LIS 2674: Digital Preservation
Spring 2006
Wednesdays 3:00 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.
SIS 403
Instructor: Karen F. Gracy
Office: SIS 620
Phone: (412) 624-7679
E-mail: kgracy@pitt.edu
Office Hours: Mondays, 1:30-4 p.m. and by appointment
Purpose | Course Policies | Assignments | Required Texts
Accommodations | Schedule for the Course
Readings : Jan. 4 | Jan. 11 | Jan. 18 | Jan. 25 | Feb. 1 | Feb. 8 | Feb. 15 | Feb. 22
Mar. 1 | Mar. 8 | Mar. 15 | Mar. 22 | Mar. 29 | Apr. 5 | Apr. 12 | Apr. 19 | Apr. 26
Assignments | Supplementary Readings
We will be learning about sustaining text, images, data, sound, and other
genres of information using digital technologies for preservation
and access. The course will cover digitization of analog materials
as part of a preservation program, as well as methods for preserving
"born-digital" materials. Particular topics to be explored in
depth include: selection for preservation, copyright issues,
digital longevity, formats and strategies for preservation, metadata
to support digital preservation, maintaining the integrity and authenticity
of digital materials, management of digitization and digitial preservation
programs, risk management, and disaster recovery.
Please carefully proofread your assignments for accuracy in spelling and grammatical construction—such errors do play a part in your grade, particularly if they affect the instructor’s ability to understand the content or import of your writing.
Failure to complete any of the three written assignments will result in a failing grade in the course.
Also, please familiarize yourself with the School of Information Science’s
Guidelines on Academic Integrity, found at: http://www2.sis.pitt.edu/~wadmin/academics/information/sisacint.html.
It is the student’s responsibility to carefully document his or her
work using the appropriate style of citation. Be aware that
plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a failing grade
in this course.
Ross Harvey, Preserving Digital Materials (K.G. Saur, 2005). Order directly from Gale/Thomson (1-800-877-4253, http://www.galegroup.com/, ISBN is 3-598-11686-1). Abbreviated as PDM throughout syllabus.All other required and supplementary readings will be found on electronic reserve or online.
Maxine K. Sitts, ed., Handbook for Digital Projects: A Management Tool for Preservation and Access, 1st ed. (Andover, MA: Northeast Document Conservation Center, 2000). Abbreviated as HDP throughout syllabus. Available online at: http://www.nedcc.org/digital/dman.pdfAnne R. Kenney and Oya Y. Rieger, Moving Theory into Practice: Digital Imaging for Libraries and Archives (Mountain View, CA: Research Libraries Group, 2000). Abbreviated as MTP throughout syllabus. On reserve. Z 681.3 D53M68 2000
Students with disabilities who require special testing accommodations or other classroom modifications should notify the instructor and the office of Disability Resources & Services (DRS) no later than the 3rd week of the term. Students may be asked to provide documentation of their disability to determine the appropriateness of the request. DRS is located in 216 William Pitt Union and can be contacted at 412-648-7890 (voice), 412-624-3346 (fax), and (412) 383-7355 (TTY).
Students who must miss an exam or class due to religious observance must
notify the instructor ahead of time and make alternative arrangements.
