Archives New Zealand is developing a digital archive and is now in a position to accept some transfers of digital records.  This factsheet introduces the digital archive and outlines the steps in the transfer process.

What is the Digital Archive?

Archives New Zealand launched a pilot digital archive on 1st July 2008.  It provides a limited set of digital preservation functions allowing some digital records to be permanently transferred to Archives New Zealand.

The Digital Archive can:

• store digital records from a variety of different record types (eg, raw data, text files, audio files etc) and file formats (eg, ASCII, Word documents, WMA etc)
• migrate some digital records to more stable file formats
• manage metadata generated by the originating recordkeeping system, as well as preservation and contextual metadata added by Archives New Zealand
• permanently link digital objects to their metadata
• automatically perform periodic data integrity checks
• restrict access to sensitive information
• provide public access at all Archives New Zealand offices.

The Digital Archive does not:

• provide direct public access via the internet
• monitor and identify file formats at risk of obsolescence
• accept online transfers via the internet
• manage every record type or file format.

The transfer process

A digital transfer is seen as a partnership between Archives New Zealand and the transferring public office.  Archives New Zealand is able to provide guidance and support to public offices who wish to transfer digital records.  In addition, public offices making transfers will need to commit certain resources to ensure that the transfer project is completed successfully.

Every digital transfer is unique and each new transfer is treated as a separate project.

Steps in the transfer process

1)    Identify the records

Assess about the records that you wish to transfer against the following questions:

• Are the records covered by a current authorised disposal authority?
• What types of records are they, for example, photos, text documents, audio files etc.?
• What file formats are the records in, for example, Word documents, JPEG, plain text, XML etc.?
• How are the records currently stored, for example, in an Electronic Document Records Management System (EDRMS), on CD/DVD, etc.?
• Does the proposed transfer also include non-digital records?
• What metadata is associated with the records?

Click here to view a list of file formats that Archives New Zealand has experience in transferring.

2)    Contact Archives New Zealand

Contact the Digital Continuity team at Archives New Zealand to discuss the possibility of transfer.  Please provide as much information about the records as you can.  We will assign a transfer archivist who will contact you about the possibility of arranging an onsite visit.

3)     Archives New Zealand will visit you to assess the transfer

Where appropriate, Archives New Zealand will arrange an onsite meeting with you to assess the feasibility of transfer.  In most cases we will bring along a transfer archivist and a member of our Technology Services team.  We would like to meet with the person responsible for the transfer and someone from your organisation who has detailed knowledge about the Information Technology systems/infrastructure in which the records were created or stored.

We will also need to access and analyse a sample of the records.  We will then decide whether the transfer can proceed further.
 
4)    Prepare the records for transfer

Every digital transfer is unique and the preparation work will depend on the nature of the records and the environment in which they were created and managed.  Following the onsite visit, a plan will be drawn up explaining what work must be done and who will be responsible for what.

5)    Determine the access status of the records

All records transferred to Archives New Zealand must have their access status determined and must be accompanied by an Access Authority form, signed by your organisation’s Chief Executive Officer or someone with delegated authority.

Access decisions should be consistent with previous decisions made about similar records regardless of whether they are digital or non-digital.

6)    Initiate the transfer

All transfers must be accompanied by signed Transfer Agreement and Access Authority forms.

The records can either be transferred by a portable hard drive or by another portable medium, for example CD or DVD, to Archives New Zealand.  The transfer archivist can assist you with this.

7)    After the transfer

Once the records have been transferred, we will notify you that the transfer has been completed and that Archives New Zealand are now responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the records.

We will then start the preservation process and enter the records into the Digital Archive.
 

Further Information

For more information about digital records or metadata please consult the digital recordkeeping webpage.

For any other enquiry please contact the Digital Continuity team at Archives New Zealand.

Email: rkadvice@archives.govt.nz 

Phone: Evelyn Wareham, Programme Manager, Digital Continuity: 04-495-6237

*This factsheet is current to 30th June 2011