Preserving Digital Information Terry L. HarrisonBureaucratic-speak:Examples:Digital Archive vs. Digital LibraryAnother power quote:Refresh: to periodically recopyMigrate: move from one technology to anotherIntegrity of a Digital ObjectSlide 9Archival Roles and ResponsibilitiesRecommendationsSlide 12Potential BarriersFinal Power Quote:The EndPreserving Digital InformationPreserving Digital InformationTerry L. HarrisonTerry L. HarrisonReport on the Report of the Task Report on the Report of the Task Force on Archiving of Digital Force on Archiving of Digital InformationInformation1.22.20041.22.2004Bureaucratic-speak:Bureaucratic-speak:““If we are effectively to preserve for future If we are effectively to preserve for future generations the portion of this rapidly expanding generations the portion of this rapidly expanding corpus of information in digital form that corpus of information in digital form that represents our cultural record, we need to represents our cultural record, we need to understand the costs of doing so and we need to understand the costs of doing so and we need to commit ourselves technically, legally, commit ourselves technically, legally, economically and organizationally to the full economically and organizationally to the full dimensions of the task. Failure to look for dimensions of the task. Failure to look for trusted means and methods of digital trusted means and methods of digital preservation will certainly exact a stiff, long-term preservation will certainly exact a stiff, long-term cultural penalty.”cultural penalty.”Examples:Examples:1960 Census:1960 Census:Only 2 UNIVAC type II-A machines left in world Only 2 UNIVAC type II-A machines left in world *(hardware obsolescence)*(hardware obsolescence)1960s LUNR Project1960s LUNR Project1964 1st email1964 1st emailMIT,Carnegie Institute of Tech, or Cambridge?MIT,Carnegie Institute of Tech, or Cambridge?1985 - Committee on the Records of 1985 - Committee on the Records of Government Government “the United States is in danger of “the United States is in danger of losing its memory”losing its memory”Digital Archive vs. Digital LibraryDigital Archive vs. Digital LibraryLibrary interest lies in serviceLibrary interest lies in serviceLibrary “user” exists todayLibrary “user” exists todayArchive interest lies in preservationArchive interest lies in preservationArchive “user” exists now and in futureArchive “user” exists now and in futureAnother power quote:Another power quote:““(The) greatest fear about the life of (The) greatest fear about the life of information in the digital future: namely information in the digital future: namely that owners or custodians who can no that owners or custodians who can no longer bear the expense and difficulty” longer bear the expense and difficulty” (of moving digital information forward in (of moving digital information forward in the digital future) ”will deliberately or the digital future) ”will deliberately or inadvertently, through a simple failure to inadvertently, through a simple failure to act, destroy the objects without regard act, destroy the objects without regard for future use.”for future use.”Refresh: Refresh: to periodically recopyto periodically recopy(e.g. to new drive)(e.g. to new drive)2-5 year technical obsolescence cycle2-5 year technical obsolescence cycleForward HW/SW compatibility?Forward HW/SW compatibility?Backward compatibility $$ to maintainBackward compatibility $$ to maintainProprietary systemsProprietary systemsEmulators !Emulators !Migrate: Migrate: move from one technology to anothermove from one technology to anotherMay not yield perfect copies on newer May not yield perfect copies on newer technologytechnology.psd to .jpeg is a lossy transition.psd to .jpeg is a lossy transitionMore time consuming, costly and More time consuming, costly and complex than simply refreshingcomplex than simply refreshingIntegrity of a Digital ObjectIntegrity of a Digital ObjectThat which gives the digital information object That which gives the digital information object its valueits valueContentContent: Save bits? Save idea conveyed?: Save bits? Save idea conveyed?FixityFixity: Canonical version? Watermarking?: Canonical version? Watermarking? Snapshots?Snapshots?ReferenceReference:: how to locate definitively and how to locate definitively and reliably over timereliably over time..Integrity of a Digital ObjectIntegrity of a Digital ObjectProvenanceProvenance: path where it came from: path where it came fromContextContext: its environment/dependencies: its environment/dependenciesMediumMedium: capturing the experience : capturing the experience e.g. CD-ROMe.g. CD-ROMArchival Roles and ResponsibilitiesArchival Roles and ResponsibilitiesSelection - ongoing taskSelection - ongoing taskAccession - preparation for archivingAccession - preparation for archivingStorage - cost metrics, redundancyStorage - cost metrics, redundancyAccess - prevent unauthorized useAccess - prevent unauthorized useSystems Engineering - when to migrate Systems Engineering - when to migrate to new hardware / softwareto new hardware / softwareRecommendationsRecommendationsDistributed digital archives (Yates)Distributed digital archives (Yates)Store and maintain in accessible formStore and maintain in accessible formUse widely adopted standardsUse widely adopted standards““Fail-safe mechanism” for data rescueFail-safe mechanism” for data rescueLegally mandated archives?Legally mandated archives?Archive certificationArchive certificationRecommendationsRecommendationsBuild migration pathsBuild migration pathsProcessing CentersProcessing CentersPotential BarriersPotential BarriersWho will pay for this?Who will pay for this?Cost modelingCost modelingHard to determine archiving cost of Hard to determine archiving cost of different kinds of digital objectsdifferent kinds of digital objectsUnknown rights management costsUnknown rights management costs““Bits know no borders”Bits know no borders”Final Power Quote:Final Power Quote:““We can afford to continue and increase We can afford to continue and increase economic and social investments in digital economic and social investments in digital information objects and in the responsibilities information objects and in the