the postcustodial paradigm and trends in digital preservation

The Postcustodial Paradigm and Trends in Digital PreservationPh. D. Hrvoje Stančić, associate professorDepartment of Information and Communication SciencesFaculty of Humanities and Social SciencesUniversity of [email protected]

Contents

1. Introduction2. The problem3. The record4. Digital preservation5. Cloud computing6. Preservation in the cloud7. Conclusion8. Assignment

Ph. D. Hrvoje Stančić, The Postcustodial Paradigm and Trends in Digital Preservation

Introduction

Custodial paradigm• archive as a place where records are kept

– role of the archive is to physically protect and preserve important records

– physical responsibility for the records after they have been removed from the primary context


Introduction ...

Custodial paradigm • digitization of businesses and management

EDMS, ERMS, ECMS ... + digital archives, digital libraries, digital repositories ...

Postcustodial paradigm• archive is taking an active role in preservation

of records in their original context i.e. within the producers' information / document / record / enterprise content management systems


Introduction ...

Discourse of the postcustodial paradigm• deliberation on the supervising role of

archives• re-definition of archival unit and provenance• long-term responsibility for the archival

materials• digital archives, record management systems,

metadata


The problem

• fast and constant ICT development– speed of data processing– network throughput– ways of connecting– services

• impact on MLA institutions, information-documentation centers, firms...

• e-materials/heritage – how to preserve for the long-term


The problem ...

• fast degradation of:– medium– format– access– view– search– usage– trustworthiness / authenticity


The problem ...

• Every form of information object requires specific approach to the process of preservation!

• Information object– physical, logical and conceptual level– characteristics and interrelations– important for preservation

• permit the possibility of records in the different form (?) intended usage


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The problem ...

• each realisation functions well – depending on the intended usage– reading (page) (.doc, .pdf, .jpg)– printing (.doc, .pdf, .jpg)– copying parts of text (.doc, .pdf)– text editing (.doc)


The problem ...

• the impact of time– physical changes on media– media generations– file versions– intellectual – understanding a document from the

context – importance of authenticity


The record

• today– record is neither only document nor only object– it is independent of the medium it is carried on– it is not physically recorded in a logical order in

any computer system


The record ...

• Luciana Duranti (Head of the InterPARES projects):– Record is any document created (created or

received and maintained) by a physical or juridical person in the course of a business transaction or as its result.

Duranti, Luciana, The Concept of Electronic Record, in: Duranti, Luciana, Eastwood, Terry i MacNeil, Heather, Preservation of Integrity of Electronic Records, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 2002


The record ...• ISO 15489-1 – Information and documentation – Records

management, 2001, <http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=3190>, 10 April 2013 – “the record should contain, or be persistently

linked to, or associated with, the metadata necessary to document a transaction, as follows: • the structure of a record, that is, its format and the

relationships between the elements comprising the record, should remain intact

• the business context in which the record was created, received and used should be apparent in the recordPh. D. Hrvoje Stančić, The Postcustodial Paradigm and Trends in Digital Preservation

http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=31908

http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=31908

The record ...• the links between documents, held separately but

combining to make up a record, should be present”

• structured record + metadata electronic records management system assume characteristics– authenticity– reliability– integrity– usability


The record ...

ISO 15489-1 – Information and documentation – Records management, 2001, 7.2.2.

“An authentic record is one that can be proven:a. to be what it purports to be,b. to have been created or sent by the person

purported to have created or sent it, andc. to have been created or sent at the time

purported.” Ph. D. Hrvoje Stančić, The Postcustodial Paradigm and Trends in Digital Preservation

The record ...

“A reliable record is one whose contents can be trusted as a full and accurate representation of the transactions, activities or facts to which they attest and can be depended upon in the course of subsequent transactions or activities.”


The record ...

“The integrity of a record refers to its being complete and unaltered. It is necessary that a record be protected against unauthorized alteration [...] and specify what additions or annotations may be made to a record after it is created, under what circumstances additions or annotations may be authorized, and who is authorized to make them. Any authorized annotation, addition or deletion to a record should be explicitly indicated and traceable.”


The record ...

“A useable record is one that can be located, retrieved, presented and interpreted. It should be capable of subsequent presentation as directly connected to the business activity or transaction that produced it. The contextual linkages of records should carry the information needed for an understanding of the transactions that created and used them. [...] The links between records that document a sequence of activities should be maintained.”


The record ...• analogue record electronic record• original order

– analogue records – physical category– e-records – logical category, consumed at the

conceptual level of record• record

– has its own categories (documentary form, annotations, context)

– structure + metadata = wholeness– characteristics (authenticity, reliability, integrity,

usability)Ph. D. Hrvoje Stančić, The Postcustodial Paradigm and Trends in Digital Preservation

Structure of e-record

Record categoriesA – documentary formB – annotationsC – context

Record characteristics1 – fixed documentary form2 – stable content3 – archival connection with other records4 – recognizable context

Metadata (conditions)i – unchanged structureii – context recognizable and visibleiii – links between records present

A, B, C

1, 2, 3, 4

usability

reliability

integrity

authenticity

records management system

activity

proof

result

analysis

search

i, ii, iii

Digital preservation

• What kind of records do we need to preserve?

