Archival TechnologiesCliff Landis

Web Services Librarian Georgia State University

47th Annual Georgia Archives InstituteJune 9 – 20, 2014

"Good grief, what have we gotten ourselves into..."

Learning Objectives

● Identify existing and emerging areas of archival technology development.

● Learn about the capabilities, pros, and cons of major archival management tools, such as Archon and Archivists' Toolkit.

● Learn about the capabilities, pros, and cons of major digital collection management tools, such as CONTENTdm and Islandora.

● Discover resources for further professional development in archival technology areas such as digital preservation, linked open data, and data formats and standards.

IntroductionsEGO TIME!

● Library (and Archival) Technologist

● Author of A Social Networking Primer for Librarians (2010)

● Professional Geek● I work as a translator

between several library dialects including: Student, Techie, Librarian, Archivist and Administrator!

Two questions

1) What one thing do you hope to learn today?

2) What one thing do you hope to do with archival technology?

Why does this stuff matter?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80749232@N00/2563365462/

We keep history and cultures alive

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Jaffna_library

Two questions

1) What one thing do you hope to learn today?

2) What one thing do you hope to do with archival technology?

The problem of "hidden collections"

The problem of "hidden collections"

The problem of "hidden collections"

http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/spiro/spiro_Jan13.pdf

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31333486@N00/1977134004/

It's all about using the right tool for the job...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/takomabibelot/4355506368/

Evaluating Technologies:Preliminary Considerations

● Free vs. paid● Open source vs. closed source● Local server vs. cloud hosted● Few features vs. many features (vs. some

features)● Web-based vs. client-based (vs. both)● Ease of setup, ease of use● Degree of technical support● Standards compliance

Archival management software

aka, "What's all this old stuff, where did we put it, and what can we do with it?"

Archon

http://sandbox.archon.org/latest/index.php?p=digitallibrary/digitalcontent&id=777

Archon

http://sandbox.archon.org/latest/index.php?p=admin/avsap/avsapstoragefacilities

Archon

● Developed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2006-2011).

● Free, Open-Source Software (FOSS), locally hosted, many features, limited exports.

● Has both a back-end (for managing records) and a front-end (for access).

● Full life-cycle management. Lacks some features (some metadata exports, deaccessioning, etc.).

● As of January 2014 it is unsupported software, but many archives still use it.

http://www.archon.org/

Archivists' Toolkit

Archivists' Toolkit

Archivists' Toolkit

Archivists' Toolkit

● Developed with a Mellon Foundation grant and continued by Five Colleges, Inc., New York University Libraries, and the UC San Diego Libraries (2006-2009).

● Free, Open-Source Software (FOSS), locally hosted, many features, exports in many standards/formats.

● Server and client software● Has a back-end (for managing records). No web

publishing available.● Full life-cycle management. Lacks some features

(backup/restore, publishing finding aids, etc.)● AT support ended September 1, 2013.http://www.archiviststoolkit.org/

ArchivesSpace

http://aspace.hudmol.com/wireframes/resource_workflow/02_create_resource.horizontal_tree_pane.png

ArchivesSpace

http://archivesspace.middlebury.edu/repositories/2

ArchivesSpace

http://archivesspace.library.illinois.edu/search?type=repository

ArchivesSpace

● Funded by a Mellon Foundation grant, created by New York University, the University of California San Diego, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Hmmmm...those names look familiar...

● The best of both worlds?● As of May 13, 2014 it is at version 1.0.9● Membership option, free option ● "Organizational home" at LYRASIS (including hosting)http://www.archivesspace.org/https://github.com/archivesspace/archivesspace

AtoM

http://demo.ica-atom.org/job-no-580-vancouver-city-hall-construction-site;isad

AtoM

http://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca/index.php/digitalobject/browse?page=2&mediatypes=137&limit=30

AtoM● ICA-AtoM is web-based archival description software

that is based on International Council on Archives ('ICA') standards. 'AtoM' is an acronym for 'Access to Memory' (2008-2014).

● Developed by Artefactual Systems in collaboration with the ICA Program Commission (PCOM) and a growing network of international partners.

● Free, Open-Source Software (FOSS). Web-based, so requires server or virtual appliance setup. Current version (2.0.1) released on December 16, 2013.

● Packaged with Archivematica (digital preservation software)

https://www.ica-atom.org/https://www.accesstomemory.org/en/

Others

● Adlib Archive● Calm for Archives● Cuadra STAR / Archives● Eloquent Archives● MINISIS M2A● Collective Access● PastPerfect...and many more

Digital collections/asset management software

aka, "Isn't all that old stuff online by now?"

