Establishing sustainable workflows for transferring material from obsolete media or the cloud represent a core function of our work. We aim to create processes that are adaptable across the library, including areas such as the Computer Video Game Archive.
Links to workflows
Workflows for media such as floppy disks, external drives, and cloud storage are located on our GitHub site, including steps to create forensic images or file transfers. Here, you can also find some of our in-house scripts used to store preservation metadata, maintain the bit-level integrity of the material, and “bag” preservation packages according to the BagIt standard. The resulting packages constitute “Submission Information Packages,” ready for deposit in the library’s preservation systems.
A note on software
Most of the tools we use are open source and developed within both archivist and non-archivist communities. As support for existing software phases out and new tools emerge, we continuously research, test, and integrate new solutions, updating our workflows as needed.
Working with students
Our lab is a space for both teaching and production, and provides a place for students to gain experience in digital preservation practice. Our workflows are designed and maintained through research and testing conducted by graduate student employees and can accommodate production-level outputs, with graduate students and interns handling a substantial portion of the work.