Archives for ever? The challenge of the digital age
Lesley Richmond, Archive Services, University of Glasgow
(First published in Dunaskin News, February 2004)
A major challenge faces archivists in Scotland today: digital records. Technical obsolescence of digital information occurs, on average, within 5 years. In comparison, information held on paper, in the correct environmental conditions, remains readable for centuries. Documents that record the actions and decisions made by individuals, institutions and communities are an important part of the cultural heritage of any nation. Access to records, information, ideas and works of the imagination, is fundamental to a thriving economy, democracy, culture and civilisation. Will digital archives survive to sustain the Scottish nation? Will the digital records created within Glasgow University today remain accessible and retrieval for the length of their legal and administrative life - in some cases for a period of 75 years. Will the digital records selected for permanent preservation because of their importance to the corporate memory and heritage of the University survive for future generations to use? The answer is that they must and that specialists in information (archivists) and information technology together will provide the means to do so.
One of the most important skills that archivists possess is that of selecting what is to be preserved; to estimate the worth of retaining the records and information generated by an institution such as the University of Glasgow. The paperless office still does not exist within the University, the vast amount of data and information that is created and received daily accumulating on both computer drives and paper files. Such records require to be appraised and decisions taken as to their retention and disposal that may be selection for permanent retention as a historical record, to become part of the University’s archives. A comprehensive information asset audit is about to take place across the University as part of the preparations for the implementation of a new Openness and Access Policy introduced in response to Freedom of Information legislation. By the end of the year all faculties, departments, centres services and administrative units, will have agreed retention and disposal lists, taking into account all compliance, corporate memory and cultural heritage requirements, for all the records that they create and maintain.
Only around two per cent of all records generated by the University of Glasgow require to be permanently preserved as archives. These archives will provide evidence of and reflect the functions and activities of the University and will become a research resource for the University itself, academic researchers and the public user. The University through its record creators, owners and curators are already involved in the selection process, and the other stakeholder users, academic and public, will also be consulted on the selection criteria and the appraisal process.
The challenge remains with digital records and archives. Digital records are expensive to maintain and even more expensive to preserve in a way that ensures the ability to retrieve authentic, reliable, accurate, trustworthy information in a timely fashion. In an attempt to reduce costs and make the task manageable it is important that appraisal begins at the conception of a record or as early in its life cycle as possible. Knowing how long any type of record is to be retained will make cost savings. Ensuring that a permanent retention element is added to the metadata of a digital record will help ensure its survival. The CDoCs Committee Document System, a service run jointly by a team of information and technology professionals within Information Services, is an example of an electronic records management system that aims to improve document creation practice by ensuring basic descriptive information (metadata) about the record is captured at the best opportunity - at the point of creation.
The Information Strategy working group on the Preservation and Disposal of Digital Content identified that the ability of Information Services to apply the proper mechanism to enable the back up of everyday digital content is rapidly diminishing as the quantity of material increases. It was recognised that the infrastructure requires to be improved in order to preserve the “bytes” and the University of Glasgow is moving to a position where it needs a repository available to all in which digital content can be reliably kept. The working group strongly recommended the establishment of a Trusted Digital Repository within the University, harnessing the established resources and skills in the University in the area of digital preservation and the synergies that exist between service needs and potential research outputs.
The challenge of the digital age will not be met overnight but Archive Services will continue to work hard with record creators and information technology specialists to ensure that the digital records selected for permanent preservation, as records of vital importance to the memory and heritage of the University and the nation, survive for the research needs of future generations.