Presentation delivered by Ricc Ferrante, Smithsonian Institution Archives' Information Technology Archivist & Electronic Records Program Director, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 22, 2010 in Washington, DC. The basic principles of digital archives and preservation applicable to both personal collections and organizational ones.

1. Put Away…And Not ForgottenRiccardo Ferrante Smithsonian Institution ArchivesSmithsonian Institution Archives FairOctober, 2010

3. SI Archives is ….The institutional memory of a unique American cultural resource and a steward of the national collections. SIA was established to ensure institutional accountability and enhance public appreciation of a great national treasure and the activities of the people associated with it. [Neg.# 7004/b44f10/85-11427_0] [Neg.# SIA2009-0709]Paleontologist Secretary Charles D. Walcott Ornithologist Roxie Collie S. LaybourneServes scholars, the Smithsonian community, and the general public, offering a range of reference, research, and records services.

4. Our experience with born-digital and digitized material 1982 – Received digital records

5. 2001 – Preservation of digital records began

6. 2003 – websites, preservation tools and techniques

7. 2008 – email, preservation tools and techniques

8. Worked to establish standards and best practices

9. Digital archives includes over 30 Terabytes

10. Documents

11. Photographs and images

12. Video and Audio

13. Databases

14. Websites

15. Email

16. Computer-aided designs

17. ...“Horror” StoriesAdhesive label removed recording layer from 10 year old CDEquipment + Software

18. ObsolescenceA digital object becomes obsolete when it can no longer be maintained and rendered in an authentic and reliable manner, with integrity and completeness. Risk factorsPhysical storage mediaIndividual file formatsApplications, operating systems, hardware technologyNecessary skill sets for continued access Financial sustainabilityToo many varieties, precluding the ability to procure and sustain preservation environmentsDigital Fragility

19. OrganizeReduce or eliminate risk factorsPreserveUseEffective Preservation Strategies

20. Effective Preservation Strategies OrganizeWhat you have, where it’s stored, and how to get to itDraw boundaries around your collections

21. Give the items meaningful names usinga consistent naming conventionEffective Preservation Strategies Organize Reduce or eliminate risk factors

22. Virus scans and format verification

23. Backups

24. Long-lived file format types

25. Reliable storage media

26. Documentation

27. MonitorInventoryInspection

28. InterventionEffective Preservation Strategies Organize Reduce or eliminate risk factorsPreserveSelect long-lived file formatsStandards-based, non-proprietaryAccessible by multiple software programs, operating systemsSuitable for the object typeExamples Photos: TIFF - 6,000 pixels across, 24-bit RGB, uncompressedDocuments: PDF Video: Motion JPEG and MPEG-2 4:2:2

29. OrganizeReduce or eliminate risk factorsPreserveReliable storage mediaPaper?Optical disksInternal or external hard drivesFlash drivesOr a combination?DocumentationKeep records of what you have done with which objectsEssential for remembering what it is and choosing the next preservation stepEffective Preservation Strategies

30. OrganizeReduce or eliminate risk factorsPreserveUseCopies – not mastersOther file formats acceptableEffective Preservation Strategies

31. Personal CollectionsOrganizeReduce or eliminate risk factorsPreserveUseOrganizational ArchivesEffective Preservation Strategies

32. SIA’s Recent Activities ~ 20% of annual accessions include digital records

33. Some accessions contain only digital records

34. Digitization

35. Recent donation of Hussey photographs to NMAHOnline Catalog and Finding Aids to our Collectionshttp://www.siarchives.si.edu/research/main_collectionaid.htmlThe WebMain website - http://siarchives.si.eduPhotography Initiative – http://photography.si.eduImages Gallery – http://smithsonianimages.si.eduAnd social media including Flickr, YouTube, and FacebookBlog – The BIGGER PICTURE – http://blog.photography.si.eduFlickr –http://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/YouTube –http://www.youtube.com/user/SIArchivesFacebook– http://www.facebook.com/SmithsonianInstitutionArchivesReference OSIARef@si.edu– Photographic Services – Photos@si.eduSmithsonian Institution Archives Ricc Ferrante - Director, Digital Services and IT Archivist202-633-5906 - FerranteR@si.eduContact Us