Electronic Records at the 2016 CPR Pre-Conference

By Danielle Emerling, Assistant Curator, Congressional and Political Papers Archivist
West Virginia & Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries

The annual Congressional Papers Roundtable pre-conference program is fast approaching, and several sessions address issues with born digital records.

In the morning, a panel titled “Web Archiving Congress” will explore the state of the congressional web. Panelists from state and university repositories, the Federal Web Archiving Group, and the Internet Archive will discuss their approaches to web archiving. As many of us well know, members of Congress have been using the web to communicate with constituents since the 1990s, and they increasingly use social media in a dialogue with constituents, the media, and each other. The session encourages the audience to think about how CPR members can work together to archive Congress’ web presence and what that collaboration could look like.

In the afternoon, archivists with information systems experience will provide a view of security for digital materials from both IT and archives perspectives. The conversation will give archivists insights in order to work more effectively with systems departments at their own institutions and with vendors. The panelists will provide tips for answering donors’ questions about how the archives will keep digital records secure over time.

Finally, the program will end with a moderated discussion about “(Re)Appraising.” Questions will address both paper and electronic records appraisal, and the audience is encouraged to think about appraisal in the context of our hybrid collections.

This year’s CPR pre-conference will take place at Georgia State University’s Commerce Building in the Bennett Brown Room. More details about the program are available in the CPR summer 2016 newsletter.

Donation of Digital Records: Preferred File Formats, Social Media, and Schedules

By Danielle Emerling, Assistant Curator, Congressional and Political Papers Archivist
West Virginia & Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries

In June and July 2015, the Electronic Records Committee conducted a “Donation of Digital Records” survey, which followed up on the 2014 survey that collected information about electronic records policies and practices in congressional papers collections. The 2015 survey took a more detailed look at donation practices, and while only 12 members of the CPR and ACSC responded, the ERC is using the information to develop tips and resources.

This post will address file formats, social media and websites, and transfer schedules, and a post later this month will discuss donor communications.

Preferred File Formats

As a profession we know the importance of identifying preferred file formats that will help us to preserve and provide long-term access to our digital materials. By creating a consensus about preferred formats, we increase the likelihood that these formats will receive continued support into the future.

Only half of the survey respondents indicated that they have preferred file formats, which included PDF, JPEG, and TIFF. Of those who have preferred file formats, no one had 100 percent success in receiving those formats from donors. These responses indicate that many of us have work to do on this front, and while we wouldn’t reject a collection because it doesn’t meet file format requirements, the right formats can go a long way toward helping us to process and preserve our digital collections.

Take action: If your repository has yet to define preferred file formats for donation of electronic records, there are some very good resources to get you started. One is the Library of Congress Recommended Formats Statement, which covers formats for textual works, still images, audio and moving images, and more. The statement was last revised in 2015. Another place to look is the National Archives and Records Administration Revised Format Guidance for the Transfer of Permanent Electronic Records.

Social Media Accounts and Websites

Congressional offices have used websites to take positions and communicate information to constituents, and increasingly they rely on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to do the same. This is why it’s troubling that out of 12 respondents, eight indicated social media accounts or websites were not transferred with collections. Of those who did receive these types of materials, three respondents harvested files themselves; one received files exported by the office; and one received files exported from a vendor.

Take action: If possible, start conversations with a congressional office early, and determine if and how the office is saving their web and social media presence. For sample questions related to electronic records, websites, and social media, see the Electronic Records Checklist for Congressional Offices (short version). To take web and social media archiving into your own hands, survey respondents provided a few options: Archive-It; Heritrix and Wayback (“very thorough”); and HTTrack (“Fine for websites. Did not do social media as well…”).  

Transfers and Summary of Experiences

Many repositories receive congressional records when the office is closing, and in the case of some digital materials, transfer can occur long after an office has closed. Ten out of 12 respondents received digital records when the office closed, while only a handful received periodic transfers with no regular schedule. Although some respondents pointed out drawbacks to schedules, most said they would prefer periodic transfers because they help with planning; allow more opportunities to converse with donors about what files are; and ensure that formats comply with standards.

When files were transferred, eight respondents indicated that those files arrived on external hard drives, and three identified that files came on another type of removable media. It turns out that respondents felt external hard drives usually are the preferable method because the breadth of files can capture the organization as a whole; it’s convenient; and donors understand how to use the drives. Preferences for methods of transfer also changed depending on the situation.

Take action: If possible, talk to potential donors about the benefits of scheduling regular transfers of digital (and paper) materials. Document your repository’s allowed and preferred methods of transferring digital materials, and share that information with donors.

Do you have recommendations for taking action in any of these three areas? Please leave a comment, or send a message to the ERC.

Welcome to the CPR Electronic Records Committee Website

By Danielle Emerling, Electronic Records Committee Co-Chair

In 2009, faced with a deluge of questions and concerns about electronic records in congressional collections, leaders of the Congressional Papers Roundtable carried out a
survey to address the extent of electronic records held by repositories and how these resources were managed. The results revealed major dilemmas for congressional archives. Few repositories had policies or standards in place to manage electronic records. Most lacked staff to perform electronic records management tasks. And several could not access a significant portion of the electronic records in congressional collections. 

Recognizing an urgent need for leadership in this area, the Electronic Records Task Force was formed, and in 2012, after several successful initiatives, the group became the standing Electronic Records Committee (ERC).

The Electronic Records Committee continues the important work of updating and creating resources to assist roundtable members with electronic records management. This website is the latest effort to provide easy access to sample electronic records policies, recommendations for acquiring and managing electronic records, and lists of vendors, funding opportunities, and digital tools.

As many archivists know, modern congressional collections pose major challenges because they contain large quantities of digital files, obsolete media, proprietary software, and numerous formats.

This is a place to address those issues together:

Case Studies

The ERC promotes the work of roundtable members and non-members who work with digital resources in congressional and political papers. We invite you to submit case studies, Q&As, project updates, and lessons learned. Topics for case studies might include archival management, testing and using digital tools, implementation of standards, and analyses of different types of congressional data.

Sample Repository Documents

The ERC encourages sharing policy statements, workflows, procedures, and other operational documents, even in draft form. Through this exchange, we can help one another to develop good and common practices, and move toward best practices, by sharing information early and often. We all know there is no perfect solution to digital challenges, but it’s important to start somewhere.

Submit your Questions

The ERC has a unique composition of archivists from repositories, Capitol Hill, and the National Archives and Records Administration, which gives us the opportunity to explore congressional electronic records management from multiple perspectives and throughout the records life cycle. We hope that you will join our conversation. Specifically, we are beginning a monthly series, “Ask an SA,” in which a systems administrator on the Hill answers a question posed by a congressional repository archivist. The Q&A can be posted anonymously to promote a more thorough exchange.

CPR and the ERC have a great history of activity and collaboration. The ERC hopes this site and its resources will offer another forum for exchanging information and informing one another’s work in this critical and fast-changing area of congressional collections management.