Tools

Identification

PARADIGM Online Workbook

Between 2005 and 2007, the Paradigm project of the Bodleian Library and John Rylands University Library explored the issues involved in the long-term preservation of born-digital private papers in the context of hybrid archives - those that are composed of traditional and born-digital formats. The project accessioned sample archives from contemporary UK politicians and used these to gain practical experience of combining archival and digital curation worflows, standards, tools and technologies. An Online Workbook was created during the project and a print edition has recently been produced.
http://www.paradigm.ac.uk/workbook
Suitable for:

RODA (Repositório de Objectos Digitais Autênticos)

The National Archive Institute of Portugal (IAN/TT) doesn't currently have the needed infrastructures to support the processes of ingestion and management of digital objects produced by the public administration (PA). The initiatives of the eGovernment establish the need to support its activity in information and communication technologies to improve the efficiency, productivity and quality of their public services. In this scenario it is clear that the number of digital objects produced by these institutions will grow, and that their legal value and authenticity should be assured.
http://portal.roda.dgarq.gov.pt/
Suitable for:

Protégé Ontology Editor

Protégé is a free, open source ontology editor and knowledge-base framework. The Protégé platform supports two main ways of modelling ontologies via the Protégé-Frames and Protégé-OWL editors. Protégé ontologies can be exported into a variety of formats including RDF(S), OWL, and XML Schema.
http://protege.stanford.edu/
Suitable for:

GovTalk (UK)

The purpose of this site is to enable the Public Sector, Industry and other interested participants to work together to develop and agree policies and standards for e-government. This is achieved through the UK GovTalk consultation processes. Functionality:  The site is divided broadly into two areas: Schemas and Standards This part of the site covers all aspects relating to the e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF), the e-Government Metadata Standard (e-GMS) and the Government Data Standards Catalogue (GDSC).
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/govtalk.aspx
Suitable for:

CORDRA (Content Object Repository Discovery and Registration/Resolution Architecture)

This tool can be used to create handles or IDs to assign to files. Functionality:  ID generator. Level of Expertise:  High. Simple to execute, but knowledge of Data IDs and handles needed.
http://cordra.net/
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EPICUR - Enhancement of Persistent Identifier Services: Comprehensive Method for Unequivocal Resource Identification

Persistent Identifiers are essential conditions for an effective management of digital resources and reliable access to electronic documents. Currently several persistent identifiers services have been established, however there is a general demand concerning the active introduction of persistent identifiers, further development of technical components of persistent identifier services and the establishment of an organisational infrastructure regarding persistent identifiers.
http://www.persistent-identifier.de
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Go-Geo

Go-Geo! is an online resource discovery tool which allows for the identification and retrieval of records describing the content, quality, condition and other characteristics of geospatial data that exist with UK tertiary education and beyond. The portal supports geospatial searching by interactive map, grid co-ordinates and place name, as well as the more traditional topic or keyword forms of searching.
http://www.gogeo.ac.uk/
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UKOLN Interoperability Focus

Interoperability Focus is a national activity, jointly funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the Further and Higher Education Funding Councils and Resource: the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries. Based within UKOLN, Interoperability Focus works closely with other staff on a range of issues including metadata, distributed systems and public library networking.
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/interop-focus/
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Data Description Tools

eDAVID - Expertisecentrum DAVID

Expertisecentrum DAVID is a centre of research and knowledge on digital archiving.
http://www.expertisecentrumdavid.be/eng/index.php
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Representation Information Repository

This DCC tool records the representation information (e.g. file format structural information as well as semantic metadata) necessary to be able to interpret an archived digital object, and in turn assists users to populate relevant technical preservation metadata fields for digital objects being preserved.
http://dev.dcc.ac.uk/dccrrt/
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EdNA Online Metadata Toolset

This tool assists web page creators to embed standardised metadata into their pages. It will also prepare pages for harvesting and integrate different metadata schemas. Lists of the standards can be found on the EdNA website. Functionality:  Metadata creator and editor. Level of Expertise:  Knowledge of metadata and some knowledge of Java applications.
http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/go/pid/1505/
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XMP

XMP (eXtensible Metadata Platform) is a tool that assists the digital preservation workflow in that it allows you to attach metadata to digital objects. It is an open-source product and freely available to the community. XMP is extensible in that it can also accommodate existing metadata schemas. This tool is particularly pertinent for digital imaging. Functionality:  Metadata creation tool. Level of Expertise:  Fairly high.
http://www.adobe.com/products/xmp/main.html
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Metadata Extraction Tool

This has been developed by the National Library of New Zealand and leads the way in being one of the first tools of its kind to extract preservation metadata from the headers of a range of file formats. The metadata standard used is the NLNZ preservation metadata schema, but it can be configured to support other business processes. Automatic extraction is a key development for the digital preservation community.
http://www.natlib.govt.nz/en/whatsnew/4initiatives.html#extraction
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SKOS Core

SKOS stands for Simple Knowledge Organisation System. SKOS Core is a model used to describe 'concept' schemas and the relationships between them. For example, glossaries, thesauri, controlled vocabularies. Functionality:  Provides a framework for expressing knowledge organisation systems in a machine-understandable way. Level of Expertise:  Good understanding of the concept of ontologies and descriptive schemas, such as RDF.
http://www.w3.org/TR/2005/WD-swbp-skos-core-guide-20051102/
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Go-Geo

Go-Geo! is an online resource discovery tool which allows for the identification and retrieval of records describing the content, quality, condition and other characteristics of geospatial data that exist with UK tertiary education and beyond. The portal supports geospatial searching by interactive map, grid co-ordinates and place name, as well as the more traditional topic or keyword forms of searching.
http://www.gogeo.ac.uk/
Suitable for:

