U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Managing Geospatial Data at the USGS’ EROS Data Center

RACO West31 August 2004Denver, Colorado

Outline

Background & Context Records Management at USGS / EDC Appraisal Process Accession Experience Access / Finding Aids Preservation Efforts Disposition Procedures Summary

Background & Context

Then 1972 Landsat

Primarily Laser-Beam Recorder Film Sioux Falls, SD

Now Multiple Satellites – Mainly Digital Aerial Photography – Still Analog GIS Topography / Elevation

Background & Context

Film 4 Film Types Multiples Sizes 110,000 Rolls – 13,000,000 Frames 1937 to Present

Background & Context

Digital 1 to 2 Terabytes / Day 2 Petabytes – 3,000,000 Images 1972 to Present

National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive Public Law 102-555 (1992) Federal Advisory Committee Act

Records Management at USGS / EDC

No “Back Door” Seeking Additional Relevance Meshed With Other Agency Desires

Embracing Lifecycle Creation / Acceptance Maintenance & Use Disposition

Records Management at USGS / EDC

Appraisal Accession Arrangement Description Access Preservation Disposition Outreach

Appraisal Process

Evolving Driven by

Archivist Position Need for Mission Alignment

Re-Organizations Budget Constraints

Appraisal Process

Collection Policy Appraisal Flow

EDC Science Council Support Scientific Tool Development

http://edc2.usgs.gov/government/RAT/tool.asp USGS HQ and NARA Involved

Accession Experience

Collection Policy Requirements Checklist Shipping Summaries

Accession Experience

Experience NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center NASA / Ames & Houston NOAA / National Climatic Data Center

Reciprocal Archive LOA SPOT Image Corporation Space Imaging Corporation

Future NARA

Access / Finding Aids

Organizational Commitment Spatial & Temporal Criticality Spatial Challenges

Contracts New Techniques

Access / Finding Aids

Textual and Spatial Characterizations Federal Geographic Data Committee Earth Explorer Photo Finder GloVis EOS Data Gateway Seamless / The National Map Customer Service Unit

Preservation Efforts

Macro Environmental Security

Micro Molecular Sieves AD Strips

Preservation Efforts

Film Vinegar Syndrome

Digital Flaking Obsolescence Digital Transcriptions Digital Migrations

Preservation Efforts Vinegar Syndrome

20,000 Rolls 1950s & Older Film Not If, But When & at What Rate

Digital Transcriptions 22,000 Wide Band Video Tapes 1980 – Current, Landsat HDTs to DCRSi DCRSi to LTO2 & 9940B

Migrations CCT to 3480 to DLT to LTO2 to …

Preservation Efforts

Archive Media Trade Studies http://edc2.usgs.gov/government/records/tools.asp

Long-Term Philosophy Near, Off, and Off

Disposition Procedures

Formal Appraisal Process Evolving Scientist Involvement

Documented Recommendations & Actions Follow Through

Relevant Agencies NARA Transfers or Destruction

Disposition Procedures

Recent Dispositions Landsat Return Beam Vidicon SPOT High Density Tapes Landsat Wide Band Video Tapes NASA Apollo Hand-Held Photography

Summary

3 Years in Records Management Processes Formal Archivist Position Legislative Mandate Organizational Commitment to Archiving Endorsement of the Lifecycle of Records