Be Prepared … and Flexible

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Kari R. Smith

As we are going into the field to collect digital files from people’s homes and offices I am learning what items I should bring with me in my Digital Archivist’s toolbox.  Based on our most recent activity, here’s what I’m putting into my travel toolbox:

  • USB drive and CD disk with basic software tools such as Karen’s Directory Printer and FTK Imager
  • Power strips (2) with 6′ cords
  • Sticky notes (to place on machines and media for temporary identification)
  • USB port with extra slots (esp. for external HDD that require two)
  • Digital camera (for taking images of the equipment, set up and other visual documentation)
  • External HDDs (more than one can help speed the over all transfer time for multiple machines)
  • 3.5 floppy drive (USB connection)
  • Extra cables for computer and monitor power (for older machines that might be decommissioned)
  • Ditto for mouse and keyboard with pin connectors
  • Apron (for basic protection from dust on the floor you are likely to be crawling around on!)
  • Work gloves for handling / carrying equipment and machines, especially out of closets and down staircases.
  • Also, a note to remember to not wear wool and to wear rubber soled shoes on the day of file transfer to reduce the amount of extra static charge that might build up.

This list will grow and adapt as we are involved in more field activities.  If you are engaged with digital archives file transfers in the field do you have a list to share?   [original post Dec. 03, 2012)

UPDATE:  February 3, 2013

Thank you to my colleagues who have suggested adding these items to the Kit:

  • Informational leaflet describing general procedures for acquisition and appraisal
  • USB to PS/2 adapter – So to only have to pack a USB mouse and keyboard
  • External USB Zip drive
  • Flash media reader – getting one that handles a lot of different media types really increases capabilities
  • Pencil & notebook
  • Business cards that can be left with the donor\creator as contact details
  • Copies of all possible forms that a donor creator may have to sign/complete, e.g. transfer agreements.
  • This might be a bit out there but a copy of a Knoppix CD/DVD to more safely probe  MS Windows machines. Assuming they have a CD/DVD
  • A disclaimer that the donor/creator can sign agreeing to you working with their computer. (This one sounds a little scary but I suspect it’s useful)
  • Additional USB ports — the powered variety, just helps to run multiple USB devices
  • Finally, promotional material about your library/archive. This will give the donor/creator a good impression of who you are and the material and users you have.  Never hurts to do a little promotion!
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FIDO Glossary of Terms

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Kari R. Smith

As I was looking for information via a Google search I had a happy instance of serendipity and one of the returned hits was to the FIDO project.  The document that I was specifically looking at is v1 of a Forensic – Archival Glossary that maps forensic tools, tasks, and processes to the most similar archival ones.  In addition to the mapping, the glossary notes what’s similar and what’s different in the usages of terms.  Looks to be a great resource for talking about digital forensic work with our colleagues.

If the FIDO project is new to you, the first line from their project About page notes, “The Forensic Investigation of Digital Objects (FIDO) project aims to investigate the application of digital forensics within the working practices of a UK HE archive.”  Located at Kings College London with funding from JISC.

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A Word About Digital Files and Acquisition Negotiations

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Kari R. Smith

As we begin to bring into the MIT Institute Archives and Special Collections born-digital material from personal archives, we are reviewing our guidance documentation for language that supports our custodial, administrative, and access needs as they relate specifically to digital files.  Some of the resources that we have been looking over for examples are:  the AIMS White Paper; the PARADIGM project; “Navigating Legal issues in Archives”, Menzi L. Behrnd-Klodt; and “Trust Me, I’m an Archivist: Experiences with Digital Donors,” Hilton, Christopher, Dave Thompson and Natalie Walters, Ariadne Issue 65.

Working with donors, both for personal and administrative collections, always involves negotiation and appraisal of the material.  What we have noticed first-hand has been reported by many other institutions.  That is, donors of digital content have more concern regarding rights and access to their digital files than to their paper files.  In some part, this may be because often the content of digital files is unknown.  Issues related to opening files on carrier media, lack of appropriate drives or software, and general vagueness around what might be on that pile of CDs or diskettes bubble to the surface perhaps more reactively than concern of what might be in the box of paper and slides that hasn’t been opened in ten years.

During the negotiation phase we have been actively using some of the digital content-based interview questions suggested by the AIMS white paper, the PARADIGM project, and created through a joint Harvard-MIT library project.  Based on our experiences, we are starting to put together language for use during donor negotiation that addresses pre-acquisition appraisal tasks for digital files.  This language includes the types of tasks the Institute Archives and Special Collections staff will undertake, and notes both donor and Institute Archives and Special Collections’ obligations during this process.

Examples of donor obligations include:
·    keeping all of the files until official (and successful) transfer has been completed
·    providing access to any computers and accounts that hold files, and
·    providing account names and passwords when necessary for file access.

Examples of Institute Archives and Special Collections obligations include:
·    safeguarding any account and password information
·    keeping an inventory of the files and controlling access to them during appraisal, and
·    using best practice to clean-up the digital footprint for any files not transferred to the Institute Archives and Special Collections.

We know that as our knowledge of the concerns and challenges grows with more donor interaction so will our language and guidance documents.  We anticipate this to be an area for development within our documentation and our procedures.

 

Posted in All, Gift agreements, Legal issues, personal archives | Leave a comment