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Digital Records Pathways: Topics in Digital Preservation

The Section on Archival Education, International Council on Archives (ICA-SAE), identified a gap in the educational resources available to help records professionals develop digital preservation strategies. While there is a wealth of information about digital preservation available through the websites of cultural heritage organizations and international research projects, freely available training resources that provide a broad overview are scarce. To address this deficiency, the ICA-SAE, in collaboration with researchers at InterPARES (International Research on Authentic Records in Electronic Systems), has developed a suite of education and training materials on topics relevant to digital preservation. These education modules, currently hosted at www.ciscra.org, are freely available for download, use, and adaptation. The theoretical foundation of the modules is grounded in archival diplomatics, and reflects the Chain of Preservation model developed by InterPARES. Taken as a whole, the suite provides guidance on the development of policies, guidelines, and procedures related to the management of digital records, paying particular attention to topical issues including cloud computing, web archiving, email management, and organizational culture. Eight modules form the suite: Introduction, including an overview of the architecture of the set, and readiness assessment tools for individuals and organizations; Developing Policy and Procedures for Digital Preservation; Organizational Culture and its Effects on Records Management; An Overview of Metadata; From Ad hoc to Governed: Appraisal Strategies for Gaining Control of Records in Network Drives; Email Management and Preservation; Management and Preservation of Records in Web Environments; and Cloud Computing Primer. The modules are supported by the ICA Multilingual Terminology Database, a dynamic web-based resource for archival terminology, available currently in 16 languages. This presentation offers an overview of the modules, discussing their intended audience, a summary of their content, and suggestions for use. The Terminology Database will also be demonstrated.

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