13. Archivist Values

Archival records exist to be used and not merely saved for their own sake. Archivists are not hoarders or packrats. Archival records ought to be organized properly and in a timely way so they can be used. Archivists should administer their collections equitably and impartially. (309, 310)

 

As discussed last month, the archivist works with the information producer using a standard Ingest process to create a defined Archival Information Package (AIP) for deposit to the archive. The AIP consists of the Content Information intended for archive plus associated Preservation Description Information (PDI).  In the table below, the CCSDS standard gives examples of types of PDI.

Content Information Type  

Reference

 

Provenance

 

Context

 

Fixity

 

Space

Science Data

• Object
identifier
• Journal
reference• Mission,
instrument, title, attribute set
• Instrument
description
• Processing history
• Sensor description
• Instrument
• Instrument mode
• Decommutation
map
• Software interface
specification
• Calibration
history
• Related data sets
• Mission
• Funding
history
• CRC
• Checksum
• Reed-Solomon
coding
 

Digital Library Collections

• Bibliographic
description
• Persistent
identifier
For scanned collections:
• metadata about the
digitisation process
• pointer to master
version
• Pointers to related
documents in
original
environment at
the time of
publication
• Digital
signature• Checksum• Authenticity
indicator
For born-digital
publications:
• pointer to the
digital original
Metadata about the
preservation
process:
• pointers to earlier versions of the
collection item
• change history
 

Software
Package

 

• Name
• Author / Originator
• Version number
• Serial number
• Revision history
• License holder
• Registration
• Copyright
• Help file
• User guide
• Related software
• Language
• Certificate
• Checksum
• Encryption
• CRC

The OAIS needs to explicitly decide what the exact definition of Content Information is in order to be able to ensure that it also has the PDI needed to preserve the Content Information. Once the Content Information has been determined, it is possible to assess the Preservation Description Information.

Anyone seriously looking to establish an electronic archive should closely read the CCSDS standard. The following link (http://public.ccsds.org/publications/archive/650x0b1.PDF ) will connect the reader to it.

 

Next Month: The Corporate Role for Electronic Records Quality

In reality the corporate executive responsible for a regulated work process is the individual ultimately responsible to authorities for the integrity of electronic records produced by that work process and the quality of software systems being used to produce and archive those regulated work process e-records. (311)