Storing digital content is best done when it is a structured methodstructured and the digital preservation files are independent of any access file versions. You may need to first understand where the digital content is located and determine if there is already a structure in place. This may involve talking with others in your organization who work with the servers, external storage media, storage services (e.g. DropBox, Box, GDrive), and computers where digital content is kept. Metadata will also play a part in how the structure of the digital content should be packaged.
There may be a difference between how your digital content is structured and grouped and how the files are kept on a server. When talking with IT, share with them that there are digital preservation requirements for packaging the digital objects that are selected for digital preservation. They are well described in the OAIS Framework and illustrated here as components of an OAIS Information Package. Within the OAIS reference model is the concept of an AIC - Archival Information Collection. This is a way to group Information Packages of digital content into Collections. See Packaging Your Digital Content: Digital Records Collections for an example.
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An Archival Information Collection (AIC), is defined by the OAIS reference model as “an Archival Information Package whose Content Information is an aggregation of other Archival Information Packages.” (OAIS, 1-9) |
Are you storing your digital content for preservation together with digital content for access? Does this have an impact on your workflows for digital preservation Ingest?
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Is the digital content you are preserving in organized Folders?
Are the digital preservation files organized stored separately from access copies?
Is there a finite amount of digital content or will there be additions over time?
Is the requestiste metadata able to be joined with the digital content?
Examples:
Example 1 - Digital Records Collections
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