Digital Processing and Preservation

Digital Processing and Preservation sector is responsible for digitization, digital conversion, digital processing and long term digital preservation. This sector works closely with the Technology Infrastructure and Development sector to build and maintain the advanced technical infrastructure needed to support its functions. The following processes come under this sector:

Process 27 : Multimedia Documentation
Process 24 : Digital Preservation
Process 29 : Research (Archive / Library)

Multimedia Documentation is a cross cutting process with the Program & Projects sector, and Research (Archive / Library) is a cross cutting process with Digital Library & Archive & Information Services.

Digital Preservation Workflow

ஆவணமாக்கலை ஆவணமாக்கல் and Information Services Guide describe the overall activities involved in the digital preservation workflow. This sector is specifically responsible for the following activities:

• Unbinding/rebinding
• Scanning
• Quality assurance
• Bagit creation
• Taking backups and depositing it with respective custodians
• Active preservation

○ Verifying checksums, ability to open files

Digitization Standards

• Text and Image Digitization Standards
• Audio Video Digitization Standard

Digitization Method Selection Policy

Don’t Digitize Resources with Digital Equivalents
As noted in the digitization selection policy, don’t digitize materials that have pdf/digital equivalents.

Manual Scanning
Manual scanning shall be used for works that need to be returned to the source contributor.

Sheet-feed scanning
For copies provided to Noolaham that need not be returned, sheet-feed scanning is the preferred method to digitize the material. The only exceptions are rare works such as single known copies, which are not held anywhere else.

Camera-scanning
Camera scanning shall be used for over-sized material.

Digital Preservation Standard

Noolaham Foundation has adopted the NDSA Levels of Digital Preservation recommendations as its digital preservation standard. The standards address practices across the following major areas: 1. Storage and Geographic Location, 2. File Fixity and Data Integrity, 3. Information Security, 4. Metadata, and 5. File Formats.

Storage and Geographic Location

1. NDSA Recommendation: Three complete copies of data are kept in separate geographic locations with different disaster threats.

NF Implementation: Data is stored in three continents.

File Fixity and Data Integrity

1. NDSA Recommendation: File fixity be checked on ingest if provided, or created on ingest if not provided.

NF Implementation: Noolaham Foundations creates checksum manifest when creating the Archival Information Packages (AIP).

2. NDSA Recommendation: Use write-blockers when working with original media

NF Implementation: We only work with copy of the original files

3. NDSA Recommendation: Virus-check high risk content & virus check all content

NF Implementation: not an active use case

4. NDSA Recommendation: Check fixity of content at fixed intervals & detect corrupt data. Check fixity of all content in response to specific events or activities.

NF Implementation: Not yet implemented.

5. NDSA Recommendation: Maintain logs of fixity information & Supply audit on demand.

NF Implementation: not an active use case

6. NDSA Recommendation: Ensure no one person has write access to all copies

NF Implementation: Once the copies are transferred to respective custodians, no one person has access to them

Information Security

1. NDSA Recommendation: When you can give input into the creation of digital files encourage use of a limited set of known open formats and codecs Inventory of file formats in use.

NF Implementation: NF has a strict set of file formats it supports.

2. NDSA Recommendation: Monitor file format obsolescence issues & perform format migrations.

NF Implementation: We audit file formats to ensure their continuous operation.

Metadata

1. NDSA Recommendation: Identify who has read, write, move and delete authorization to individual files & restrict who has those authorizations to individual files

NF Implementation: Yet to be implemented.

2. NDSA Recommendation: Maintain logs of who performed what actions on files, including deletions and preservation actions & perform audit of logs

NF Implementation: not an active use case

File Formats

1. NDSA Recommendation: When you can give input into the creation of digital files encourage use of a limited set of known open formats and codecs Inventory of file formats in use.

NF Implementation: NF has a strict set of file formats it supports.

2. NDSA Recommendation: Monitor file format obsolescence issues & perform format migrations.

NF Implementation: We audit file formats to ensure their continuous operation.

Multimedia Processing Workflow

Multimedia collections are developed primarily through documentation projects, as well as through content donations. They are selected for processing based on Digital Processing Selection Policy. The multimedia processing is an evolving area, and the following describes the steps at the high level.

• Copy the original files needed for processing.
• Edit audio/video!
• Create an Archival Information Package with the final version of that work.
• Create access copies.
• Backup the AIPs.
• Discard the original files.

Data Backup Policy

Noolaham Foundation strives to both digitally preserve and provide access to a wide range of digitized material. The systems, used for storage purposes, should demonstrate reliability.

Objective of the Policy
Objective of the Data Backup policy is to ensure reliability and sustainability of the service rendered by Noolaham Foundation.

Commitment
Noolaham Foundation ensure that a rigorous systems and procedures are in place for backup and restoration in the event of human errors, disasters and technological advance

Policy Implementation
1. Currently, two backups are being taken:

a. Continent 2

b. Continent 7

2. By 2021, a complete backup should be sent to Continent 4.
3. By 2022, complete backups should be sent to the Continent 3a and Continent 3b.
4. Checksums are generated and monitored for at least one of these backups.
5. Applications are backed up periodically as per an established schedule.