| Week | Date | Topic/Activity |
| 1 | Jan. 4 | Introduction to the course, including
review of syllabus and assignments Film: Into the Future: On the Preservation of Knowledge in the Electronic Age |
| 2 | Jan. 11 | Unit 1:
Overview of the Problems Associated with Digital Longevity ~Physical Properties of Digital Media (including drives needed to play media) ~Compatibility of Obsolete and Current Hardware and Software Formats ~Keeping the Pieces of Complex Digital Objects Together |
| 3 | Jan. 18 | Unit 1
(cont.): Overview of the Problems Associated with Digital Longevity ~Cracking the Code to Digital Encryption and Compression Schemes: Who Keeps the Key? ~Who's Responsible for Preserving Digital Material? ~Document Stability and Authenticity |
| 4 | Jan. 25 | Unit 2:
Building Digital Libraries for the Long-Term ~Why Digitize? A Rationale for Digitization as a Tool for Preservation and Access ~Digitization vs. Other Reformatting Options: Picking the Right Tool for Preservation |
| 5 | Feb. 1 | Short Paper
on Digital Longevity Issues Due Unit 2: Building Digital Libraries for the Long-Term ~Reformatting for Access with Preservation in Mind —Digital Imaging of Text and Photographic Images —Digitizing Temporal Media (Sound, Film, and Video) —Digitizing Graphic Materials |
| 6 | Feb. 8 | Unit 2
(cont.): Building Digital Libraries for the Long-Term ~Appraisal Decisions: Selecting Material for Digitization —Informational Value vs. Artificatual Value vs. Evidential Value —Costs of Digitization —Copyright Status |
| 7 | Feb. 15 | Unit 2
(cont.): Building Digital Libraries for the Long-Term ~Documenting Decisions through the Use of Preservation Metadata —Open Archival Information System (OAIS) —CEDARS —OCLC/RLG —Metadata Encoding Transmission System (METS) —MPEG-7, MPEG-21 |
| 8 | Feb. 22 | Unit 2
(cont.): Building Digital Libraries for the Long-Term ~Project Management ~Quality Control |
| 9 |
Mar. 1 | Unit 2
(cont.): Building Digital Libraries for the Long-Term ~Case Studies in the Management of Digitization Projects ~Sustaining Digital Initiatives for the Long-Term |
| Mar. 8 | No class (Spring
Break) |
|
| 10 | Mar. 15 | Topic for Case Study Due Unit 3: Maintaining Digital Resources Over Time ~Strategies for Digital Preservation —Refreshing —Migration —Encapsulation —Emulation —Digital Archaeology |
| 11 | Mar. 22 | Unit 3
(cont.): Maintaining Digital Resources Over Time ~Authenticity of Digital Objects and Records ~Risk Management ~Trusted Digital Repositories |
| 12 | Mar. 29 |
Unit 3
(cont.): Maintaining Digital Resources Over Time ~Research on the Management of Digital Preservation and Electronic Records Projects —InterPARES (International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems) —NDIIPP (National Digital Information Infrastructure Preservation Project) —Knowledge-Based Persistant Archives (San Diego Supercomputer Center) ~Case Studies in Digital Preservation —Data File Preservation at Yale —Electronic Scholarly Journals —Digital Asset Management at WGBH |
| 13 | Apr. 5 | Unit 3
(cont.): Maintaining Digital Resources Over Time ~External Factors Influencing Digital Preservation and Access —Legal —Economic —Sociocultural —Political —Technical Review for Examination (Take-Home Exam Distributed) |
| 14 | Apr. 12 | Reports
on Case Studies Case Study due (for groups presenting on this date) |
| 15 |
Apr. 19 | Reports
on Case Studies Case Study due (for groups presenting on this date) |
| Finals Week |
Apr. 26 |
Final Examination due in
instructor's box by 3:00 p.m. |
Introduction to the Course, Including Review of Syllabus and Assignments
Film: Into the Future: On the Preservation of Knowledge
in the Electronic Age
This week, please familiarize yourself with the following online resources:
CAMiLEON (Creative Archiving at Michigan and Leeds Emulating the Old on the New), http://www.si.umich.edu/CAMILEON/
Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), http://www.clir.orgD-Lib Magazine, http://www.dlib.org/
Digital Library Federation (DLF), http://www.diglib.org
Digital Preservation Coalition, http://www.dpconline.org
InterPARES (International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems), http://www.interpares.org/
National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation program, http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/ndiipp/
Katharina Klemperer and Stephen Chapman, “Digital Libraries: A Selected Resource Guide,” Information Technology and Libraries 16.3 (Sept. 1997). Available online at: http://www.lita.org/ital/1603_klemperer.htm
Preserving Access to Digital Information (PADI), http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/
Research Libraries Group, RLG DigiNews, http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/
Glossaries:Howard Besser and Jennifer Trant, Introduction to Imaging, Glossary, available online at: http://www.getty.edu/research/institute/standards/introimages/
The CEDARS Project, “Working Definitions of Commonly Used Terms (for the purposes of the Cedars Project),” available online at: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/cedars/documents/PSW01.htm
M. Stuart Lynn and the Technology Assessment Advisory Committee to the Commission on Preservation and Access, “Preservation and Access Technology: The Relationship Between Digital and Other Media Conversion Processes—A Structured Glossary of Technical Terms” (Aug. 1990). Available online at http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/lynn/glossary
Unit 1: Overview of the Problems Associated
with Digital Longevity
~Physical Properties of Digital Media (including drives needed to play
media)
~Compatibility of Obsolete and Current Hardware and Software Formats
~Cracking the Code to Digital Encryption and Compression Schemes: Who
Keeps the Key?
