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Digitization
and Archives
Table of Contents
Declaration of Principles
Concerning the Relationship of Digitization to Preservation of Archival
Records
Decision Tree for Digitization
Projects
Selective Bibliography
Case Studies
Preservation Committee
October 2002
Declaration of Principles
Concerning the Relationship of Digitization to Preservation of Archival
Records
Digitization is the
transformation of analog information (from whatever form and from whatever
support) to digital code.
The Preservation Committee of
the Canadian Council of Archives supports the following principles as a
guide to the development of digitization Programmes in archives.
1. Digitization encourages
preservation by limiting the handling of original records.
2. Digitization is, above all,
part of an access strategy.
3. The process of digitization
must not place original records at risk of damage from handling or use.
4. The establishment of a
digitization service must not violate the physical or intellectual rights
(property rights, copyright or privacy) of persons.
5. Digitization must strive to
preserve to the greatest extent possible the authenticity and integrity of
the original information. Digital enhancements may be performed on copies
to improve access, but an "authentic" unaltered version (the original
analog document or a digital version) must always be kept.
6. The institution must define
clear objectives (access, or a combination of access and preservation) before implementing a digitization program.
7. Records should be chosen for
digitization only after a careful selection process. They must meet
project objectives, not present legal constraints, be capable of being
digitized and match available resources.
8. The technological approach
to digitization must satisfy project objectives and must accommodate the
characteristics of the records.
9. Search tools are an
essential part of a digitization project and must meet the needs of users.
10. Since digital information is at risk of loss due to technological obsolescence (physical supports, logical formats, as well as software for searching and displaying the information), institutions embarking on a program for the long-term preservation of digital records must be aware of these dangers, the complexity of such a program, and the costs that are implied2.
11. Institutions must not
neglect other activities when allocating resources for the establishment
and maintenance of a digitization service.
12. The impact of a
digitization program on the institution's other public service
activities (research room use, orders for copies, etc.) must be considered
as a factor of informed decision-making.
13. Realizing the costs and
complexities inherent in the development of a digitization program,
institutions should try to share resources (financial, material, human) and collaborate with others, where possible.
Decision Tree for Digitization
Projects
This decision tree is meant to
assist archivists in identifying records for digitization projects by
reviewing fundamental issues:
. first, that project objectives are clear and lead to identifying
and obtaining the technology and resources necessary to achieve project
goals;
. secondly, that the long-term costs of a digitization capacity must
be maintained and supported by the institution and its parent
organization.
This document addresses the
steps in a digitization project at a macro level. To resolve technical
issues at a higher level of detail, the reader is provided with a list of
references for further reading. The reader will note that this document
describes the management of digitization by "project". The
characteristics of records, the objectives possible and the means to reach
them are so diverse that specific solutions are difficult to predict.
To update and expand on this
selective bibliography, the reader is advised to see the web site of the
National Library of Australia and consult the section called PADI -
Preserving Access to Digital Information, a "subject gateway to digital
preservation resources". Other bibliographies organized by subject, and
often with annotations, can be found on this site: National Library of
Australia. Preserving Access to Digital Information (PADI). Canberra:
National Library of Australia. http://www.nla.gov.au/padi
References to Internet
resources were verified as of 30 January 2002.
Archives nationales du Québec.
Guide d'imagerie numérique. Québec: Archives nationales du Québec.
1998. http://www.anq.gouv.qc.ca/pdf/GUIDEIMAG.pdf
Ayris, Paul. Guidance for
selecting materials for digitization. Mountain View, CA: Research
Libraries Group and National Preservation Office. 1998.
Besser, Howard. "Digital
Preservation of Moving Image Material? ". The Moving Image, Fall 2001.
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/~howard/Papers/amia-longevity.html
Canada. Department of Canadian
Heritage. "Standards and Guidelines for Digitization Projects for
Canadian Culture Online Program". Ottawa. 2001.
http://www.pch.gc.ca/ccop-pcce/pubs/ccop-pcceguide_e.pdf
Chapman, Stephen, Paul Conway,
and Anne R. Kenney. "Digital Imaging and Preservation Microfilm : The
Future of the Hybrid Approach for the Preservation of Brittle Books".
RLG DigiNews, vol. 3, n° 1. 1999.
Columbia University. Selection
Criteria for Digital Imaging Projects. New York: Columbia University
Libraries. 1998.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/libraries/digital/criteria.html
Dorr, Marianne, and Weber
Hartmut. Digitization as a Means for Preservation? Amsterdam: European
Commission on Preservation and Access. 1997.
