Friday, April 18, 2008

MAC 2008 More Than One way to Meet the Challenge

Systematic Approaches to the Capture and Preservation of Complex Digital Artifacts

Steve Burbeck, Rockefeller Archive Center, Collaborative Electronic Records Project (CERP)
Glen McAninch for Kelly Eubank, NC State Archives, Electronic Mail Capture and Preservation Tool (EMCAP)
Mike Smorul, University of Maryland, Archival Prototypes and Lessons Learned

All three panelists were involved in developing tools for archiving email and websites. Often dynamic and a challenge to capture and migrate because of attachments, forwards and replies. Web 2.0 will pose even more challenges.

OAIS Open Archival Information System Reference Model:
  • Submission to archives
  • Packaged for archiving
  • Packaged for dissemination
A system designed to delete electronic documents when retention is met won't work for historic preservation because of the chance for accidental deletion.

The system must also be able to handle a variety of formats partly because there are no email standards and many systems. Also attachments. Security of email in regard to viruses and the volume of email also a challenge.

It was interesting that all three projects came up with applications that worked differently at the archives end, but all started with an XML schema to prepare email for storage.

EMCAP's end result was an hmailserver. Users drag email identified as permanent records to an archive folder on their list. These emails can be accessed, but cannot be deleted or modified after archiving.

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