Practical digital solutions: a DIY approach to digital preservation

Abstract

Since the introduction of computers, archivists have had to find ways to deal with digital records. As more records are born digital (created through digital means) and digital technologies become more entrenched in how data is created and processed, it is imperative that archivists properly preserve these records. This thesis seeks to propose one possible solution to this issue. Rather than advocate for paid solutions or electronic record management systems, it advocates for more practical in-house DIY solutions. The first chapter lays out background information and the historiography of digital archiving in Canada at the federal level. The second chapter moves step-by-step through a workflow developed at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Medicine Archives that lays out one possible DIY style solution. The third chapter is an audit of the workflow from the second chapter against three important international standards for preserving digital information.