Once The ongoing enthusiasm for Cloud computing and platform as a service storage based solutions, continues to increase. For years, IT professionals repeated their mantra that “storage is cheap [so let’s] save it all!” From IT’s perspective, data is superfluous when their strategy is to save everything. Simply put though, cloud computing has become pervasive because it provides easy flexibility and scalability. It offers cost-effective solutions and a number of other indisputable short-term gains. These include:

• increases efficiency
• scales up easily
• cuts out high cost of hardware
• automates back-up and disaster recovery plans
• facilitates employee collaboration on documents
• provides cost-effective pay-as-you-go subscription-based models

Undoubtedly, these are significant and valuable benefits. But there are challenges and costs in creating sensible digital archiving plans. Cloud computing may seem like the only answer, but it may not be the best answer. Benign neglect and automated uploads or backups may cause more widespread, senseless anxiety. Ostensibly, it may encourage digital hoarding. It may, in fact, be time to step away from the pack and question the wisdom of transferring your assets to the cloud.

Cloud Computing Usage, Storage and Energy Consumption

Data use and storage require electricity that comes primarily from burning fossil fuels. While coal- and oil-based electricity powers computers, it also enables data transmissions across and between networks. And it  supplies energy to store and process an always-growing mountain of data. Though the server farms that power cloud computing are growing, their need for electricity for power is increasing and unceasing. According to McKinsey & Company, data centers will produce more carbon emissions than the entire airline industry by 2020.

Given what we know about digital archivy, the idea that no one (neither stakeholders nor IT) is making appraisal decisions prior to migrating to the cloud is shocking. Without understanding how record creators and end-users interact and relate through their records, it’s difficult to design an efficient and effective system. Lack of awareness of your institution’s organization and departmental needs, as well as pie in the sky thinking and indifference, may lead to vendor lock-in. Uploaded files are out of your custody. You’ve lost control. And you may be paying for storage for items that are rot (redundant, outdated, and trivial).

Benefits of Cloud Computing

The benefits offered by cloud computing exacerbate three significant problems. First, the signal-to-noise ratio in cloud storage will decrease significantly as more and more low-value data accumulates. Intellectual property must be actively managed and controlled. These include documents, artwork, reports, calendars, marketing materials, photographs, and audiovisual recordings. We are creating a very large haystack around a much smaller number of needles.

Second, inefficient application search features will bog down due to large data sets. Performance issues in cloud computing often are due to application design and the enabling technology, not the cloud infrastructure. Unfortunately, institutions often move files to the cloud without first evaluating system design. Databases, middleware, and other technologies will fail without an understanding of content and context. Governance is an important component because controlled vocabularies evolve over time.  Data is less accurate and effective due to the growing size of the rotted data set in the cloud-computing environment.

And third, long-term data retention and issues such as format compatibility and version control will continue to be pain points for management systems. Version control is a tool to ensure that final approved versions are archived. Interoperability and backwards compatibility of file formats often are necessary for institutions, and cloud computing can provide those services online. This will ensure that archived files that can be located and downloaded as needed. However, verification of authenticity of the file becomes complicated in the cloud.

Conclusion

Critical IT infrastructure will often migrate into the cloud. There are tradeoffs, but without physical custody and with changeable metadata, there is a loss of control. Enterprise computing integrates a number of moving parts. Institutions are learning to test and fix as they go. Vendor lock-in is a big risk as assets are migrated into the infrastructure.  If they do not control their data, they will not control the information architecture.

Digital archivy provides practical, cost-effective solutions. If a cloud-computing storage strategy seems too easy and attractive, it may be time to conduct a digital survey and inventory your assets. With forethought and a sound strategy, we can evaluate options and select a cheaper, more effective and secure long-term plan for preserving information and digital assets.

Digital Archivy or archival science is the foundation for organized knowledge about information and recordkeeping. Effectively, this specialized discipline must be combined with relevant knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Without an awareness of digital archivy, its definition, workflows and best practice, information systems cannot be implemented efficiently. Usually, integration is impossible. But it remains a challenge to provide clear instructions for implementation.  Additionally, it may be difficult to determine value.  So instead, we often focus on a strategy and plan that will make digital archiving a useful and successful endeavor.

