The Information Technology Committee of the International Council of
Archives is concentrationg its work for the next few years on 4 areas:
1. Digitization
2. Electronic Records Preservation
3. Interoperability and the Internet
4. Archives and Records Management Software
In order to develop and deliver programs, activities and training of value
to the international archival community, the committee seeks your input. The
Committee has developed a series of questions to help it in its work. The
committee would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes of your time
to complete the questionnaire and return them to me by 19 October 2001.
The questions are available below the text of this message and as an
attachment to the message. Please forward them to colleagues, other
institutions, and other appropriate listservs.
For those attending the CITRA meetings in Iceland you may wish to give the
completed questionnaire to Olafur Asgeirsson, National Archivist of Iceland
and Chair of the Information Technology Committee.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation. Should you have any
questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Bryan Corbett
Committee Secretary and
University Archivist,
University of Alberta,
Book and Records Depository,
100, 8170- 50 St.
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
T6B 1E6
Tel: 1-(780)-466-6123
Fax: 1-(780)-466-5210
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Archives Website: www.ualberta.ca/archives
Association of Canadian Archivists Website: http://aca.archives.ca
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF ARCHIVES
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
QUESTIONNAIRE
I. QUESTIONS ON DIGITIZATION
1. What project of digital imaging/conversion are you involved
Typology # items Planned Underway Completed Web links
Parchments
Manuscripts
Maps/GIS
Photographs
Audio
Video
1. What criteria do you use, in selecting items for imaging (if a
policy document exists, please send a copy)
* Preservation (intrinsic fragility; frequent access; frequent
reproduction)? Yes/No
* Access (remote use; charging; exhibition & educational uses)? Yes/No
1. What equipment do you use for image capture?
2. What digital imaging do you perform?
* Dpi resolution, color depth, greyscale/bitonal
* Image manipulation: none / type (sharpness filters, color curves,
compression)
* Formats employed for preservation, access, internet
* What metadata relating to capture/treatment of image/images do you
have?
1. What quality control procedures do you use though the digital
imaging process?
2. What kind of training do you perform?
3. What degree of know-how remains in the institution?
4. What are approximately costs, per image; if possible, specifying
between preparation / capture and processing?
5. What kind of relationship do you establish with data structure and
metadata information?
* Filing system
* Database
* Web links
1. What kind of access do you offer: none; on site; on demand; remote
(dial up/internet)
2. Do you protect copyright? Do you charge the access/image delivery?
II. QUSTIONS ON ELECTRONIC RECORDS PRESERVATION
1. Does your organization have agreed policies or strategies for the
long-term preservation of electronically created records?
Yes
No
If so, where are copies of these available?
a) website (give website details):
b) publication (give title, publisher):
c) other (describe):
2. Has your organisation agreed any standards or guidelines for the
long-term preservation of electronically created records?
Yes
No
If so, where are copies of these available?
a) website (give website details):
b) publication (give title, publisher):
c) other (describe):
3. Has your organization completed any projects for the permanent
preservation of electronically created records?
Yes
No
If so, where are details of the projects available?
a) website (give website details):
b) publication (give title, publisher):
c) other (describe):
Please give contact details of someone who can give further information
about the projects.
4. Does your organization have any dedicated hardware or software systems
for the long-term preservation of electronically created records?
Yes
No
If so, what format(s) do these use?
Please give contact details of someone who can give further information
about the systems.
5. Does any system you described in 4 also allow public access to the
records it holds?
Yes
No
If yes, where are details of the system available?
a) website (give website details):
b) publication (give title, publisher):
c) other (describe):
Please give contact details of someone who can give further information
about the system.
6. If your organization has definite plans for implementing any of the
things referred to in questions 1-5, even though these are not yet begun,
please answer the following questions:
Give a brief description, and timetable, for your plans:
When do you plan to have a policy on the long-term, electronic preservation
of electronically created records?
