Kristen's question about server storage is a good one. Most
professionally-managed digital libraries and electronic archives use
server based storage to enable sufficient capacity for large scale
retention and preservation. This has the advantage of avoiding the
pitfalls of media preservation (tape, disc, etc.) but there are still
other things to consider:

 

Is this server professionally managed and maintained? Specifically are
IT professionals there to ensure software upgrades, firewalls and virus
protection are maintained? We've had some real fun trying to manage our
own servers in our department with skilled people that were not up to
the task. Keep in mind Microsoft applications and operating systems have
been particularly vulnerable to attack, especially if the software
upgrades are not installed in a timely manner.

 

Are we relying upon a single server? What is the backup or mirroring
strategy? Redundancy is a longstanding principle in preservation and it
is particularly important with digital materials.

 

Assuming server content is backed up, you should ask some questions
about the backup routines: What is the frequency of backup? Does IT
reuse the same media for rolling backups (reuse tends to reduce
reliability of the media). Does the backup application employ lossy
compression that might not be appropriate for image files? What quality
control processes are in place to ensure the scope of the backup is
correct as the server content grows?

 

Server based storage is absolutely necessary to achieve the scale we
need for digital archives, especially as we move into more digital video
and audio content. However managing servers is not for everyone.
Employing IT professionals that have appropriate skillset, workload and
professional development support is the best way to ensure your machines
and software are operating with the least potential for loss.

 

Rob Spindler

University Archivist

Arizona State University Libraries

 


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