Records Continuum Model

The Australian records continuum model identifies records as logical rather than physical entities. Also, the continuum model stresses records used for transactional, evidentiary and memory purposes. In addition, this unified approach provides a multi-dimensional model for archiving and recordkeeping procedures. Consequentially, it also offers a strategy with tactics based on the function of the records—as opposed to an object-oriented perspective. This requires practical, cost-effective solutions that often contradict an object-oriented mindset more familiar to IT professionals. Ostensibly, they often recommend cloud-computing solutions that best address object-oriented tasks.

Institutionalizing archivist’s recordkeeping requires integrating active records management into business processes. Further, by doing this, organizations will improve their institutional memory and shared knowledge. Fortunately, these added value continue to draw upon our digital archivy expertise. Based on our knoweldge, we can help you evaluate and implement the most practical, cost-effective solutions with impact. We call this more bank for the buck!

Meanwhile, technological change has accelerated within institutions. For too long, archival programs have been offshoots of smaller departments while an institutions’ IT professionals focus on current and present needs. Experienced archivists have the skills, knowledge and experience to undertake appraisal of electronic records and digital assets. Our digital archivy and expert insight can deliver better, more consistent and scalable solutions.

For a complete list of clients with whom we have worked, please see our Clients List.
Archivaria published an excellent article about digital archiving n 2012.

.MARAC Panel Part 3 of 3 from presentation on Digital Archivists at MARAC in Newark, Spring 2017

This is the third and final part of a Marac panel presentation examining the differences and similarities between IT professionals and digital archivists. The first two parts focused on similarities and differences. This piece was prepared by David Kay based on his experience working in archives of a variety of different types of institutions.

“Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.” –Dalai Lama

Archival Values

Information is a strategic resource. Every institution creates, uses, stores, revises, and shares it every day, but controlling and managing information effectively requires specialized skills. Without awareness and familiarity with descriptions of records’ primary and secondary values, records cannot be appraised or scheduled for retention or disposition appropriately. Without a digital archivist’s insight and knowledge, a records and archives program will find it difficult to obtain cost reductions, increased efficiencies in search and retrieval, and in the consistent application of retention policies.

Another significant difference between IT professionals and digital archivists, is evident in the way we interact with tools. While IT uses technology as a tool, digital archivists’ toolkit includes an intellectual framework. These include classification systems; descriptive standards; controlled vocabularies; metadata schemas and taxonomies. In fact, integrating these and other archivists’ tools” create great value across the institution.

Archival Tools

There are other archival tools as well.  Each of these tools make manifest our intentions, and make technology, people and systems work better. Evidence of this surrounds us as we watch others succumb to information overload and other challenges of digital hoarding. According to a 2014 McKinsey Report for example, “Employees spend 1.8 hours every day—9.3 hours per week, on average, searching and gathering information.” In other words, employees spend one day a week, approximately than 20 percent of their time at work, searching.

“People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.” – Dalai Lama

Taking disparate perspectives into consideration, digital archivists may lack impressive budgets and resources, staffing, and visibility of IT, but they help implement cost-effective and practical solutions. They also help establish governance, workflow policies and standard operating procedures.  More efficient workflows ensure greater buy-in.  As stakeholders and owners become aware of information security policies, digital archivists can use knowledge to make change. As a result, they make their digital archives invaluable.

The Value of Archival Knowledge

When confronted with a problem, IT professionals often propose solutions that require purchasing new technology or software. Archivists, on the other hand remain aware of the interplay and interdisciplinary relationships between content, structure and context. The intrepid archivists are also cognizant of the connections between people, technology, and business process This is because, as we saw before, content lives at that intersection.

Professional archivists can help draw solutions from the three elements of knowledge: know-how, know-why, and know-what.  In fact we succeed when we are involved in strategy and planning.

Marac Panel Part 2 of 3 on Digital Archivists from MARAC Spring 2017 Presentation

This is Part 2 of a panel presentation on the differences and similarities between digital archivists and IT professionals. Presented by David Kay, MLS. In Part 1, he discussed the different types of archival collections. In addition, he also examined their different mindsets and strategies on the part of the institutions and the archivists.

Similarities and Differences between IT and Digital Archivists

Earlier we addressed similar challenges faced by IT professionals and digital archivists. Undoubtedly, there are commonalities shared by IT and digital archivists. In fact, if you look at big picture goals such as preservation, access, control and security, both are quite similar. To be clear, for example, data warehousing and storage are the same!  Organization and centralization of data; backup and archiving, they are all alike! But as Stephen Comey wrote: “Strength lies in differences, not similarities.”

