The National Archives selects, maintains and preserves Australian Government records of enduring value, and makes them available for public access 30 years after their creation.
In a rapidly changing digital environment, meeting this responsibility is a real challenge. Hardware and software obsolescence requires the National Archives to intervene actively to maintain digital records and provide access to them long after their creation.
Consider the type and volume of records government agencies create in their day-to-day operations. The Department of Finance and Administration, for example, generates numerous records each day, dealing with Budget matters, financial initiatives and reviews, and financial advice and training for all of government. Some of these records are paper but many are digital, and they comprise many formats – word-processing documents, spreadsheets, emails, images and so on.
Some 18 Australian Government departments, with responsibility for 187 agencies, generate a vast number of records each year. Generally, no more than 5 per cent of records are deemed to be of archival significance and transferred to the National Archives for safekeeping and future access. That 5 per cent of records will eventually comprise more digital records than paper records.
The National Archives has developed an innovative approach to meet the challenge of digital preservation. It is now operating a prototype that has been recognised nationally and internationally as a sustainable, scaleable and innovative answer to the complexities of digital preservation and access. For more information see:
The National Archives approach is to convert digital records into openly-specified preservation file formats to guarantee access to their contents in the future. The open formats are based on public standards, have full specifications that are publicly documented, and are interoperable with a range of software applications.
The Archives has avoided using proprietary (ie closed format) software so that the intellectual property constraints on such software are respected but do not limit continuing access to government records over time.
The Archives has developed software tools to convert data into open formats, as well as tools to export to original formats and access converted data in the way it was originally presented. The use of open file formats will allow others to build tools capable of presenting or repurposing data preserved by the Archives.
The Archives acknowledges that it is impossible to capture the exact look of all types of documents and endeavours to capture as much of the essential elements of an digital record as possible.
To keep abreast of changes in information technology and the dynamic nature of digital records creation and management, the Archives undertakes ongoing research and development.
The National Archives approach to digital preservation is currently operating as a prototype, and the Archives continues to plan and prepare for a future when the volume of records will require a more sophisticated system to handle a significantly larger volume of records.
The National Archives shares responsibility for preserving Australia’s digital heritage with the government agencies that create the records. Already, many agencies have unreadable legacy digital records. By raising awareness about obsolescence, the National Archives is seeking to stop the proliferation of unreadable digital records. Where such digital records already exist, the Archives can support and guide agencies in determining whether the content and context can be retrieved and preserved.
Both the National Archives and Australian Government agencies must respond proactively and creatively to the challenge of preserving and maintaining Australia’s digital records heritage.