• How much functionality do we need to preserve?

• Is it important to preserve records' interconnections?

• OAIS RM (ISO 14721 standard)– Open Archival Information System Reference

Model Ph. D. Hrvoje Stančić, The Postcustodial Paradigm and Trends in Digital Preservation

Digital preservation ...

OAIS Structure:I. Information model

• information object• information package

II. Transformation model• ingest• storage• access

III. Functional model



OAIS functional model


Digital preservation ...general

specific

Applicability

preservetechnology

Objective preserveobjects

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11 12

13Thibodeau, Kenneth, Overview of Technological Approaches to Digital Preservation and Challenges in Coming Years, in: The State of Digital Preservation: An International Perspective, Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), Washington, D.C., SAD, July 2002, pp. 4-31, <http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub107/pub107.pdf>

1. Maintain original technologyMethods for representation of preserved records in new environment2. Programmable chips3. Emulation4. Viewer5. Re-engineer softwareMethods for abstraction of properties and functions of preserved records6. Virtual machine7. Universal virtual computer (UVC)

Migration methods 8. Version migration 9. Format standardisation10. Rosetta stone translation11. Typed object conversion12. Object interchange format (XML) Generic properties description method13. Persistent archives

+ Data recovery method / data archaeology (retroactive)

http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub107/pub107.pdf






• characteristic of almost all preservation methods – usage of certain idea from another similar method or the whole method as a starting point to build upon

• common goal set by all methods – preservation of e-records in the original form or at least keeping their most important characteristics imply some kind of changes



• The key question:Can we trust MLA (or any other) institutions to be able to preserve digital materials just because they are established institutions in preservation of analogue materials?

• No! The paradigm is different! They have to re-establish themselves!– The need for certification!


Digital preservation ...• OAIS RM (ISO 14721)

– conceptual framework for internal repository organization• Trusted Digital Repository (TDR) model

– institutional organization and dedication to preservation• ISO 9000 group of standards

– components of institutional and system management• ISO 17799

– safety of data and information management systems• ISO 15489

– Information and documentation – Records management• etc.


Cloud computing

• Enters cloud computing• The cloud computing paradigm includes a

spectrum of many models• Classification of cloud infrastructures

differentiates (at least) between:– 3 service models (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS Software,

Platform, Infrastructure -as-a-Service)– 4 deployment models (Private, Community,

Public, Hybrid Cloud)


Cloud computing ...

• Tendency of transition to cloud services because of:– availability of data from any place with an internet

connection through mobile or tablet clients– usage of cloud applications and cloud storage

diminishes the need for hardware and software maintenance

– cloud applications licensing models


Cloud computing ...

• Where is long-term preservation of e-materials in all that?

• How can archival community remain a key actor in the area of digital preservation?

• Should it continue to influence content creators or refocus to service providers?


Preservation in the cloud ...

• Four scenarios when archiving in the cloud:1. Service providers are responsible for control of archived

content without much interference and additional control taken by creators and archival institutions

2. Creators invest much effort in additional control of unstandardized services

3. Services are standardized through best practices and creators recognize the importance of choosing providers consistent to these practices

4. Archival community is actively involved in the new concept of archiving and influence providers' practices


33

Stancic, Rajh, Milosevic, Archiving-as-a-Service, UNESCO Memory of the World in the Digital Age, Vancouver, September 26-28 2012

Archive(records)

Contentcreators

recordsCustody

ArchiveContentcreators(records)

monitoringsupervisionPostcustody

Archive Contentcreators

advisoryactionsPostcustody 2.0

Cloud services(AaaS)

Cloud services(records)

records internetconnection

Bestpractices

(influence)

Conclusion

• Are we witnessing an addition to the postcustodial paradigm or a more important change?

• Long-term preservation is in the process of being introduced as a cloud-based service

• Importance of preservation planning – should be recognized among users and providers as well


Conclusion ...

• Cloud service providers should cooperate more with the designated communities and experts in the field of archival science in order to be able to offer services tuned up to the specific archival needs and requirements, i.e. to offer preservation-aware services


Conclusion ...

• Archival community – should persuade various cloud recordkeeping

service providers to prevent content obsolescence by adding functionalities such as content analyses and preparation for migrations and/or emulations

– active involvement in production of best practice documents (and standards in time) for cloud implementations


Conclusion ...

• Keep an eye on the project activities and results of several projects:

– Records in the Cloudhttp://www.recordsinthecloud.org

– InterPARES Trust (2013-2018)


http://www.recordsinthecloud.org/

Assignment

• Possible essay topics fall in the domain of the long-term digital preservation.

• An essay should present a research in the mentioned area, have analytic approach, argument of the personal opinions and possibly present new findings.


The Postcustodial Paradigm and Trends in Digital PreservationPh. D. Hrvoje Stančić, associate professorDepartment of Information and Communication SciencesFaculty of Humanities and Social SciencesUniversity of [email protected]

the postcustodial paradigm and trends in digital preservation

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preservation of records