overview and update of the pedals project persistent digital library and archives system panel...
TRANSCRIPT
Overview and update of the PeDALS project Persistent Digital Library and Archives System www.pedalspreservation.org
Panel discussion of lessons learned by participants from each state Matt Guzzi (South Carolina) Richard Pearce-Moses (Arizona) Alan Nelson (Florida) Bonnie Weddle (New York) Abbie Norderhaug (Wisconsin)
To develop and sustain multi-state collaborative Began with four states South Carolina joined on its own dime Two additional states to be added in 2009
To use middleware to automate processing of large volumes of records and publications Follows OAIS reference model Can be audited using RLG/OCLC Cost-benefit of programming v. staff processing
requires sufficiently large body of consistent materials
Test LOCKSS as storage system Automated integrity checking and error
correction Articulate a curatorial rationale suitable
for electronic records and digital publications
Create a community of shared practice Work as inexpensively as possible Build a functioning digital repository in
each partner state
Core Metadata v. 1 completed First iterative review in progress
Admin catalog database designed and implemented First iterative review in progress
Admin catalog web interface nearing completion
Simple AIP schema completed Proof of concept
AZ Marriage certificates ingested Marriage certificates code reused for SC Commission
orders
Vulcan mind meld Significantly increased efficiency of
communication among participants. Faster! Less confusion!
Cloning Don’t waste time and take risks hiring new
people. Just clone your good employees! Time Travel
Easier to meet deadlines without losing sleep or sanity
Teleportation All the benefits of a face-to-face meeting, with the
time savings of teleconferences!
Importance of effective collaboration Within agencies Across geographic and political boundaries
Structured, consistent activities and expectations instill sense of involvement and project ownership
Lack of face-to-face interaction makes it harder to get engaged
Working in smaller teams capitalizes on our individual strengths
Partner teams need the right mix Archives, library, and IT
Team members must be Open to “learn as you go” Creative and innovative
The project as viewed by our peers Other repositories very interested
By government agencies and other stakeholders Often excited Recognize project is ambitious Impatient with a research project; they
want a solution
Keeping everyone informed of what each group is doing Metadata Group IT Group
Keeping project leaders informed of progress Keeping the larger group informed
Curatorial Group
Regular communication Bi-weekly update conference calls Committee meetings as needed Quarterly reports
Go To Meeting VoIP can keep long distance costs down Simultaneous editing of documents
Basecamp Central document repository
Library and archives AZ and FL: part of same agency, close
relationship NYS: part of larger agency, some
collaboration SC: different agencies WI: no state library, working with the WHS
library which is the state depository library Archives and records management
AZ, FL, NYS, SC: archives and RM under one agency
WI: another agency responsible for RM
Some partners maintain their own IT AZ and SC have complete control over firewalls,
network, and infrastructure Some partners have agency-level, centralized
IT NYS must integrate PeDALS work into its parent
agency’s overarching IT work schedule Some partners have state-level, centralized IT
WI has opted to place PeDALS servers at U.W.-Madison, not state IT unit
One state opted against joining PeDALS because it could not work through its IT infrastructure
No one is working on the project full-time
Scheduling complications Partners spread across three time zones State holidays, employee furloughs, office
moves, vacation plans Perception that we’re not working
quickly enough; reality that we’re making good progress, slow and steady
Working on a technical project with non-technical people Archivists and librarians don’t always grasp
limitations of project software Programmatic staff need basic knowledge of IT
concepts and practices Database structures, etc.
Working on an archival/library project with technical people IT staff need basic knowledge of core library
and archival concepts Permanence, trustworthiness, series, etc.
Consultants The adventures of finding the right
consultant The decision to make sure each partner
state had someone who knows BizTalk
Efforts to sustain the project after the grant Project agreements Models
Common practices Informal collaboration Consortium—formal agreements
PeDALS creates a flexible community of shared practice Mandatory metadata and system
requirements kept to a minimum Partners can continue to follow their own
workflows Partners can use PeDALS standards as
leverage NYS and WI now catalog archival e-records
in conformance with PeDALS metadata
Richard Pearce-MosesPeDALS Principal Investigator
Deputy Director for Technology & Information
ResourcesArizona State Library, Archives
and Public [email protected] (602) 926-4035
Matthew R. Guzzi Electronic Records Archivist
South Carolina Department of Archives and History
[email protected](803) 896-6103
Alan S. Nelson System Project Administrator State Library and Archives of
Abbie J. NorderhaugPublic Records AccessionerWisconsin Historical Society
[email protected](608) 261-1037
Bonita L. Weddle Coordinator, Electronic Records
New York State Archives [email protected]
(518) 473-4258