eCommons Community: The Third International Conference on the Preservation of Digital Objects

CADSL: China Archives of Digital Scientific Literature Initiatives

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:54:08 GMT

Title: CADSL: China Archives of Digital Scientific Literature Initiatives Authors: Zhang, Xiaolin Abstract: Dr. Zhang will present the China Archives of Digital Scientific Literature (CADSL) Initiative, proposed to the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, as the result of a feasibility study by the National Science and Technology Library of China. Based on a need and crisis analysis, a distributed network of trusted archives with sustainable planning and administration mechanisms is suggested to preserve digital scientific information resources, including foreign published literature, home-grown literature, and scientific web resources. Outlined in the proposed initiative is (1) a distributed and shared system of responsibility to archive the targeted resources, (2) a framework of guidelines for intellectual property protection of preserved materials, (3) an open and continuous certification process for trusted repositories, (4) a rigorous set of outlines of technological, workflow management, service level agreement requirements for prospective archives, and (5) a public and yet competitive funding mechanism to utilize multiple resources for the initiative. Ways to mobilize research and educational institutions into the initiatives and future efforts to promote and collaborate with scientific data preservation and cultural heritage preservation are discussed in the end. Dr. Zhang will present the China Archives of Digital Scientific Literature (CADSL) Initiative, proposed to the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, as the result of a feasibility study by the National Science and Technology Library of China. Based on a need and crisis analysis, a distributed network of trusted archives with sustainable planning and administration mechanisms is suggested to preserve digital scientific information resources, including foreign published literature, home-grown literature, and scientific web resources. Outlined in the proposed initiative is (1) a distributed and shared system of responsibility to archive the targeted resources, (2) a framework of guidelines for intellectual property protection of preserved materials, (3) an open and continuous certification process for trusted repositories, (4) a rigorous set of outlines of technological, workflow management, service level agreement requirements for prospective archives, and (5) a public and yet competitive funding mechanism to utilize multiple resources for the initiative. Ways to mobilize research and educational institutions into the initiatives and future efforts to promote and collaborate with scientific data preservation and cultural heritage preservation are discussed in the end.

A Dynamic Solution for Electronic Records: The National Archives and Records Administration's Electronic Records Archives

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:51:52 GMT

Title: A Dynamic Solution for Electronic Records: The National Archives and Records Administration's Electronic Records Archives Authors: Thibodeau, Kenneth Abstract: After a year long design competition, in September 2005 the National Archives and Records Administration awarded to Lockheed Martin Corporation a contract valued at $308 million to develop and operate the Electronic Records Archives (ERA) system. The system will enable a comprehensive transition of NARA?s governmentwide management of the records of the U.S. Government into the realm of e-government. It will automate records management processes, such as scheduling and appraisal, transfer of records to NARA, and destruction of temporary records. These functions will be applicable to records of all types, and support NARA?s different lines of business in the National Archives, Presidential Libraries, and Federal Records Centers. The system will also enable NARA to realize its vision of preserving and providing continuing access to any type of electronic record, free from dependence on the hardware and software originally used to create and store it, for as long as the records need to be retain, which includes for the life of the republic. The speaker will describe the architecture and processes for digital preservation and access in the ERA system.

Digital Preservation in the UK

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:49:53 GMT

Title: Digital Preservation in the UK Authors: Thomas, David Abstract: The UK scene -- David Thomas will focus on the Seamless Flow programme being undertaken at the National Archives of the UK. This is an ambitious plan to develop a fully comprehensive digital preservation service for the UK central government. It covers the selection of record for permanent preservation, their transfer to the National Archives and their storage, preservation and delivery to users. Crucially, the programme is doing work in two other spaces ? the intermediate storage of digital material which has a long-term business value to government (such as files relating to radioactive waste) and resource discovery. Many of the hard lessons learned on this challenging programme have a wider application and he will be sharing these with you.

