Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Same Goal, New ChallengeAn introduction to the futureArch project &

BEAM

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

The Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St. Alban and Lord High Chancellor of England in Ten Volumes,

Volume 5, London, 1803

Twas Ever ThusTwas Ever Thus

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

The Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St. Alban and Lord High Chancellor of England in Ten Volumes,

Volume 5, London, 1803

Twas Ever ThusTwas Ever Thus

22

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

digitised from

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

digitised from

using manuscripts from

&

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

digitised from

using manuscripts from

&

Born DigitalManuscripts

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Archives & Mansc ri pts• Documentary materials

accumulated by individuals or organisations

• First hand accounts, correspondence, etc.

• Largely unpublished

• Increasingly hybrid

• Multiple: sources, formats, negotiations, accessions (over time)

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Babara Castle & the P C Ws• Total archive: 800 boxes, 1903 – 2002• Lots and lots of paper!• 1 box of video, 1 box of audio• 31 Amstrad PCW disks (including 6 never

used) 1989-1992• Two PCs, ?1992-1997, 1997-2002• Four 3’5” disks (largely backups from PC)

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Same Goal

• To have “built an ark” for manuscripts, to keep them safe, preserve their authenticity and where possible provide context

• We’re doing the same thing for born digital materials

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

New Challenge• Digital Media

• Identifying collections• Do we keep the media?• How do we access content?

– Forensics machine & old hardware

• Digital Content (if we can get it!)

• Authenticity – emulate or transform?• Access – who, what and when?

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

futureArch• Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Funded• 3 Years – ends January 2012• First phase of the development of “Bodleian

Electronic Archives & Manuscripts” (BEAM)

• Who we are:• Susan Thomas, Digital Archivist & Project Manager• Renhart Gittens, Software Engineer• Peter Cliff, Software Engineer• Project Archivist (Recruiting soon)• Library Graduate Trainee (Recruiting now)

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Infrastructure•Establish BEAM as service

•Establish BEAMInfrastructure, sharingcommon componentswith ODL & ORA

ResearchSupport

•On and off siteaccess to hybrid

collections

Policy

•Define end-to-end

Activies

•Inform policies, roles &

responsibilities

•Embed in Library

budget

Collections

•Donor confidence•Transfer tools/help•Legacy holdings•New materials

Professional

•Training, systems &

tools for curatorial staff

•Graduate Trainee

•Dissemination High Level Aims

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

New methods• (digital) deluge?• Early intervention

• Enable creators to manage and preserve their materials• Accession often (avoids obsolescence)• Capture contextual information from the creators (including

passwords!)

• Requires• Trust• Guaranteed confidentiality• Distributed approach

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Current Activity• Modifying accessions process to identify

digital material as it arrives• Secure and robust storage – DAMS• Processes and tools and a curation

manual for acquisition, capture and ingest• Identifying and preserving material in

legacy collections• Automatic metadata creation/tools

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Future Focus• Interfaces & tools

• For curators: management, cataloguing and enquiries, etc.• For researchers: integration with Western Manuscripts online

catalogues, the Library and, were appropriate, the Web.• Digital Preservation Policies• Extending acquisition to cope with new channels

• Materials from the Web• Materials in the Cloud

• Access• Researcher tools• Processing of archives for researcher access• Publication pathways

(closed -> reading room -> open Web)

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

In Conc lusion• We are continuing the age old tradition of

housing manuscripts within the Library• The types of materials in collections has

changed• Collections themselves are changing• futureArch is enabling the Library and its

staff to cope with these new materials

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

The futureArch Junk AppealWe are always on the lookout for old bits of kit – from cables to complete systems - that could be used to help us recover content from obsolete media. If you want to make some space in your office, loft or neighbourhood

skip, please contact us!

peter.cliff@ouls.ox.ac.uksusan.thomas@bodley.ox.ac.ukrenhart.gittens@ouls.ox.ac.uk

Digital Repositories Workshop: Tools and Infrastructure23rd Apr 2009 University of Oxford

http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

Linkshttp://delicious.com/pixelatedpete/drwitox-20090423

ThanksThanks to Susan Thomas, from whom I borrowed many of

these slides/ideas! Thanks boss!

Questions?