Digital Archiving: format conversion and archiving [links]

One of the fundamental assumptions behind DPAC is that the memory gap society faces as a result of technology change is enormous and widespread, and generally not being tackled well enough.

We need to begin assessing the issue properly and collecting information to use to assert our case in funding apps and promotions. Here are some links I'm currently finding on the 'net that will be useful in building our case and planning the archiving process.

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A History of digital storage: Maximum PC
A semi-decent but nicely illustrative survey of computer storage media, starting with punch cards. Some minor gaps, including bernoulli disks (those were awesome!) and jaz drives (those sucked!).

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The KEEP initiative
Europa is funding a project called Keeping Emulation Environments Portable that aims to make "an Emulation Access Platform to enable accurate rendering of both static and dynamic digital objects: text, sound, and image files; multimedia documents, websites, databases, videogames etc. The overall aim of the project is to facilitate universal access to our cultural heritage by developing flexible tools for accessing and storing a wide range of digital objects.

The project is costing 4 million euros and will take 3 years. Sounds highly applicable to us, but we'll see. At least it demonstrates commitment to the problem.

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Is the Future in Bits?
A BBC article on how archivists are dealing with digital archiving, especially current products that are inherently more ephemeral. A bit shallow but interesting.

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Collaborative Digitizing: Library & Archives of Canada
LAC has published a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) in collaborating on digitizing its archives. This is interesting but not immediately applicable to us: 
This RFEOI seeks to establish collaborations with entities in the profit or the not-for profit sectors with extensive experience and expertise in handling, working with, and digitization of archival and published documents, and who are willing to bring their experience, expertise and infrastructure to the collaboration at no cost to the Government of Canada.

We have neither extensive experience as an entity (perhaps as individuals, but even so) nor the ability to donate. Still, it bears watching to see how it pans out, and it shows how much (and how little) they're dedicated. We should follow up with personal inquiries to get advice from the project coordinators.

A related link is the government's Information Management Portal.

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Rules for Archival Description
The Canadian Council of Archives has a Committee on Archival Description that has published a set of rules.  (Francis take note! We should examine fairly carefully at some point.) These are extensive PDF documents and lots of reading.

While their focus is on things like municipal archives, I think not only are their rules relevant to us but the whole site (& the organization itself) can be a useful resource; for instance, the Archive Awareness Toolkit.

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Digital Preservation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_preservation
Wikipedia has an excellent and evolving article on Digital Preservation. It's a passionate community.

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That's a start. Please comment if you can and I will edit this blog entry to reflect new info. Remember that comments are only viewable to those who are logged in.