Web Archive Switzerland

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:48:08 GMT

Title: Web Archive Switzerland Authors: Signori, Barbara Abstract: Web Archive Switzerland is a pilot project undertaken in collaboration with the Swiss Cantonal libraries as part of the e-Helvetica Project at the Swiss National Library (SNL). The mission of the SNL and the Swiss Cantonal libraries is to collect and archive all Swiss publications, both printed and electronic. The objective of the e-Helvetica Project is to fulfill this mission for electronic publications. The Web Archive Switzerland pilot project recently designed and tested a shared workflow for selecting, collecting, cataloguing, archiving and disseminating non-commercial Swiss web resources. Within the workflow the Cantonal libraries are responsible for the identification, selection and announcement of data on the Web. The SNL is responsible for the web-harvesting (objects and rights), cataloguing, archiving and dissemination of those identified web resources. The aim of this co-operation is to share resources and knowledge. This presentation will give some historical context to Web Archive Switzerland and discuss the collaboration with the Cantonal libraries and the shared workflow. The approach chosen for selecting, cataloguing and harvesting the web resources will be highlighted as well as our experiences to date. The presentation will conclude with some ideas on how we are planning to disseminate the web resources. For further information on the e-Helvetica Project (in German and French), see: .

Virtualisation of Simple Scientific Data Objects

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:46:04 GMT

Title: Virtualisation of Simple Scientific Data Objects Authors: Rankin, Stephen; Giaretta, David; Crothers, Steve; McIlwrath, Brian; Dunckley, Matt Abstract: Virtualisation of Simple Scientific Data Objects.Capturing OAIS defined representation information in a standardised way is critical for the preservation and future reuse of scientific data. The structure of a scientific data object needs to be defined so that a future user can map the data bits to the actual scientific data. The semantics associated with the scientific data also needs to be defined so that the data can be understood and used by a user from the appropriate designated community. This presentation will show how simple scientific digital objects (tables, images etc.) can be described and "virtualised" by using representation information in the form of EAST file format descriptions (structure) and the corresponding DEDSL data dictionaries (semantics). It will also be shown that in some real life cases the EAST and DEDSL standards need to be extended so that they can fully describe the simple objects. Tools and APIs will be demonstrated that take the structure and semantic definitions for a simple scientific digital object and automatically read the data it contains and render it in the appropriate way.

Towards a Preservation Content Model for Numeric Data Collections: PREMIS and FEDORA

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:43:35 GMT

Title: Towards a Preservation Content Model for Numeric Data Collections: PREMIS and FEDORA Authors: Gewirtz, David; Gano, Gretchen Abstract: A Preservation Model for Social Science Numeric Data Collections: PREMIS and FEDORA. This session will outline the workflow associated with migrating social science data collections into FEDORA, focusing on the implementation of PREMIS metadata as a component of the submission information package (SIP). Presenters will identify how the PREMIS data model serves to specialize the packaging of the SIP so that access aids can exploit the information package when it is transformed into an archival information package (AIP). Presenters will outline an example expression of PREMIS for social science datasets and will demonstrate how this metadata may be stored in a FEDORA repository. Data management issues including normalization will also be explored. Examples from the ongoing project to migrate the Yale Social Science Data Archive from a postgreSQL database into FEDORA will be provided.

Preservation Metadata: Adapting or Adopting PREMIS for APSR

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:41:44 GMT

Title: Preservation Metadata: Adapting or Adopting PREMIS for APSR Authors: Lee, Bronwyn; Clifton, Gerard; Langley, Somaya Abstract: Preservation metadata requirements for repositories: a project of the Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories (APSR) -- APSR aims to establish a centre of excellence in sustainable digital resource management and partner universities are developing demonstrator repositories built on sustainability principles. This paper presents the work of a project commissioned by APSR to specify requirements for the collection of metadata needed for long term continuity of access to digital collections. The project was called PRESTA (PREMIS Requirements Statement) but it took a broader view than PREMIS alone. The MetaArchive of Southern Digital Culture will discuss the first two years of deliverables (2004-2006) for their three year partnership for establishing a collaborative digital preservation network for southern cultural heritage materials.