~Keeping the Pieces of Complex Digital Objects Together
Readings:
Ross Harvey, PDM, Ch. 1 ("What is Preservation in the Digital Age?
Changing Preservation Paradigms"), pp. 1-16, and Ch. 3 ("Why There's
a Problem: Digital Artifacts and Digital Objects"), pp. 35-52..
Howard Besser, "Digital Longevity" (HDP)
Clifford Lynch, “The Integrity of Digital Information: Mechanics and Definitional Issues,” JASIS (Dec. 1994): 737-44. On reserve.
Fred R. Byers, Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs: A Guide for
Librarians and Archivists (Washington, D.C.: Council on Library
and Information REsources, National Institute of Standards and Technology,
2003). Available online at: http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub121/pub121.pdf
John W.C. Van Bogart, Magnetic Tape Storage and Handling: A
Guide for Libraries and Archives (Commission on Preservation and
Access, 1995). http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub54/
Gregory
W. Lawrence, et al., Risk Management of Digital Information:
A File Format Investigation, (CLIR Report, June 2000). Available
online at: http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub93/pub93.pdf
Unit 1 (cont.): Overview of the Problems Associated
with Digital Longevity
~Who's Responsible for Preserving Digital Material?
~Document Stability and Authenticity
Readings:
Ross Harvey, PDM, Ch 2 ("Why Do We Preserve? Who Should Do
It?"), pp. 17-33.
James M. O'Toole, "On the Idea of Permanence," American Archivist
52 (1989): 10-25. On reserve.
David M. Levy, Scrolling Forward: Making Sense of Documents in the Digital Age, 1st ed. (New York: Arcade, 2001). Chapter 3, 8 (pp. 39-58, 137-157). On reserve. P 214 .L48 2001
William Mitchell, The Reconfigured Eye: Visual Truth in the Post-Photographic Era (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1992). pp. 1-85. On reserve. TA 1632 M55 1992
Unit 2: Building Digital Libraries for the
Long-Term
~Why Digitize?
A Rationale for Digitization as a Tool for Preservation and Access
~Digitization
vs. Other Reformatting Options: Picking the Right Tool for Preservation
Readings:
Paul Conway, “Overview: Rationale for Digitization and Preservation” (HDP)
Abby Smith, Why Digitize? (CLIR Report, Feb. 1999). Available
online at: http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub80-smith/pub80.html
Harmut Weber and Marianne Dörr, Digitization as a Means of Preservation?
European Commission on Preservation and Access (CLIR Report, October
1997). Available online at: http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/digpres/digpres.html.
Short Paper on Digital Longevity Issues Due
Unit 2: Building Digital Libraries for the
Long-Term
~Reformatting for Access with Preservation in Mind
—Digital
Imaging of Text and Photographic Images
—Digitizing
Temporal Media (Sound, Film, and Video)
—Digitizing
Graphic Materials
Readings:
Steven Puglia, "Technical Primer" (HDP)
Anne R. Kenney and Stephen Chapman, Digital Imaging for Libraries and Archives (Ithaca, NY: Dept. of Preservation and Conservation, Cornell University Library, 1996). Chapter 1. On reserve. Z 681.3 D53K36 1996
Stephen Chapman and Anne R. Kenney, "Digital Conversion of Research Library
Materials: A Case for Full Informational Capture," (CLIR Report,
Oct. 1996). Available online at: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/october96/cornell/10chapman.html.
