Managing and Preserving Electronic Records at McGill University: The digitalpermanence initiative

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Managing and Preserving Electronic Records at
McGill UniversityThe digitalpermanence
initiative
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Objectives

• McGill University Archives (MUA)
• digitalpermanence initiative
• Projects
• Results
• Next steps
• Q A

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McGill University

• Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Established in 1821
• Research intensive/graduate programs
• 32,143 Students - 8,850 Employees
• Existing IT infrastructure in transition
• ERP, document imaging
• Increasing RM implications

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McGill University Archives

• Established in 1962
• Reports to the Secretary-General of McGill
  (corporate head office of the University)
• First university archives in Canada
• Campus Archival RM authority
• Quebec legislative framework
• Access Act (1982) and Archives Act (1983)

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What is digitalpermanence?

• Launched in December 2003
• A McGill University Archives initiative,
  promoting the collaborative, strategic, long-term
  management and preservation of McGill
  Universitys electronic records.

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Why digitalpermanence?

• A new records management reality
• Electronic format
• Born-digital or converted to digital
• Manage e-records for business interests
• Fragile
• Not like paper
• Preserve e-records for research interests

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Phase I - digitalpermanence

• January 2004 October 2004
• Goals
• Projects
• Results (Oct-Nov 2004)

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Goals - Info Gathering

• Determine the extent of electronic records on
  campus
• Examine and select software solutions (e-records
  management preservation)
• Review and develop new policies

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Project E-Records Inventory

• Extend and types of e-records
• Results
• Enterprise systems structured, organized,
  well-documented
• Office Systems, Email unstructured, at times
  chaotic
• Absence of tools and policies
• Localized RM solutions

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Project Software Review

• DM Web Archiving
• Results
• DM software function-rich but costly, no
  univ. clients, IT infrastructure, long-term
  preservation?
• McGill Gateway web presence
• Web archiving HTTrack Static vs. Dynamic web
  pages

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Project Policy Development

• Absence of policies in dealing with
• Corporate e-records, emails, and document imaging
  (paperless initiatives)
• Results
• Corporate e-records classification schemes
• Email Best Practices
• Document imaging standards

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Phase II - digitalpermanence

• On-going Projects as of June 2005

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Phase II

• McGill Web System Snapshot Tool
• To capture McGill Gateway web pages
• Static and Dynamic web pages
• Joint effort with McGill Web Service Group
• XHTML (web pages) and XML (databases)

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Phase II

• Email Conversion (link)
• To convert email from proprietary to
  non-proprietary file format
• Email in .PST batch process to HTML, PDF, XML,
  etc
• ABC Amber Outlook Converter software
• Good software, good results, but large-scale
  email conversion??

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Phase II

• Transfer and Access Protocols Document (link)
• To develop e-records transfer and access
  strategies
• Themes transferring, processing, preserving, and
  accessing e-records
• digitalpermanence storage server centralized or
  federated

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Phase II

• Document Management Software
• To organize office e-records
• Campus-wide vs. office by office solutions
• Joint committee between University Archives and
  University IT sector

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Phase II

• Outreach to University Offices (link)
• To raise awareness on campus
• Advise on email best practices
• Advise on document imaging projects
• Proactive approach Changes staff perception on
  e-records

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Phase II

• Revision to Terms of Reference
• Accepted by Board of Governors 2005
• New language reflects role of Archives in
  governing, and accounting for, campus electronic
  records

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Next Steps

• Retention Rules
• Enterprise Systems (SIS, FIS, HRIS)
• Email

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Overall Observations

• Collaboration
• Cannot do e-records project alone
• Work with experts in other fields (IT, records
  creators)
• Achievable project goals
• Complex project but
• Proper resources, clear strategy, take risks,
  test and try success!

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Staffing - digitalpermanence

• Archivist-Electronic Records
• David Kemper
• Archivist/Records Analyst
• Aaron Spreng
• Senior Archivist-Records Management
• Alex Richmond (start Oct. 2005)

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Questions ?
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References

• Outreach to University Offices resources
• Email Best Practices Office Records
  Classification
• http//www.archives.mcgill.ca/dp/practices/office.
  htm
• Document Imaging (scanning) Standards
• http//www.archives.mcgill.ca/dp/practices/scannin
  g.htm

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References

• Terms of Reference
• The mission of the McGill University Archives
  (MUA) is to promote good governance, and
  accountability, through the protection of the
  Universitys documentary heritage and
  records/information assets, in all formats, by
  combined archives and records management
  services.

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Why digitalpermanence?

• To take on the challenge of managing electronic
  records born-digital or converted to digital
  for business interests
• To develop strategies to preserve electronic
  records, in collaboration with the universitys
  IT sector, for research interests