Preserving Things that Count: Exploring partnerships among domain specific repositories, institutional repositories, and social science researchers

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:39:25 GMT

Title: Preserving Things that Count: Exploring partnerships among domain specific repositories, institutional repositories, and social science researchers Authors: Green, Ann; Gutmann, Myron Abstract: In developing and debating digital repositories, the digital library world has devoted more attention to their missions and roles in supporting access to and stewardship of academic research output than to discussing discipline, or domain, specific digital repositories. This is especially interesting, given that in social science these domain-specific repositories have been in existence for many decades. The goal of this presentation is to juxtapose these two kinds of repositories and to suggest ways that they can help build partnerships between themselves and with the research community. It is based on the fundamental idea that all the parties involved share important goals, and that by working together these goals can be advanced successfully. We will begin by characterizing the life cycle of social science research, before turning to key elements of the two different kinds of repositories, and then to our recommendation that researchers and the two different kinds of repositories can forge partnerships. The key message is that by visualizing the role of repositories explicitly in the life cycle of the social science research enterprise, the ways that the partnerships work will be clear. These workings can be seen as a sequence of reciprocal information flows between parties to the process, triggers that signal that one party or another has a task to perform, and hand-offs of information from one party to another that take place at crucial moments. This approach envisions both cooperation and specialization. The researcher produces the scientific product, both data and publications; the institutional repository has specialized knowledge of campus conditions and the opportunity to interact frequently with the researcher; and the domain-specific repository has specialized knowledge of approaches to data in a specific scientific field, for example domain-specific metadata standards, as well as the ability to give high-impact exposure to research products.

Digital Data Preservation and Curation: A Collaboration Among Libraries, Publishers, and the Virtual Observatory

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:35:59 GMT

Title: Digital Data Preservation and Curation: A Collaboration Among Libraries, Publishers, and the Virtual Observatory Authors: Hanisch, Robert; Steffen, Julie; Choudhury, Sayeed; DiLauro, Tim; Szalay, Alex; Vishniac, Ethan; Milkey, Robert; Plante, Ray Abstract: Digital Data Preservation and Curation: A Collaboration Among Libraries, Publishers, and the Virtual Observatory. Astronomers are producing and analyzing data at ever more prodigious rates. NASA's Great Observatories, ground-based national observatories, and major survey projects have archive and data distribution systems in place to manage their standard data products, and these are now interlinked through the protocols and metadata standards agreed upon in the Virtual Observatory. However, the digital data associated with peer-reviewed publications is only rarely archived. Most often, astronomers publish graphical representations of their data but not the data themselves. Other astronomers cannot readily inspect the data to either confirm the interpretation presented in a paper or extend the analysis. Highly processed data sets reside on departmental servers and the personal computers of astronomers, and may or may not be available a few years hence. We are investigating ways to preserve and curate the digital data associated with peer-reviewed journals in astronomy. The technology and standards of the VO provide one component of the necessary technology. A variety of underlying systems can be used to physically host a data repository, and indeed this repository need not be centralized. The repository, however, must be managed and data must be documented through high quality, curated metadata. Multiple access portals must be available: the original journal, the host data center, the Virtual Observatory, or any number of topically-oriented data services utilizing VO-standard access mechanisms.

nestor II: e-Science and Preservation--A Perfect Match?

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:31:20 GMT

Title: nestor II: e-Science and Preservation--A Perfect Match? Authors: Neuroth, Heike Abstract: e-Science and Preservation - A Perfect Match: The hard sciences have worked for many years towards global collaboration on an infrastructural and workflow level. The concepts and technologies eveloped in this venture are increasingly being adopted by other disciplines including the social sciences or the arts and humanities. In Europe these disciplines aim to establish an integrated e-Science landscape to benefit from the existing resources and experiences attained by the "hard sciences". Current humanities projects under the e-Science umbrella are on a promising route. The preservation community could benefit greatly from the e-science community in the strive for - amongst other - sharing storage resources while maintaining local autonomy; interoperability and resource integration on a semantic level; adaptability for long-term stability; sharing services and synchronising workflows. As part of its mission as a national coalition for digital preservation, Nestor II aims to network the e-Science and preservation communities and further the transfer of concepts and tools between them.