💻Digital Cultural Heritage Unit 4 – Digital Archives for Art & Heritage

What's This Unit About?

• Explores the role of digital archives in preserving and providing access to art and cultural heritage materials
• Covers the fundamental concepts, tools, and best practices for creating and managing digital archives
• Discusses the challenges and ethical considerations involved in digital archiving of cultural heritage
• Provides case studies of successful digital archives in the art and heritage sector
• Includes hands-on experience in creating a small-scale digital archive

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Digital archives: Collections of digital objects (images, documents, audio, video) that are preserved and made accessible for the long term
• Metadata: Structured information that describes, explains, and makes digital objects discoverable and manageable
  • Descriptive metadata provides information about the content and context of digital objects (title, creator, date, subject)
  • Administrative metadata includes technical and preservation information (file format, rights, provenance)
• Digital preservation: The process of ensuring long-term access to digital materials, including strategies for maintaining the integrity, authenticity, and usability of digital objects over time
• Digitization: The conversion of analog materials (photographs, documents, artifacts) into digital format through scanning or photography
• Digital asset management (DAM): Systems and processes for organizing, storing, retrieving, and distributing digital files within an organization
• Interoperability: The ability of different systems and software to exchange and use information seamlessly

Digital Archives: The Basics

• Digital archives serve to preserve and provide access to digital materials of enduring value
• They ensure the long-term sustainability and accessibility of digital cultural heritage
• Digital archives require a combination of technology, metadata, and preservation strategies
• The OAIS (Open Archival Information System) reference model provides a framework for digital archives
  • Defines the functions, roles, and responsibilities of a digital archive
  • Includes ingest, archival storage, data management, access, and preservation planning
• Digital archives should have clear collection development policies and selection criteria
• Metadata is essential for describing, managing, and discovering digital objects
• Digital preservation strategies include file format migration, emulation, and bit-level preservation

Tools and Technologies

• Digital asset management systems (DAMS) are used to store, organize, and manage digital files
  • Examples include ResourceSpace, Collective Access, and Islandora
• Digital repository software provides the infrastructure for preserving and providing access to digital collections
  • Examples include DSpace, Fedora, and Samvera
• Metadata standards ensure consistency and interoperability in describing digital objects
  • Dublin Core is a widely used metadata standard for digital resources
  • VRA Core is a metadata standard specifically for visual resources (art, architecture, artifacts)
• File formats for digital preservation should be non-proprietary, well-documented, and widely supported
  • Examples include TIFF for images, PDF/A for documents, and WAV for audio
• Web archiving tools (Heritrix, Archive-It) are used to capture and preserve websites and online content
• Digital forensics tools (BitCurator, FTK Imager) are used to acquire and analyze digital materials from various media and devices

Best Practices for Digital Archiving

• Develop clear policies and procedures for digital archiving, including selection, acquisition, preservation, and access
• Use standardized metadata schemas and controlled vocabularies to ensure consistency and interoperability
• Implement a reliable and secure digital storage infrastructure with backup and disaster recovery measures
• Regularly monitor and assess the integrity and usability of digital objects through fixity checks and format validation
• Plan for long-term preservation by using sustainable file formats and implementing migration and emulation strategies
• Provide clear documentation and guidelines for users on how to access and use the digital archive
• Collaborate with other institutions and initiatives to share resources, expertise, and best practices
• Engage with the designated community to understand their needs and gather feedback on the digital archive

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

• Ensuring the authenticity and integrity of digital objects over time, as technology and formats evolve
• Dealing with complex rights and permissions issues, especially for orphan works and cultural heritage materials
• Balancing access and privacy concerns, particularly for sensitive or culturally significant materials
• Addressing the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to digital cultural heritage
• Navigating cultural and linguistic differences in describing and interpreting digital objects
• Ensuring the long-term sustainability of digital archives through adequate funding, staffing, and institutional support
• Respecting indigenous rights and cultural protocols in the digitization and sharing of cultural heritage materials
• Collaborating with source communities in the selection, description, and interpretation of digital cultural heritage

Case Studies: Art and Heritage Archives

• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Digital Archive provides access to a wide range of digital materials related to modern and contemporary art
  • Includes exhibition records, artist files, and digital versions of artworks
  • Uses a custom-built digital asset management system and the METS metadata standard
• The National Digital Heritage Archive (NDHA) in New Zealand preserves and provides access to digital cultural heritage materials from various institutions
  • Collaborates with libraries, museums, and archives across the country
  • Implements a distributed digital preservation infrastructure using Rosetta software
• The Europeana Collections is a digital platform that provides access to millions of cultural heritage objects from institutions across Europe
  • Aggregates metadata from various cultural heritage institutions using the Europeana Data Model (EDM)
  • Provides APIs and tools for developers to build applications and services using the digital collections

Hands-On: Creating a Digital Archive

• Define the scope and purpose of your digital archive, considering your target audience and the types of materials you will include
• Select and prepare a sample of digital objects (images, documents, audio/video) for your archive
• Choose a metadata schema (Dublin Core, VRA Core) and create metadata records for your digital objects
  • Use a metadata creation tool or spreadsheet to input and manage your metadata
• Install and configure a digital repository software (DSpace, Omeka) on a local machine or server
• Ingest your digital objects and metadata records into the repository, following the software's guidelines
• Configure the access and display settings for your digital archive, considering user permissions and interface design
• Test and evaluate your digital archive, checking for proper functionality, metadata quality, and user experience
• Document your process and create user guides or tutorials for managing and accessing the digital archive