Fedora

http://dl.tufts.edu/

Fedora

http://uwyo.coalliance.org/fedora/repository

Fedora

● NOT the Linux operating system....● aka: Fedora Repository / Fedora Commons● Developed by Cornell University and the University of

Virginia Library, currently supported by DuraSpace● FOSS, server-side.● Flexible architecture, allowing you to customize it (add

on components) to meet local needs. Requires more work.

● Ingest, management, and basic delivery -- not a full-fledged system for managing digital assets.

http://www.fedora-commons.org/https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/FF/Fedora+Repository+Home

Islandora

http://mirc.sc.edu/islandora/object/usc%3A1840

Islandora

http://fsu.digital.flvc.org/islandora/search/?type=edismax

Islandora

● Fedora (asset management), Drupal (website functionality) and Solr (search). Additional "Solution Packs" of software to manage particular data types (books, PDFs, large images, etc.).

● Developed by Prince Edward Island University.● FOSS, server-side. Has to be assembled by

programmers / systems folks. Requires a LOT of work and maintenance at this point. Not a "download and double-click" software.

http://islandora.ca/ https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/ISLANDORA713/Islandora

CONTENTdm

http://digitalcollections.library.gsu.edu/cdm/search/collection/MapsTest

CONTENTdm

http://digitalcollections.library.gsu.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/MapsTest/id/17/rec/37

CONTENTdm (and a lot of work...)

http://digitalcollections.library.gsu.edu/maps/?overlay=atlpm0031e

CONTENTdm

● Closed source, OCLC, and paid (expensive!).● A full system for managing digital collections. Can be

hosted by OCLC or run on your own servers (hosted version limits customization).

● Has difficulty with larger collections.● Server-side software, web interface and project client

software. Lots of moving pieces to get to work together with limited documentation and slow technical support response time.

http://www.contentdm.org/

Greenstone

http://chopin.lib.uchicago.edu/gsdl/cgi-bin/library?e=d-000-00---0chopin--00-0-0-0prompt-10---4---Document---0-1l--1-en-Zz-1---50-home---001-001-1-0utfZz-8-0&a=d&cl=CL1.1&d=CHOP114.22

Greenstone

http://www.aliveintruth.org/

Greenstone

● Developed by New Zealand Digital Library Project at the University of Waikato, with support from UNESCO.

● FOSS, server-side.

● Multi-lingual and multi-national.

● Development community is small but work continues slowly on versions 2 & 3.

http://www.greenstone.org/http://sourceforge.net/projects/greenstone/

Dspace

https://smartech.gatech.edu/

Dspace

http://vtext.valdosta.edu:8080/xmlui/

Dspace

● Developed by the MIT Libraries and Hewlett-Pckard Labs

● FOSS, server-side. Hosted option available (DSpaceDirect)

● Manakin add-on for improved user interface● Not easy to set up or customize, but effective

http://www.dspace.org/http://sourceforge.net/projects/dspace/

Others

● Tripod2 (Duke University, in-house)● Keystone (Index Data)● EPrints (University of Southampton)● and many more...

Display and Accessaka, "All this old stuff can tell a story..."

Omeka

http://braddockheritage.org/

Omeka

http://library.gsu.edu/exhibits

Omeka

● Web publishing of narratives around digital collections.● Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George

Mason University● FOSS, server-side. Hosted versions also available.● Designed to be relatively easy to use for non-technical

folks.● Has plugins available for additional functionality (OAI-

PMH, CSV import, Dublin Core, etc.)http://omeka.org/

OHMS: Oral History Metadata Synchronizer

http://nunncenter.org/OHMS-Viewer/viewer.php?cachefile=2010OH057_WW368_Gayheart-v01.xml

OHMS: Oral History Metadata Synchronizer

● OHMS was originally designed and created by the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries in 2008.

● In 2011, the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History received a grant from IMLS to make the system open source and free to use with interoperability and sustainability as the primary goals.

● Sync is done server-side in XML files, playback is done server-side using the OHMS player

● The grant runs out soon, but the software will remain FOSS.

http://www.oralhistoryonline.org/https://github.com/uklibraries/ohms-viewer

Others

● Collective Access● Virtual Exhibit (for Past Perfect)● Internet Archive● Picasa/Flickr● Blogs/Websites● and many more...

GLOSSARY OF ARCHIVAL TECHY GOODNESS

aka, "Alphabet Soup"

Formats & Protocols & Standards! (oh my!)