When do you plan to start accessioning electronically created records?
7. Would your organization welcome published standards for long term
preservation, for example on metadata and on formats for preserved material?
Yes
No
8. What resources does your organization currently put, per year, into the
long-term electronic preservation of electronically created records?
Number of staff:
Money:
Other eg facilities, contracts, etc.:
III. QUESTIONS ON INTEROPERABILITY AND THE INTERNET
1 Are you using the internet for giving information about your
archives and its contents in a strategic way (that means: with the goal to
guide customers etc.)
yes - no
2 What kind of information do you offer?
* general information about your archives ("technical" information
like addresses, opening hours etc.)
* information about access and use conditions (archival laws and other
legal regulations)
* general historical information
* information about fonds and records
* access to descriptive data bases
* access to digitized sources
* links to other archives
* special offers ("customers education" in palaeography, genealogy
etc.)
* others: ............
3 What were the major revenues/profits did your archives make as a
result of your internet offerings? (Please give not more than 5
keywords) ...................
4 Do you want to extend your internet capability? In what ways ? .....
5 Have you already implemented an archival information system to
support the archival work in your institution? If not, when are you planning
to do so?
6 Do you use an electronic database-system to describe your records /
archival contents?
yes - partly - no
If yes, which system: ......................
If no, when are you planning to do so?
7 Do you grant access to your database to your customers?
yes - no
If no, when are you planning to do so?
8 Does your description method or description formula match to any
generalized standards?
* ISAD (G)
* others: ........
If not, are you willing / planning to accomodate your description
method or description formular to any generalized standards?
yes - no
9 Are you co-operating with other cultural institutions in your
country? If yes - which institutions and in which form.? If no - when do
you intend to do so?
10 Are you co-operating with other cultural institutions abroad? If yes
- which and in which form? If no - When do you intend to do so ?
11 Have you published any reports about projects and initiatives in the
area of internet, archival networks or archival interoperability? Are these
reports available to others?
12 Are you interested in an exchange of experience in the area of using
the internet in archival work?
IV. QUESTIONS ON ARCHIVES AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
1. Does your institution use archival management software? yes or no.
(if yes please answer questions 2 to10).
2. Does that software have any of the following features?
* Custodial management yes or no?
* Appraisal management yes or no?
* Authorities management yes or no?
* Reading room management yes or no?
* Archival description management yes or no?
* Tasks management yes or no?
* Internet search tools yes or no?
* Support ISAD (G) yes or no?
* Support ISAAR (CPF) yes or no?
1. Was the software developed for your institution or purchased as an
off-the-shelf product?
2. Is your software modular (i.e. you can buy only one feature) yes or
no?
3. What is the name of the database software you are using for your
archival management?
4. What is the name of the application software you are using?
5. What were the implementation costs (including hardware and
software?) in US dollar equivalents?
6. What are the annual maintenance costs (including hardware and
software) in US dollar equivalents?
7. How many users work with your archival management software?
8. What is the name and address of a contact person for further
reference?
9. Does your institution use records management software? Yes or no (if
yes answer questions 12 to 20)
10. Does it have the following features?
* Authorities management yes or no?
* Files management yes or no?
* Events management yes or no?
* Tasks management yes or no?
* Documents management yes or no?
* Classification management yes or no?
* Support ISAD (G) yes or no?
* Support ISAAR (CPF) yes or no?
1. Was the software developed for you or purchased as an off-the-shelf
product?
2. Is your software modular (i.e. you can buy only one feature if
desired) yes or no?
3. What is the name of the database program your institution is using
for your records management software?
4. Which kind of application software are you using?
5. What were the implementation costs (including hardware and software
in US dollar equivalents)?
6. What are the annual maintenance costs (including hardware and
software in US dollar equivalents)?
7. How many users work with your records management software?
8. What is the name and address of a contact person for further
information?
> <<ICA Questions final.doc>>
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