Certification of Digital Archives: An RLG Update

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Certification of Digital ArchivesAn RLG Update

• Robin L. Dale
• Program Officer, RLG
• Project Director, CRL Certification of Digital
  Archives Project
• Robin.Dale_at_rlg.org

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Overview

• Why certify digital archives and repositories?
• What would be audited?
• RLG-NARA Digital Repository Certification Task
  Force
• CRL Certification of Digital Archives project

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Trust, but Verify

• Question assumptions about commitment
• Question assumptions about infrastructure
• Question assumptions about capabilities
• Question assumptions about behavior
• Question assumptions about sustainability
• Fail-safe mechanisms

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Minimal Critical Audit Points

• Archives processes and procedures used by the
  repository
• Technologies and technical infrastructure
• Characteristics of the repository organization
  that affect performance, accountability, and
  sustainability/ business continuity

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RLG-NARA Digital Repository Certification Task
Force

• International group of experts working for two
  years
• Sponsored by RLG and US National Archives
  Records Administration (NARA)
• Goal cross-domain, international, certification
  metrics
• Identify certifiable elements (attributes,
  processes, functions, activities) of trustworthy
  digital repositories
• Define the certifying program, conditions of
  certification revocation, and suggest appropriate
  action plans for endangered digital information

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RLG-NARA TF Results

• Based on OAIS and Trusted Digital Repositories
• Metrics, supporting documentation, audit
  instrument (checklist) completed
• 7 categories 95 criteria for evaluation
• Dual purpose toolkit
• Self evaluation
• Independently administered audit

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RLG-NARA Task Force contd

• Draft for public comment soon
• TBA will be available from
• Draft report audit instrument to be leveraged
  by CRL Certification of Digital Archives project

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CRL Certification of Digital Archives

• Mellon Foundation funding, began 1 May
• Focuses on digital resources in archives not
  necessarily owned by community
• Electronic journals, news, other scholarly
  content important for research
• Leverages work of RLG-NARA TF
• Will develop processes and activities required to
  audit and certify digital archives.

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Three Phases of CRL Project

• Design of audit process and documentation of
  metrics and terminology to be used (May-Sep 05)
• Model audit process through test audits of 3
  digital archives (Oct 05 Jun 06)
• Develop the profile and business model for a
  certifying agency (Jul Oct 06)

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Phase 1

• Leverage RLG-NARA metrics
• Identify characteristics of archives content
• Behaviors practices of content producers
• Needs and behaviors of users
• Best practices for insurance, disaster
  preparedness, IP, technical underwriting,
  accounting

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Phase 2

• Test audit three target digital archives
• Koninklijke Bibliotheek (National Library of the
  Netherlands)
• Portico
• Yet-to-be-confirmed archive

Also, evaluation of LOCKSS software
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Phase 3

• Profile and analyze costs of auditing and
  certification activities
• Potential models in field of finance and
  manufacturing
• Identify stakeholders and market
• Investigate insurance and indemnification
• Financial models

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CRL Project Outputs

• Test audit results (private)
• Certification audit instrument
• Detail costs of certification
• Duration, benefits
• Process flow and methodology for auditing and
  certification activity specifications for
  duration of certification, frequency of audit
• Prospectus for establishment of self-sustaining
  certifying entity

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Thank you!

• Questions?
• Robin.Dale_at_rlg.org

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Resources

• RLG-NARA Digital Repository Certification Task
  Force
• http//www.rlg.org/en/page.php?Page_ID580
• CRL project information
• http//www.crl.edu/PDF/CRL-AWMarchiveCertRelease.p
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