Differences

Needless to say, there also are indisputable differences between IT and digital archivists. Although this is most obvious from a budgeting perspective. IT always has deeper resources and personnel. Also, they bring greater visibility and have a louder, more persuasive voice. IT is indispensable to each modern institution. Consequently, they have more power to buy and build systems and communicate with stakeholders. For them, technological solutions provide opportunities to find solutions and request sufficient funding.

In addition to budget, visibility and staffing, there are significant differences in the language, tools, and knowledge between the two disciplines. There are many general terms that we appearto share with IT and others. Here are three examples of terms with different meanings:

So unfortunately, the terms digital archivists employ sound similar to the language used in other departments– including IT. But it is important to note that certain “key words” within a shared semantic environment describe the reality of that environment. This can be especially confusing when a different interpretation of terms require different workflows and procedures. Simple non-technical words may appear in many semantic environments, but meanings shift as words pass from one context to another.

A Shared Understanding

A shared understanding or awareness of cultural differences defining generally used, common terms like archive, information, and metadata is extremely important. To be clear, as Neil Postman wrote it in Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk (1976): “a semantic environment includes first of all, people; second, their purposes; third, the general rules of discourse by which such purposes are usually achieved; and fourth, the particular talk actually being used in the situation.” So given this context, simple non-technical words may appear in many distinct semantic environments, but their meanings shift as general language words transit from one person’s context to another’s.

In addition to the general language words we “share” with IT, there are also specialized terms that define what we do, how we do it, and why. We learn traditional archival values and principles and apply knowledge to build trusted digital repositories. These include:

MARAC Panel on Digital Archivists and IT Professionals –  David Kay, Spring 2017 (part 1 of 3): 

Recently I participated in a Mid-Atlantic Region Archives Conference MARAC panel discussion n Newark. The topic was on similarities and differences between IT and digital archivists. I was honored to be on the panel with four professional digital archivists whom I respect deeply. The other panelists were very impressive. They also work in academic, medical, and public libraries. To contextualize my unique experience and knowledge with clients in private and not-for-profit sectors, it was important to discuss three types of archival collections because their unique qualities and distinct users determine the archival methodologies, policies, and deliverables.

The two most common types of archives are personal papers (or historical manuscripts), and public archives (or governmental records). Archivists working in these two types of archival institutions constitute two-thirds of the Society of American Archivists’ membership. From my experience working in academic institutions and governmental agencies, I have identified similarities and differences in the needs, uses, and users of business archives compared with the other types.

In all scenarios, like Janus, the two-faced Roman God of Beginnings and Endings, archivists benefit from our own subjectivity and objectivity. By understanding archival theory and practice, digital archivists can build on lessons learned and shared in the past. Our familiarity with content and context is critical regardless of archives type.

Marac Panel – An overview of IT and Digital Archivists

Technological infrastructure and their ecosystem of network servers concerns all IT professionals. While computers, operating systems and software compatibility, they are aware of the risks and challenges they face.  For example, many have faced problems with external portable drives for media storage. Depending on the type of archives, IT may enforce strict information security policies. Their expertise lies in familiarity with firewalls, email systems, servers, network access, and security protocols, as well as information governance. Some IT departments have automated system backups as part of their disaster planning and emergency preparedness programs. In many cases, though, IT professionals will say, “Yes, we archive everything. We do daily backups.” In other words, IT professionals are like digital archivists. They are also concerned with big issues such as access, control, and storage of information and data.

But while IT departments focus on similar objectives, digital archivists see technology as a system and an infrastructure, not simply as a tool. Digital archivists know that the work depends on people, process and technology. As archivists, we often help other select data and interpret information. From experience, we become experts in pattern recognition, data validation and verification, and in quality control. In addition, digital archivists help shape the institutional memory, and their familiarity with practical and cost-effective methods helps improve workflows and increases intellectual control.

So role-based permissions, version control, technological needs assessments are critical for establishing functional requirements. Reviews of business processes and technical specifications are also important.  This is true in selecting and implementing metadata schemas, controlled vocabularies, and taxonomies. As Joan Schwartz wrote years ago” “We make our tools and our tools make us.”