Digital Archiving Review Taskforce

Scope

For the purposes of this charge a digital object is defined as anything that contains digital content such as text, images, video, or metadata. Digital objects that fall under this purview are items which the library has an on-going responsibility for preservation. They may be stored on a library or campus server and may be born digital at Dartmouth College Library or commercially produced and selected for acquisition by the Library. The digital objects must be accessible through the Digital Library at Dartmouth.

Charge

The Digital Archiving Review Taskforce (DART) is charged with assessing digital archiving needs for objects accessed through the Digital Library at Dartmouth and stored within the library and campus systems. The group will evaluate the survey results and recommend to DLMG steps to create a program for archiving digital objects.

To meet the charge the DART will:

Survey Current State

1. Perform an inventory of digital objects.
2. Identify the variety of storage and backup methods now in place for digital objects.
3. Review hardware, software, standards for creating and preserving digital objects, and backup schedules being employed to ensure permanent access to digital objects.

Participate in the Digital Objects Survey [Note: the survey is no longer available online.]

Key Deliverables

March 2004:

• Inventory of digital objects and their current storage and backup methods including any existing guidelines or standards being used to ensure permanence.
• Recommend methods for creating a program to ensure permanence for digital objects including suggested structure and membership. Recommendation should cover already created digital objects as well as provide clear guidelines for anyone creating digital objects for permanent retention.

Final Report pdf file

Membership

Membership should consist of representatives from Preservation Services, Digital Library Technologies Group, Content Group or Publishing Group, and College Archives.