Franziska Frey and James M. Reilly, Digital Imaging for Photographic Collections: Foundations for Technical Standards (Image Permanence Institute, 1999). Available online at: http://www.rit.edu/~661www1/sub_pages/digibook.pdf
Council on Library and Information Resources and Digital Library Foundation, Guides to Quality in Visual Resource Imaging (July 2000), available online at: http://www.rlg.org/visguides/
Carl Fleischhauer, "Audio and Video Preservation Reformatting: A
Library of Congress Perspective" (2003), http://www.archives.gov/preservation/conferences/papers_2003/fleischauer.html
Library of Congress Audio-Visual Prototyping Project, "Typical Elements for Use in a Statement of Work for the Digial Conversion of Sound Recordings and Related Documents" (1999), http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mopic/avprot/audioSOW.html
Unit 2 (cont.): Building Digital Libraries
for the Long-Term
~Appraisal Decisions: Selecting Material
for Digitization
—Informational Value vs. Artifactual Value
vs. Evidential Value
—Costs of Digitization
—Copyright Status
Readings:
Ross Harvey, PDM, Ch. 4 ("Selection for Preservation—The Critical
Decision"), pp. 53-74.
James O’Toole, “On the Idea of Uniqueness,” American Archivist
57 (Fall 1994): 632-58. On reserve.
Paula de Stefano, “Selection for Digital Conversion” (MTP)
Diane Voigt-O’Connor, “Selection of Materials for Scanning” (HDP)
Dan Hazen, Jeffrey Horrell, Jan Merrill-Oldham, Selecting Research Collections for Digitization (CLIR Report, Aug. 1998). Available online at http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/hazen/pub74.html
Melissa Smith Levine, “Overview of Legal Issues for Digitization” (HDP)
Steven Puglia, “The Costs of Digital Imaging Projects,” RLG DigiNews
3.5 (Oct. 15, 1999), available online at: http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/diginews3-5.htm
Unit 2 (cont.): Building Digital Libraries
for the Long-Term
~Documenting Decisions through the Use of Preservation
Metadata
—Open Archival Information System (OAIS)
—CEDARS
—OCLC/RLG
—Metadata Encoding Transmission System (METS)
—MPEG-7, MPEG-21
Readings:
Ross Harvey, PDM, Ch 5 ("What Attributes of Digital Materials Do
We Preserve?"), pp. 75-98.
Carl Lagoze and Sandra Payette, “Metadata: Principles, Practices, and Challenges,” (MTP)
Michael Day, "Resource Discovery, Interoperability, and Digital Preservation:
Some Aspects of Current Metadata Research and Development,"
VINE 117 (2000): 35-48. Available online at:
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/metadata/publications/vine-117/
OCLC/RLG Working Group on Preservation Metadata, "Preservation Metadata and the OAIS Information Model: A Metadata Framework to Support the Preservation of Digital Objects" (June 2002), available online at: http://www.oclc.org/research/pmwg/pm_framework.pdf
Ann Green, JoAnn Dionne, and Martin Dennis, Preserving the Whole:
A Two-Track Approach to Rescuing Social Science Data and Metadata (CLIR
Report, June 1999). Available online at:
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub83/contents.html
Brian Lavoie, "Meeting the Challenges of Digital Preservation: The
OAIS Reference Model," OCLC Newsletter (Jan./Feb. 2000):
26-30. Available online at: http://www2.oclc.org/oclc/pdf/news243.pdf
L. J. Smart, "OAIS, METS, MPEG-21 and Archival Values," The Moving
Image 2.1 (2002): 107-129. On reserve.
