiple
images with similar tags
Can be time-consuming
Limited information fields
Embedded Metadata Fields
• Descriptive title of image fileTitle• More detailed description of image file including
people names, dog names, places, and datesSubject• Separate by semicolons• Try to use a controlled vocabulary and be consistentTags• Who created the image Author
Embedding Metadata Made Easy1. RIGHT CLICK ON AN IMAGE AND SELECT “PROPERTIES” FROM THE MENU.
Embedding Metadata Made Easy2. GO TO THE “DETAILS” TAB AND FILL IN THE INFORMATION FOR THE SELECTED IMAGE FILE.
3. HIT “OKAY” TO SAVE CHANGES, AND THAT INFORMATION WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE IMAGE PERMANENTLY
LotsOfCopiesKeepsStuffSafe
Local Computer
• Stored in separate place from local computer
External Hard Drive
• Google Drive• Dropbox• Amazon S3
Cloud-Based Storage
Other things you can do
Engage club elders Oral histories
Get those photos labelled!
Create biographies and chronologies
Visit local libraries and other local history collections
Newspaper.com and other newspaper research
AKC Club Priorities
Don’t be Discouraged
Remember that archiving is never perfect, and every action you take is helping extend the lives of your materials
Digital Archiving Assign someone to regularly archive your club’s current digital output and apply digital preservation principles
Budget Set a budget for basic archival supplies so you can start protecting your most fragile and vulnerable materials
Outta the Basement
Get everything out of those basements and attics – centralize what you can and record locations of materials held elsewhere
Stay Realistic Set goals that are sustainable and realistic – Over-ambition will kill initiative
Get It Together Assemble and assess what you have – What to keep and toss? What is missing?
Consider the AKC Most low-cost,sustainable solution for Parent Clubs
