paradigm | workbook | accessioning

Workbook on Digital Private Papers > Accessioning

Transfer Protocol

This transfer protocol will continue to be refined in light of the project staff's experiences of undertaking further accessions.

Aim of the protocol

The goal of this transfer protocol is to enable authentic records to be securely transferred from the premises where they are currently accessed or stored to the premises of the Library's Digital Archive. The protocol includes measures designed to:

preserve as much of the records original order as possible
protect the integrity of the records
secure the records from unauthorised access

Currently, the transfer protocol only covers transfer by removable media. It is hoped that a protocol for electronic transfers will be developed in the future.

Pre-accession assessment

The pre-accessions survey will normally comprise a site visit to conduct a records survey and some discussion with the depositor (or representative) via phone or email. The records survey has been developed to enable the digital archivist to gather the information required to undertake an accession which includes digital materials. The survey assists the archivist in:

identifying record series of historical significance
quantifying the records to be accessioned
providing biographical and administrative contexts to the creation of the records
discovering which hardware(s) and software(s) are being used to create records
learning about any username/passwords which might be required to access or copy materials
discovering which hardware(s) and software(s) might be used in the transfer process

Transferring records to removable media (generic)

The first site visit and survey should have helped the archivist to determine which records are to be captured, and how. The archivist should now be prepared to make the first accession. To do so the archivist will need:

a laptop with checksum software, encryption software, anti-virus software, CD-ROM reader/USB
removable media to store the records (agreed in advance with the depositor, perhaps a CD-ROM or USB stick)
a copy of the deposit agreement
some transfer forms

At the premises where the records are to be copied, the archivist should follow these steps:

Where possible, records should be compressed in existing directory structures using a tar or zip file (this helps to maintain original directory structures)
These compressed files should be transferred to the removable medium (the type will have been determined at the records survey stage and will depend on the hardware available, and the quantity of records to be captured)
Insert the removable medium into the digital archivist's laptop and using the pre-installed checksum software on the digital archivists laptop, generate a checksum of each compressed file and record it on the transfer form
The data to be archived should the be encrypted to secure it during transit.
Use the transfer form to record the ref. nos. of the removable medium (e.g. CD-R 1) and to provide details of the files held on each medium (checksum of zip files, description of content, description of file formats)
The digital archivist and the depositors representative should both sign the transfer form

Transferring records using a biometric external hard drive

Where possible Paradigm now uses a biometric hard drive for transfers of material at site visits. This method has a number of advantages over CD-Rs, DVD-Rs or USB sticks:

The biometric exeternal hard drive has a capacity of 80GB, so we can often fit the entire accession on one device
We can run the checksum software from the drive rather than from the archivist's laptop
The process creates fewer temporary files
the transfer is quicker and simpler using one device
The biometric encryption protects the accession while in transit and reassures depositors.

To transfer records using the biometric hard drive, the archivist should follow these steps:

Records identified for accessioning should be compressed in existing directory structures using a tar or zip file (this reduces file size for transfer and helps to maintain original directory structures).
These compressed files should be moved to the portable hard drive. To do this the digital archivist will need to attach the portable hard drive to the depositor's computer. (With most portable hard drives it is necessary to have access to 2 USB ports to attach the portable hard drive. The digital archivist may need to temporarily disconnect cables - make sure these are reconnected once the accession is complete). Once zipped copies have been successfully transferred to the portable hard drive, the zipped copies on the depositors desktop can be safely deleted.
Once the material is on the portable hard drive, the digital archivist can use the checksum software which is pre-installed on the portable hard drive to generate a checksum for each compressed file. These checksums should be recorded on the transfer form and saved as plain text file along with the compressed archival files. If a large number of files are to be accessioned it may be useful to create a folder for the checksums. The exact procedure for generating the checksum will depend on the software used.
Use the transfer form to record details of the files held on each medium (checksum of zip files, description of content, description of file formats).
The digital archivist and the depositors representative should both sign the transfer form.

The current version of the transfer form can be downloaded here:

The form is available in ODT, PDF and RTF formats.

ODT: part of the open document format (ISO 26300) (ODF) family, the ODT format is an open, XML-based, standard for textual documents. ODT files can be viewed by applications including OpenOffice.org 2.0, StarOffice 8 and IBM Workplace.
PDF: several applications for viewing and printing PDF documents exist. Adobe Acrobat Reader is one of many which may be downloaded free of charge.
RTF: many of the word processing applications used on the Linux, Macintosh and Windows platforms can view RTF files. Some of the applications which can read RTF files include: AppleWorks, openoffice.org, Microsoft Word, Star Office and Wordperfect.

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