Same Searle and Dave Thompson, "Preservation Metadata: Pragmatic
First Steps at the National Library of New Zealand," D-Lib Magazine
(April 2003), http://www.dlib.org/dlib/april03/thompson/04thompson.html
Skim:
Metadata Resources, http://www.ifla.org/II/metadata.htm
Dublin Core, http://purl.oclc.org/metadata/dublin_core
Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS), http://www.w3.org/PICS/
Resource Description Framework (RDF), http://www.w3.org/RDF/Overview.html
Metadata Encoding & Transmission Standard (METS),
http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets
MPEG Home Page, http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/index.htm
Unit 2 (cont.): Building Digital Libraries
for the Long-Term
~Project Management
~Quality Control
Readings:
Stephen Chapman, “Considerations for Project Management” (HDP)
Janet Gertz. “Vendor Relations,” (HDP)
Stephen Chapman, “Developing Best Practices: Guidelines from Case Studies,” (HDP)
Oya Rieger, “Establishing a Quality Control Program,” (MTP)
"The Persistence of Vision: Images and Imaging at the William Blake
Archive," RLG DigiNews 4.1 (2000), http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/diginews4-1.html#feature1
March 1st: Unit
2 (cont.): Building Digital Libraries for the Long-Term
~Case
Studies in the Management of Digitization Projects
~Sustaining Digital Initiatives
for the Long-Term
Readings:
Anne Kenney, “Projects to Programs: Mainstreaming Digital Imaging
Initiatives,” (MTP)
Please explore the following project sites, including all documentation:
Making of America, http://moa.cit.cornell.edu/moa/index.html
Library of Congress Preservation Digital Reformatting Program, http://lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/prd/presdig/presintro.html
Historic Pittsburgh, http://digital.library.pitt.edu/pittsburgh/
March 8th: No Class (Spring Break)
Topic for Case Study Due
Unit 3: Maintaining Digital Resources Over
Time
~Strategies for Digital Preservation
—Refreshing
—Migration
—Encapsulation
—Emulation
—Digital Archaeology
Readings:
Ross Harvey, PDM, Ch. 6-8 ("Overview of Digital Preservation Strategies,"
"'Preserve Technology' Approaches: Tried and Tested Methods," and "'Preserve
Objects' Approaches: New Frontiers"), pp. 99-156.
David Bearman, “Reality and Chimeras in the Preservation of Electronic Records,” D-Lib Magazine (Apr. 1999). Available online at: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/april99/bearman/04bearman.html
Michèle V. Cloonan and Shelby Sanett, "Preservation Strategies for Electronic Records: Where We Are Now—Obliquity and Squint?," American Archivist 65.1 (2002): 70-106. On reserve.
Charles Dollar, Authentic Electronic Records: Strategies for Long-Term Access (Chicago: Cohasset Associates, 1999). Chapters 1-2 (pp. 11-89). On reserve. CD 974.4 D65 1999
Jeff Rothenberg, Avoiding Technological Quicksand: Finding
a Viable Technical Foundation for Digital Preservation (CLIR Report,
Jan. 1998). Available online at: http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/rothenberg/contents.html
Charles Dollar, Authentic Electronic Records: Strategies
for Long-Term Access (Chicago: Cohasset Associates, 1999).
Appendix 4 (pp. 207-213). On reserve. CD974.4
.D65 1999
William G. LeFurgy, "PDF/A: Developing a File Format for
Long-Term Preservation," RLG DigiNews 7.6 (2003), http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/diginews7-6.html#feature1
Margaret Hedstrom and Clifford Lampe, "Emulation Vs. Migration: Do
Users Care?" RLG DigiNews 5.6 (2001), http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/diginews5-6.html#feature1
Unit 3 (cont.): Maintaining Digital Resources
Over Time
~Authenticity of Digital Objects and Records
~Trusted Digital Repositories
~Risk Management
Readings:
Authenticity in a Digital Environment (CLIR Report, May 2000). Available online at: http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub92abst.html
G. Thomas Tanselle, “Reproductions and Scholarship,” Studies in Bibliography
42 (Sept. 1989): 25-54. On reserve.
Luciana Duranti, "Reliability and Authenticity:
The Concepts and Their Implications," Archivaria 39 (1995):
5-10. On reserve.
