Workshop session delivered by the futureArch project team at the Oxford University Library Services Staff Conference in March 2009.

1. What do I do with this?
Curating digital manuscripts, old and new
The futureArch project is developing Bodleian Electronic Archives and
Manuscripts (BEAM), a facility to curate the born-digital manuscripts
which form a growing proportion of personal and organisational papers
deposited with the Bodleian's Western Manuscripts department. This
workshop is an opportunity to meet project staff and explore the issues
involved in curating and preserving digital archives and manuscripts.
Your hosts:
Pete Cliff, Software Engineer, futureArch project
Renhart Gittens, Software Engineer, futureArch project
Susan Thomas, Digital Archivist; Project Manager, futureArch project

2. Workshop format
Part One
Brief overview of the futureArch project
(09/2008-01/2012) developing Bodleian
Electronic Archives & Manuscripts (BEAM).
Part Two
Scenario-based group discussions to
explore some issues in more depth.

3. s&
ive ts
A rch crip
an us
M
● Documentary materials
accumulated by individuals
or organisations
● Largely unpublished
● First-hand accounts
● Increasingly hybrid
● Multiple sources, multiple
negotiations, formats...

4. Our
Di gital
lives

5. Our previous digital lives...
Barbara Castle's Amstrad disks
● Total hybrid archive - over
800 boxes, 1903-2002
● Lots and lots of paper!
● 1 box video; 1 box audio
● 31 Amstrad disks (inc. 6
never used), 1989-1992
● Two PCs, ?1992-1997, 1997-
2002
● Four 3.5” floppy disks
(largely backups from PC)
MS. Castle Digital 39/1

9. MS. Castle Digital 39/1
MS. Castle Digital 39/2

10. c. 15 lin
e
11 flopp ar metres, c.
y disks 1
, c. 199 960-2008
Al an tt 2-2002
enne
B

11. 'Newer' digital materials
● Desire to intervene earlier in the life of the archive
● Opportunities to capture contextual info. from creators
● Cloud material
● Identify material 'at risk'; provide guidance and/or
accession
● Examples:
● 20GB email archive (c. 85,000 emails), 2003-2007
● Conservative Party Archives, regular e-accessions from
2003
● Snapshots of materials from various depositors' hard disks
(Paradigm project and ongoing)

12. el
Infr
ev
astr
igh sl ●
prod
Esta
blis
uctu
re
H
h BE
ucti AM a
on-l s
Policy
Im
●
Esta evel
blis serv
A
infr h BE
-to- astr AM ice
● Def
ine end comm uctu
ies on c re,
end a ctivit & ODL ompo shar
ing
roles and nent
icy, ORA s wi
● Pol th
ies
ibilit l
essiona al
s
respon
● Emb
ed in Prof ori rat
ry bud
get ● Tra ining cu
Libra
staff ms
● Provi
ding syste
rial sta
ff Rese
for cura
to arch
lections
es
Col ● Gradu
ate Traine supp
ns ort
confidenc
e ● Share lesso ●
Cr eate
● Donor acces
(on-s s
● Transf
er tools ite a
onlin nd
ings
● Legacy hold e, as
appro
● New ma
terials priat
e)

13. Curren t focus
● Modify accessioning process – flag digital material for
'preservation processing' on arrival
● Secure and resilient storage – Digital Asset Management
System (DAMS)
● Processes, tools and supporting 'curation manual' for
acquisition, capture and ingest to DAMS
● Antique computing
● Forensic computing (inc. mass processing)
● 'Preservation processing' of legacy holdings
● Automatic metadata generation for digital collections
● Recruitment – Project Archivist and Graduate Trainee

14. Futu re focus
● Interfaces & tools
● For curators – to manage collections, cataloguing, enquiries, etc.
● For researchers – integrate with WMSS online catalogues & SOLO
● Digital preservation policy
● BEAM policy
● Tools for planning and 'preservation actions'
● Acquisition
● 'Cloud materials'
● Web archiving
● Access
● Refining cataloguing techniques
● Processing archives for researcher access
● Publication pathways (closed > reading room access > open web)

15. Qu estions?
Email
susan.thomas@bodley.ox.ac.uk
More online...
Paradigm project
http://www.paradigm.ac.uk
Bodleian Electronic Archives & Manuscripts
http://www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/beam
futureArch project blog
http://futurearchives.blogspot.com/

16. Group work !
● Single scenario from three perspectives:
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
Donor Archivist Researcher
● Group discussion (15 mins):
● Appoint a rapporteur
● Work though the scenario, noting interesting
issues on your flipchart for reporting back to
the larger group.
● Report back & plenary discussion (15 mins)