● MIME: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (aka File Types)● XML: eXtensible Markup Language● DTD: Document Type Definition (aka Schema)● EAD: Encoded Archival Description● OAI-PMH: The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting● OAI-ORE: The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Object Reuse and

Exchange● RSS: Really Simple Syndication● DC: Dublin Core (also DCMI)● RDF: Resource Description Framework● SQL: Structured Query Language● SPARQL: SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language● MODS: Metadata Object Description Schema● METS: Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard● PREMIS: Preservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies● AIP: Archival Info Package; SIP: Submission Info. Package; DIP:

Distribution Info Package ● BIBFRAME: Bibliographic Framework Initiative

IF YOU LEARN NO OTHER TECHNOLOGY

AS AN ARCHIVIST,

LEARN XMLDo a web search for: W3C Learn XML

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.gottlieb.09601/default.html

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.gottlieb.09601/default.html

So let’s see an example of XML

http://www.loc.gov/standards/premis/louis-2-0.xml

PREMIS in METS/MODS (written in XML)

http://www.loc.gov/standards/premis/louis-2-0.xml

Digital Preservationaka, "What do you mean scanning isn’t

preservation?!?"

The Basics

● Digitization is the act of capturing an analog signal in digital form.○ This can help reduce wear on originals while

providing broader access.● Digital preservation is the active

management of digital content over time to ensure ongoing access. http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/about/

● Educate yourself about the standards for the items you are digitizing: file formats, bit depth, resolution, dimensions, storage, backup

Digital Preservation Hardware (for analog objects)

● A dedicated computer(s) with an emphasis on processing power, RAM, and graphics card

● Still (photos and text)○ Flatbed, Open Book, Large Format, Slides,

Cameras, 3D● Video

○ VHS, Betamax, U-matic, DVCam and Mini-DVCam, Hi8

● Audio○ reel-to reel tape, turntable, cassette, Digital Audio

Tape (DAT), MiniDisc

Digital Preservation Hardware (for born-digital objects)

● Media readers (drives, connections)○ Floppy Discs (3.5” & 5.25”)○ Zip○ Jaz○ CD / DVD / BluRay / Laserdisc○ Cartridges○ Microcards

● Write-blockers / Forensic Bridges○ Tableau○ Weibe Tech

See: Webinar: “Intro to Digital Preservation #3 — “Management of Incoming Born-Digital Special Collections”

Digital Preservation Software

● Software suites to digitize and read

● FITS & JHOVE: used to identify file formats and extract metadata

● IdentityFinder: searches for Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

● Bagit: file transfers● BitCurator & Archivematica: accessioning

through access See: Intro to Digital Preservation websinar series

Linked Open Dataaka, "Set your data free!"

Linked Open Data (2010-09)

Linked Open Data

But why should I care?

http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_berners_lee_the_year_open_data_went_worldwide

But what does this have to do with archives?

http://linkedjazz.org/

https://www.google.com/search?q=georgia+state+university

Geez Cliff, this sounds pretty complicated. Do I have to be a computer programmer to do this stuff?

NO!

Semantic Web for beginners

● WikiData.org: browse to get a feel for the subject-predicate-object relationships.

● dbpedia.org: browse to get a feel for the use of LOD metadata standards.

● Microformats: a way of adding human- and machine-readable metadata into existing HTML webpages.○ COinS: ContextObjects in Spans. Allows users to

embed machine-readable bibliographic metadata in HTML webpages.

● RDFa Lite: Resource Description Framework in attributes - another way of adding human- and machine-readable metadata into existing HTML pages.

Why does this stuff matter?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80749232@N00/2563365462/

Resources:

● Spiro, Lisa (2009). Archival Management Software: A Report for the Council on Library and Information Resources. http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/spiro/spiro_Jan13.pdf and http://archivalsoftware.pbworks.com

● Bean, Carol (2010). Comparing Digital Library Systems (BeanWorks). http://beanworks.clbean.com/2010/04/comparing-digital-library-systems/

● Association of Southeastern Research Libraries. Archived Webinars / Materials. http://aserl.org/archive

● Digital Preservation - Tools Showcase. http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/tools/

● W3C Schools. http://www.w3schools.com/

Not that it has to be said, but...

Disclaimer!All images and excerpts included are being used under the auspices of Fair Use for the purposes of nonprofit education, criticism, and comment as outlined in 17 U.S.C. § 107.

Questions?Cliff Landis

Web Services Librarian Georgia State University

47th Annual Georgia Archives InstituteJune 9 – 20, 2014