OCLC/RLG, "Trusted Digital Repositories: Attributes and Responsibilities," (RLG, 2002), available online at: http://www.rlg.org/longterm/repositories.pdf
Laura Price and Abby Smith, Managing Cultural Assets from a Business
Perspective, (CLIR report, Mar. 2000), available online
at: http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub90abst.html
Anne R. Kenney, et al., "Preservation Risk Management for Web Resources"
D-Lib Magazine (January 2002), http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january02/kenney/01kenney.html
Unit 3 (cont.): Maintaining Digital Resources
Over Time
~Recent Research on the Management of Digital
Preservation and Electronic Records Projects
—INTERPARES (International P Authentic
R
—Knowledge-Based Persistant Archives (San
Diego Supercomputer Center)
~Case Studies in Digital Preservation
—Data File Preservation
—Electronic Scholarly Journals and e-Prints
—Digital Asset Management
~Costs
Readings:
Ross Harvey, PDM, Ch 9, Appendix ("Digital Preservation Initiatives
and Collaborations," and "Case Studies"), pp. 157-180, 199-220.
InterPARES, "The Long-Term Preservation of Authentic Electronic Records:
Findings of the InterPARES Project," available online at: http://www.interpares.org/book/index.htm
Margaret Hedstrom and Sheon Montgomery, “Digital Preservation Needs and Requirements in RLG Member Institutions,” RLG DigiNews (Dec. 1998), http://www.rlg.org/preserv/digpres.html
Oya Rieger, "Developing a Digital Preservation Policy," (MTP)
Helen Shenton, "From Talking to Doing: Digital Preservation
at the British Library," paper presented at Preservation 2000: An
International Conference on the Preservation and Long-Term Accessibility
of Digital Materials (Dec. 2000), available online at: http://www.rlg.org/events/pres-2000/shenton.html
Ronald Jantz, "Public Opinion Polls and Digital Preservation: An
Application of the Fedora Digital Object Repository System," D-Lib Magazine
(November 2003), http://www.dlib.org/dlib/november03/jantz/11jantz.html
Stephen Pinfield and Hamish James, "The Digital Preservation of e-Prints,"
D-Lib Magazine (September 2003), http://www.dlib.org/september03/pinfield/09pinfield.html
Patsy Baudoin, "Uppity Bits: Coming to Terms with Archiving Dynamic Electronic Journals," The Serials Librarian, 43.4 (2003): 63-72. On reserve.
Shelby Sanett, "Cost to Preserve Authentic Electronic Records in Perpetuity:
Comparing Costs Across Cost Models and Cost Frameworks" RLG DigiNews,
7(4), August 2003. http://www.rlg.org/preserv/diginews/diginews7-4.html#feature2
Stephen Chapman, "Counting the Costs of Digital Preservation: Is Repository Storage Affordable?" Journal of Digital Information, 4(2), May 2003. http://jodi.ecs.soton.ac.uk/Articles/v04/i02/Chapman/chapman-final.pdf
Unit 3 (cont.): Maintaining Digital Resources
Over Time
~External Factors Influencing Digital Preservation
and Access
—Legal
—Economic
—Sociocultural
—Political
—Technical
Ross Harvey, PDM, Ch. 10 ("Challenges for the Future of Digital
Preservation"), pp.181-198.
Stewart Granger, "Digital Preservation and Deep Infrastructure," D-Lib
Magazine (February 2002), http://www.dlib.org/dlib/february02/granger/02granger.html
Lavoie, Brian F. "The Incentives to Preserve Digital Materials:
Roles, Scenarios, and Decision-Making," (OCLC, 2003), available online
at: http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/digipres/incentives-dp.pdf.
Preserving Our Digital Heritage: Plan for the National Digital Information
Infrastructure and Preservation Program" (2002), http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/repor/ndiipp_plan.pdf
Colin Webb, "Barriers or Stepping Stones? Impediments to Digital Archiving and Preservation Programs," CLIR Issues, Number 34, July/August 2003. http://www.clir.org/pubs/issues/issues34.html#webb
Reports on Case Studies
Case Study Due (for those presenting today)
Take-Home Exam Distributed
Reports on Case Studies
Case Study Due (for
those presenting today)
Examination Due (by 3:00 p.m. in instructor's
mailbox)