What Are Digital Archives?
Digitized archives are organized groups of digitized materials that are maintained for access to these materials in the long term. Digitized materials may contain documents, photographs, music recordings, databases, etc., as well as other types of recorded information. A key difference between digitized archives and traditional archives (which typically rely on some form of physical storage) is that digitized archives require a systematic way to organize, index and retrieve their contents digitally.
While the primary function of a digitized archive is to house and preserve materials, there is also an important secondary function; this function includes maintaining those materials such that they continue to remain accessible and relevant in the future. To achieve this, planners must consider:
- Issues related to formats of files being archived (how will files be read/understood in the future?)
- Environmental conditions under which data will be stored (will the environment affect data integrity?)
- Methods to ensure data integrity
If any of these items are not adequately addressed, then the potential exists for the data in a digitized archive to deteriorate or to be otherwise inaccessible due to format obsolescence or data corruption.
Digitized archives are utilized across a broad spectrum of industries. Many libraries, museums, governments, corporations, etc. use digitized archives to record and maintain their history. Each type of organization utilizes digitized archives for essentially the same reason: to develop a means through which information can be identified and interpreted at any point in time.
What is the Role of Metadata in Organizing Data
Metadata is critical to organizing digitized archives. Metadata is descriptive information associated with a digitized item that describes what the item represents; where it originated; and how it should be applied/used. When no metadata exists relative to a digitized item, then the item has no contextual information available to aid in identifying or organizing that item.
Here are four of the common forms of metadata and their uses:
- Descriptive metadata: identifies descriptive characteristics of a file that assist users in understanding its content and relevance.
- Structural metadata: Documents structural relationships among components of a resource (particularly valuable when dealing with complex documents or collections).
- Administrative metadata: Provides administrative information regarding file management (permissions, preservation requirements, etc.)
- Technical metadata: Captures technical details regarding creation of a file and/or accessing/displaying it.
Managing and Preserving Data Over Time
Digital preservation is the continuous maintenance of the usability of your data so that you can continue to retrieve it from time to time. Since digital file types depend upon technology that could change at any moment or go out of date, preserving your digital data requires consideration of what will be needed today as well as tomorrow.
Organizations have developed many ways to digitally preserve their data. One method they have found useful for preservation is by backing up their data. Another method organizations use is called format migration. Format migration means changing the way data is formatted (how it is put together) into a new format that uses more advanced technology. Organizations also update their systems to ensure continued accessibility to their data. This process helps prevent loss due to changes made to technology.
Another important aspect of digital preservation includes monitoring the status of each of your digital assets. Over time, files may begin to degrade, get corrupted, or lose compatibility with newer systems. The sooner you identify these issues, the sooner you can act to correct them.
Documenting your process is also very important. Documenting how you store, manage, and update your digital data creates a reliable base for accessing your digital data for years to come.
The Benefits of Using Standards
Using standards makes it possible for the sharing of and understanding of digital information among different organizations and institutions using different platforms. If there were no standardization, there would likely be many different formats and/or terms used within different systems making it difficult to share data among organizations.
A benefit of establishing standards for the structure, description, and storage of information is that standards provide consistent guidelines for the management of large amounts of data. Establishing standards also has the following advantages:
- It ensures that files are in a standard format allowing users to open and utilize files regardless of whether they are using a particular brand's software.
- It allows users to use controlled vocabulary consistently reducing confusion and duplication.
- It also allows systems to communicate with each other via interoperability and enables organizations to exchange data electronically between departments and/or agencies.
- Documentation standards provide specific guidance for creating/maintaining digital records.
Improving Accessibility Through Structured Data
Structured data is organized into a standard and predictable format. The structured nature of the data makes it possible to organize and process it in a way that makes it easier for technology to find and deliver what you want, which ultimately enhances access to digital archives.
In addition to the organization of the data itself, the ability to search through structured data is a powerful tool. When data is properly formatted and categorized, it becomes much simpler to perform searches and retrieve information. In particular, this is very useful with large collections of documents. Because searching through large collections manually can be time consuming and nearly impossible, structured systems enable organizations to provide more robust search capabilities such as advanced filters and categorization options.
The Value of Clear Information Systems
Digital archives depend upon clarity for their success. Clarity of structure, consistency in standardization, and reliability of process are necessary components for effective design. Absent from any one or all of those aspects, well-organized, properly maintained data will still likely be unusable.
In addition to aiding the maintenance of systems, clarity aids decision making as organized and easily accessible data lends itself better to analysis and application. Organizations in which accurate data is crucial have a particular need for this type of system.
Finally, clear systems help eliminate duplications and inefficiencies. The structural nature of such systems prevents organizations from unnecessarily repeating tasks and allows them to use resources most efficiently.