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/digpres/digpres.html
Fleischauer, Carl. Digital
Formats for Content Reproductions. Washington: Library of Congress. 1998.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/formats.html
Gertz, Janet. "Is Digital
Conversion Really Part of Preservation ?". Abbey Newsletter, vol. 23, n°
2. 1999.
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/an23/an23-2/an23-204.html
Gubler, Martin, and Thomas Klöti.
1994. The colour microfilm as preliminary stage of digital maps.
Copenhagen: Ligue des bibliothèques européennes de recherche.
http://www.kb.nl/infolev/liber/articles/1kloeti.htm
Hendley, Tony. Comparison of
Methods & Costs of Digital Preservation. London: British Library
Research and Innovation Center. 1998.
Justrell, Börje. "The use of
colour microfilm for preservation". Janus, n° 2. 1997.
Kenney, Anne R. Guidelines vs.
Guidance for Digital Imaging: The Opportunity Before Us. Mountain View,
CA: Research Libraries Group et National Preservation Office. 1998.
http://www.thames.rlg.org/preserv/joint/kenney.html
Kenney, Anne R., and Oya Y.
Rieger. Moving Theory Into Practice. Digital Imaging for Libraries and
Archives. Mountain View, CA: Research Libraries Group. 2000.
Klijn, Edwin and Yola de
Lusenet. In the Picture : Preservation and Digitisation of European
Photographic Collections. Amsterdam: European Commission on Preservation
and Access. 2000. http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/publ/picture.pdf
Lawrence, Gregory W, et al.
Risk Management of Digital Information: A File Format Investigation.
Washington: Council on library and Information Resources. 2000.
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub93/pub93.pdf
MacTavish, Sue. "DoD-NARA
Scanned Images Standards Conference". RLG DigiNews, vol. 3, n° 2. 1999.
http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/diginews3-2.html
Menne-Haritz, Angelica and Nils
Brübach.The Intrinsic Value of Archive and Library Material. List of
criteria for imaging and textual conversion for preservation. Marburg:
Marburg Archive School. 1999.
http://www.uni-marburg.de/archivschule/intrinsengl.html
Murphy, William T. "The
Preservation of News and Documentary Film". in (ed.). The Administration
of Television Newsfilm and Videotape Collections: A Curatorial Manual.
Edited by Davidson, Steven, and Gregory Lukow. Los Angeles and Miami:
American Film Institute and Louis Wolfson II Media History Center. 1997.
National Library of Australia.
Preserving Access to Digital Information (PADI). Canberra: National
Library of Australia. http://www.nla.gov.au/padi
Paton, Christopher Ann.
"Preservation Re-Recordings of Audio Recordings in Archives: Problems,
Priorities, Technologies, and Recommendations". The American Archivist,
vol. 61, n° 1. 1998.
Puglia, Steven, and Barry
Roginski. NARA Guidelines for Digitizing Archival Materials for Electronic
Access. College Park: National Archives and Records Administration. 1998.
http://www.nara.gov/nara/vision/eap/digguide.pdf
Puglia, Steven. "The Costs of
Digital Imaging Projects". RLG DigiNews, vol. 3, n° 5. 1999.
http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/diginews3-5.html
Rothenberg, Jeff. Avoiding
Technological Quicksand: Finding a Viable Technical Foundation for Digital
Preservation. Washington: Council on Library and Information Resources.
1999. http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub77.html
Sitts, Maxine K, ed. Handbook
for Digital Projects: A Management Tool for Preservation and Access.
Andover: Northeast Document Conservation Center. 2000.
http://www.nedcc.org/digital/dighome.htm
Smith, Abby. Why Digitize? .
Washington: Council on Library and Information Resources, Commission on
Preservation and Access. 1999.
Society of American Archivists.
The Preservation of Digitized Reproductions. Chicago: The Society of
American Archivists. 1997.
http://www.archivists.org/statements/
The following references
provide, or direct the reader to, case studies and examples of
digitization projects:
References to Internet
resources were verified as of 30 January 2002.
. Kenney, Anne R. and Oya Y.
Rieger. Moving Theory Into Practice. Digital Imaging for Libraries and
Archives. Mountain View, CA: Research Libraries Group. 2000.
. National Library of
Australia. Preserving Access to Digital Information (PADI). Canberra:
National Library of Australia. http://www.nla.gov.au/padi
. Sitts, Maxine K., ed.
Handbook for Digital Projects: A Management Tool for Preservation and
Access. Andover: Northeast Document Conservation Center. 2000.
http://www.nedcc.org/digital/dighome.htm
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