Born-Digital Archives

This book explores the preservation of born-digital archives in the humanities, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between GLAM institutions and humanities researchers. It calls for intensified cross-sectoral cooperation to ensure the long-term accessibility and preservation of these valuable resources.

Format: Hardback
Length: 136 pages
Publication date: 13 October 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This text delves into the realm of born-digital archives and their preservation through the utilization of born-digital primary records in the humanities. The result of a collaborative effort between Gábor Palkó, Co-Director of the Centre for Digital Humanities at Eötvös University, and Thorsten Ries, a researcher specializing in born-digital dossiers génétiques and digital forensic methods at Ghent University, this book serves as a programmatic call to foster stronger cross-sectoral collaboration among galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM institutions) and humanities researchers engaged in digital preservation. Aimed at students, researchers, and professionals alike, this publication was previously featured in the International Journal of Digital Humanities, Volume 1, Issue 1, April 2019.

Born-digital archives encompass a wide range of digital materials that have been created, stored, and accessed in digital formats. These archives include a diverse array of objects such as photographs, videos, audio recordings, emails, social media posts, websites, and digital objects created using 3D modeling software. The preservation of born-digital archives is crucial as they hold significant cultural, historical, and scientific value.

One of the challenges faced by born-digital archives is the lack of standardized metadata and preservation policies. Without proper metadata, it can be difficult to locate, manage, and preserve these archives effectively. Additionally, the rapid pace of technological change means that new formats and technologies are emerging constantly, making it challenging to keep up with the preservation requirements of these archives.

To address these challenges, born-digital primary records have emerged as a key tool in the preservation of born-digital archives. Born-digital primary records are the original digital objects that are the source of the information in the archive. They include the metadata, structural information, and contextual information that is necessary to understand and preserve the archive.

Born-digital primary records can be preserved in a variety of ways, including digital preservation repositories, cloud storage, and long-term storage solutions. Digital preservation repositories provide a secure and long-term storage solution for born-digital primary records. These repositories are designed to store and manage digital objects in a way that ensures their preservation and accessibility over time.

Cloud storage is another popular option for preserving born-digital primary records. Cloud storage allows for the storage and retrieval of digital objects in a remote location, making it easier to access and manage these archives. However, it is important to ensure that cloud storage providers have robust security measures in place to protect the privacy and integrity of the digital objects.

Long-term storage solutions are also important for preserving born-digital archives. These solutions include physical storage such as hard drives, optical discs, and tape cartridges, as well as digital preservation formats such as PDF, JPEG, and TIFF. Physical storage solutions provide a durable and secure way to store digital objects, while digital preservation formats ensure that the digital objects can be accessed and interpreted over time.

In addition to preserving born-digital primary records, it is also important to address the issue of digital preservation metadata. Digital preservation metadata is the information that describes the characteristics and provenance of the digital objects in the archive. It includes information such as the creator, date of creation, title, subject, and rights information.

Digital preservation metadata is essential for ensuring the long-term accessibility and usability of the digital objects in the archive. It allows researchers and other users to understand the context and significance of the digital objects, and to make informed decisions about their use and preservation.

To create and manage digital preservation metadata, a variety of metadata standards and formats have been developed. These standards and formats include the Dublin Core Metadata Standard, the Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard, and the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) Standard 19115.

In conclusion, born-digital archives hold significant cultural, historical, and scientific value. The preservation of these archives is crucial to ensure their accessibility and usability over time. Born-digital primary records are a key tool in the preservation of born-digital archives, as they provide the original digital objects that are the source of the information in the archive. To preserve born-digital primary records effectively, it is important to use digital preservation repositories, cloud storage, and long-term storage solutions, as well as to address the issue of digital preservation metadata. By implementing these strategies, we can ensure that born-digital archives will be preserved for future generations to access and enjoy.

Weight: 389g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031199400
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022