In digital preservation, the solution to most issues is prevention. As we build our digital resiliency, it’s important to incorporate as many prevention aspects as possible because repair efforts are frequently dependent upon them.
In a previous post, I introduced the concept of digital resiliency, shared foundational questions to ask about digital preservation at your museum, and recommended a shift from digital preservation alone to a more holistic focus on digital resiliency. To prepare for that shift, we discussed common challenges with museum digital collections and two vital elements of digital collection health: file integrity and access.
This post will outline the important detection and repair elements of our larger resiliency effort.
Detect
Detection helps identify issues early on so that repair measures can occur before a massive loss is experienced. Using what we learned about digital file integrity and digital file access, let’s explore how to use detection as a regular part of building digital collection resilience.
Primary detection activities include:
- Monitoring file format
- Checking checksums
- Opening and file viewing
Monitoring File Format
As our capacity (and expectation) for quality continues to increase with improvements in technology, impetus to create digital files in high quality lossless formats and at larger file sizes is typically preferred. Additionally, while original file types are preferred to honor the original aspects of the file, building resiliency may require the file to be saved in a file type that can “lock in” the format of the information the file visually presents.
For example, architectural renderings are usually created with specialized software that may not be easily available (now or in the future). Saving a PDF version helps stick the formatting in place.
Monitoring file types as part of your digital resilience plan is a crucial component. Even though the main file types don’t often change, it’s still a good practice to monitor all file format types present in your collection.
Checking Checksums
Checksums are a digital file’s unique finger print. Once recorded, this finger print can be used as a reference for future file health checks. Platforms that were created with digital preservation principles in mind will possess a checksum tool; however, many more do not. A supplemental tool like Open Preservation Fund’s Fixity Pro (free, open source) can assist with improving digital resiliency.
Opening and File Viewing
This step is both easy and critical. It may not be possible or desirable to open every digital file in a periodic audit; however, it’s important to still access and open areas of files at least once a year. Monitoring file formats and running a checksums program will greatly support a resilient pathway, but it may miss some of the more logistical or hidden challenges that prevent good digital stewardship.
For example, if an external drive is used as a preservation backup and loaded with PDF files that all have a checksum, you may understandably think that they’re “safe”. However, at any moment the drive could be damaged or reach end of life, or the files could be accidentally moved or deleted. Spot checking in real time for “the basics” of opening a file will help to shine a light on these potential preservation threats before they’re irreparable.
Additional Reading
For a deeper dive into assessing digital file integrity and access along with suggested processes, please see these previously published posts on Lucidea’s Think Clearly blog:
- Museum Digital File Preservation: File Integrity (October 2022)
- Museum Digital File Preservation: File Access (October 2022)
Repair
Preservation places an emphasis on preventative measures and the same is true for building digital resilience. Outlining your repair options before you need them is an important factor for success.
For digital files, access to a backup version or regenerating a file from a protected preservation file system are the easiest to achieve. In order to perform repair one of the following tools with process is needed:
- A backup system that is scheduled or manually triggered to make frequent and full backups of your files.
- A preservation system (DIY counts) to store and protect preserved copies of your files from which new derivatives can be created.
There are methods of performing digital file repair without these elements, but it tends to require a large amount of expertise and is costly, especially if it’s a large number of files in need of repair. Additionally, even if the file is repairable, there’s no guarantee that it will resemble the original with 100% accuracy.
Prepare in Order to Repair
This post outlined how detection performed on several aspects of digital files can help catch early file issues and how repair is possible with thoughtful preparation.
With an understanding of how detection and repair play a role in building digital collection resiliency, we can now turn our attention to the final pieces. Please join us for the next post in this series on building resilient digital collections, which will center on collection protection and planning.
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