We’re not there, yet! Fall 2006 MARAC Meeting, Morristown, NJ Mark Conrad Archives Specialist ERA Research Division

All statements, opinions, and conjectures are my own unless otherwise attributed. Caveat Emptor!

All statements, opinions, and conjectures are my own unless otherwise attributed.

Electronic Records NARA’s Challenges Scope The Entire Federal Government Variety Different Types of Records Complexity Records in Different Formats Volume Enormous Number of Records Obsolescence Constantly Changing Technology

Scope The Entire Federal Government

Variety Different Types of Records

Complexity Records in Different Formats

Volume Enormous Number of Records

Obsolescence Constantly Changing Technology

Anticipated Incoming Permanent Electronic Records Collections within the next 15 years 347 131 35.8 25.8 19.0 14.1 10.6 7.8 5.5 3.6 Projected Accumulated NARA Holdings in petabytes (1 PB = 1,024 TB) 2022 2018 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Year

How NARA Responded The ERA Vision ERA will be a comprehensive, systematic, and dynamic means of preserving and providing continuing access to any type of electronic record free from dependence on any specific hardware or software, created anywhere in the Federal Government.

We’re not there, yet! A great deal of progress in empirical research Astonishingly little practical experience within the archival profession as a whole A lot more theoretical research/writing

A great deal of progress in empirical research

Astonishingly little practical experience within the archival profession as a whole

A lot more theoretical research/writing

Empirical Research Areas of Progress Infrastructure-independent repositories Scalability Areas for Further Research Software and hardware-dependence

Areas of Progress

Infrastructure-independent repositories

Scalability

Areas for Further Research

Software and hardware-dependence

Practical Experience Why So Little Progress? It takes resources? It takes partnerships? Some Reasons for Hope NHPRC projects Leveraging other folks work

Why So Little Progress?

It takes resources?

It takes partnerships?

Some Reasons for Hope

NHPRC projects

Leveraging other folks work

Some of NARA’s Research Partners National Center for Supercomputing Applications NIST … and many others! National Science Foundation San Diego Supercomputer Center Army Research Laboratory

National Coordination Office for Networking Information Technology Research and Development (NCO/NITRD)

FY 2007 NITRD Supplement to the President's Budget See http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/2007supplement/

FY 2007 NITRD Supplement to the President's Budget: Some Highlights Human-Computer Interaction and Information Management Needs Include: Next-generation methods, tools, and technologies to make it possible to access, integrate, analyze, and efficiently manage massive stores of widely distributed, heterogeneous information (e.g., science and engineering research data, Federal records )

Human-Computer Interaction and Information Management Needs Include:

Next-generation methods, tools, and technologies to make it possible to access, integrate, analyze, and efficiently manage massive stores of widely distributed, heterogeneous information (e.g., science and engineering research data, Federal records )

FY 2007 NITRD Supplement to the President's Budget Some Highlights Human-Computer Interaction and Information Management Needs Include: Federal information management architecture testbeds: To evaluate issues in petascale collections of information governed by differing requirements (e.g., national security, personal privacy) Long-term preservation: Maintenance of and access to long-lived science and engineering data collections and Federal records

Human-Computer Interaction and Information Management Needs Include:

Federal information management architecture testbeds:

To evaluate issues in petascale collections of information governed by differing requirements (e.g., national security, personal privacy)

Long-term preservation:

Maintenance of and access to long-lived science and engineering data collections and Federal records

Some Possible Allies PDES, Inc. http://pdesinc.aticorp.org/ NASCIO https://www.nascio.org/ Open Grid Forum http://www.ogf.org/ Others! (look for phrases like data management)

PDES, Inc.

http://pdesinc.aticorp.org/

NASCIO

https://www.nascio.org/

Open Grid Forum

http://www.ogf.org/

Others!

(look for phrases like data management)

Theoretical Research/Writing How Do You Evaluate It? One Size Does Not Necessarily Fit All No Substitute for Dirty Hands!

How Do You Evaluate It?

One Size Does Not Necessarily Fit All

No Substitute for Dirty Hands!

Your Contacts in the ERA Program Management Office Mark Conrad [email_address] ERA Research Papers http://www.archives.gov/era/research/research-papers.html ERA Communications (301) 837-0740 [email_address] The ERA Website is http://www.archives.gov/era