Like many states, Kentucky state government has a long history of archiving public records. The Public Records Division at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) works with agencies to establish standards, procedures, and administrative regulations for recording, managing, preserving and reproducing government records, whatever their medium. Today, that medium is increasingly born digital, meaning it was digital in its original format, and born digital content presents its own set of challenges to state archivists.
"Preservation of born digital content in state government is becoming a significant business challenge which will require the collaboration of state CIOs, archivists, librarians and state agencies," according to Doug Robinson, executive director for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). "Every state agency in the U.S. produces digital-only documents in some form and the forecast is for significant growth of collections in the next five years. In addition to addressing policy issues, the states will need to identify and test potential solutions for long-term digital preservation of published state electronic resources."
Techlines had a few questions for KDLA about archiving born digital content:
Techlines:
How is Kentucky approaching archiving online information?
Permanently valuable records are those with long-term research or documentation value. Those suitable for temporary or short-term use are called nonpermanent and need to be disposed of when their use has been fulfilled. The value of electronic records is assessed using the same methodology as is used for other formats, with the added calculation of projected cost factors of storage over time and usefulness of the records in electronic format, all based on retention schedule guidelines.
Techlines:
Is there an effort or methodology for making sure agencies know the processes for handling digital information archiving?
KDLA:
KDLA uses its Web site, agency contacts (Records Officers, key IT personnel), and group training, to inform state and local officials of their responsibilities to manage records in all formats. The KDLA Web site contains records retention schedules and electronic record format-specific guidelines to describe recordkeeping best practice and KDLA policy.
Techlines:
As more and more state records are being born digital, are you accepting electronic records into the archives?
KDLA:
Yes, KDLA is selectively accessioning born digital records with permanent retention, either in their original electronic format or converted to microfilm. KDLA is currently participating in a federally funded Persistent Archives Testbed Project to determine the best methods for preserving records created originally in electronic format. Using the Web and other Kentucky public records, KDLA will work with participating archivists and technical experts from around the country to examine emerging techniques for storing a high volume of electronic records over time.
Techlines:
If you had the storage capacity, would you try to capture the whole universe of electronic records? How do you decide what to keep and what not to keep?
KDLA:
Up to 95 percent of all records, regardless of format, are nonpermanent and do not merit long-term retention. Among records deemed permanent, a small percentage is valuable enough to warrant the expensive storage and continued reformatting necessary to keep them in a permanent electronic format. Permanent records that traditionally have a high retrieval rate and data types that are best saved in electronic format rather than microfilm (e.g., geographic information systems (GIS), databases, and Web sites) are the best candidates for long-term retention in electronic format. These also provide the greatest technical and economic challenges.
Techlines:
How will the State Archives deal with the millions of e-mail messages state government receives in a normal month? Should agencies be keeping it offline, given that employees are provided only a limited amount of storage space? In what form?
KDLA:
Most business-related e-mail messages (i.e. non-spam) are considered transitory and need only be kept for as long as needed. For remaining messages, the best advice for management of e-mail messages can be found on our Web site at: http://kdla.ky.gov/recmanagement/tutorial/email.htm.
Following these guidelines, each agency needs to have policies in place to segregate the small amount of e-mail that needs to be retained and to keep those records in network storage apart from inboxes or in paper for only as long as the retention schedule mandates. Those e-mails that are deemed "official correspondence" may be sent to the State Archives.
Techlines:
How will you make electronic records accessible to the public? Will people still have to come to you physically?
KDLA:
Electronic records will be made available both via the Internet, through KDLA's Archives Research Room, and via e-mail request, resources permitting. KDLA will soon launch an Electronic Records Archives Web site. This is an exciting new resource that will make government records available to the public through the Internet. We are in the early stages of providing access to these records in electronic format, and the site will only have a few items initially, but it will continue to grow. Notice of this site's release will be posted on KDLA's Web site and announced in Techlines soon.
Techlines:
What about the costs involved with storage?
KDLA:
Long-term storage of electronic records involves storage costs (online and offline for both magnetic and optical), media and software migration/conversion costs (typically at three to five year intervals), and costs for making the records accessible. These costs can be minimized by adhering to standards that promote open systems and interoperability of data, as well as careful selection of the most useful records to preserve. Requiring that agencies plan, at the earliest stages of application or system development, for procedures that ensure ready access to records in those systems is the most cost effective means for assuring their continued accessibility.
For more information on:
KDLA electronic formats:
http://www.kdla.ky.gov/recmanagement/tutorial/fileformats.htm
Records management guidance from the National Archives for
agencies implementing electronic signature technologies:
http://www.archives.gov/records_management/policy_and guidance/electronic_signature_technology.html
National Archives' model standards for its electronic records archives:
http://www.archives.gov/electronic_records_archives/about_era.html
An example of digital library development in Kentucky:
http://kdl.kyvl.org