JHOVE

(JSTOR/Harvard Object Validation Environment): USA. Every object that is ingested into a digital archive needs to be identified and its file format needs to be verified. A data curator needs to be sure that the digital object entered into an archive is the file format that it purports to be. Functionality:  File format verification tool. Level of Expertise:  High. Technical knowledge of applications, APIs (Application Programme Interfaces) to implement the tool.
http://hul.harvard.edu/jhove/index.html
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PRONOM

The online registry of technical information. PRONOM is a resource for anyone requiring impartial and definitive information about the file formats, software products and other technical components required to support long-term access to electronic records and other digital objects of cultural, historical or business value. Functionality:  File format specification database. Level of Expertise:  Knowledge of metadata schemas in particular technical preservation metadata.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pronom/
Suitable for:

SKOS Core Vocabulary Specification

Provides a reference-style overview of the SKOS Core Vocabulary, and describes policies for ownership, naming, persistence and change management. Functionality:  A practical application of the Resource Description Framework. Level of Expertise:  Knowledge of the Resource Description Framework.
http://www.w3.org/TR/2005/WD-swbp-skos-core-spec-20051102/
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Management Software

eDAVID - Expertisecentrum DAVID

Expertisecentrum DAVID is a centre of research and knowledge on digital archiving.
http://www.expertisecentrumdavid.be/eng/index.php
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Xena Software

This open-source preservation software developed by the National Archives of Australia is free and openly available. Xena (XML Electronic Normalising of Archives) converts digital records into two forms for preservation: a base64-encoded version (using only printable ASCII characters) and an XML representation.
http://xena.sourceforge.net/
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Records Management Capacity Assessment System

The International Records Management Trust has created a software tool to assist the preservation and management of records in the public sector. This tool can be applied across all public sector areas and disciplines and can identify strengths, weaknesses and risks in existing systems. Functionality:  Records management tool to assist long term preservation. Level of Expertise:  Knowledge of records management.
http://www.irmt.org/
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JISC DIGITAL MEDIA

The Technical Advisory Service for Images is a JISC funded service. It provides advice and guidance to the Further and Higher Education community on the issues of: Creating digital images (including raster, vector and animated formats) Delivering digital images to users Using digital images to support teaching, learning and research Managing both small and large scale digitisation projects.
http://www.tasi.ac.uk/resources/resources.html
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Go-Geo

Go-Geo! is an online resource discovery tool which allows for the identification and retrieval of records describing the content, quality, condition and other characteristics of geospatial data that exist with UK tertiary education and beyond. The portal supports geospatial searching by interactive map, grid co-ordinates and place name, as well as the more traditional topic or keyword forms of searching.
http://www.gogeo.ac.uk/
Suitable for:

Data Storage Tools

eDAVID - Expertisecentrum DAVID

Expertisecentrum DAVID is a centre of research and knowledge on digital archiving.
http://www.expertisecentrumdavid.be/eng/index.php
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Preservation Guide (for Audiovisual Media)

If you have audiovisual media, it needs maintenance - or you will lose it. This guide shows how to: conserve old formats digitise for transfer to new formats create digital file formats use digital restoration use mass storage provide electronic and web access Functionality:  Wiki Level of Expertise:  Introductory, but also has information of use to experienced professionals
http://www.bbcarchive.org.uk
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AV Digitisation and Storage GuideStorage Guide

Web site for archive owners and the public alike, which provides first point-of-call for information on audiovisual storage. The site provides information and management tools on digital technology for the storage of film, video and audio content and associated metadata.
http://prestospace-sam.ssl.co.uk/
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OceanStore

A global persistent store that will support millions of users at any given time. Functionality:  Durable, consistent storage for back-up purposes. Level of Expertise:  Basic knowledge of storage systems.
http://oceanstore.cs.berkeley.edu/info/overview.html
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CASTOR

(CERN Advanced STORage Manager. This software is free for academics, but only runs on Linux. CASTOR is a system for interfacing to mass storage, such as a tape robot. Functionality:  Mass Storage Interface. CASTOR provides a C API and set of Unix commands to access data transparently, not knowing whether it is on local or remote storage. Level of Expertise:  High
http://castor.web.cern.ch/castor/
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JISC DIGITAL MEDIA

The Technical Advisory Service for Images is a JISC funded service. It provides advice and guidance to the Further and Higher Education community on the issues of: Creating digital images (including raster, vector and animated formats) Delivering digital images to users Using digital images to support teaching, learning and research Managing both small and large scale digitisation projects.
http://www.tasi.ac.uk/resources/resources.html
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Digital Repository and Library Models

Repository Interoperability Framework (RIFF) Submission Service Source Code

The RIFF Submission Service provides a service-oriented framework to support the packaging and routing of content and metadata from a source application to a target repository.
http://www.apsr.edu.au/software.htm
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Online Research Collections Australia (ORCA) Registry

The ORCA Registry software provides for a registry of collection level (and associated service, party and activity) metadata that is based on the ISO 2146 draft standard. More information about ORCA can be found at the APSR web site. The ORCA Registry software consists of a PostgreSQL database that is managed/utilised by a PHP module housed within an instance of the COSI framework.
http://www.apsr.edu.au/software.htm
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FEZ

Fez is an open source project to produce and maintain a highly flexible web interface to FEDORA for any Library or Institution to configure and publish or archive documents of any type sustainably.
http://www.apsr.edu.au/software.htm
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Field Helper

Field Helper is a desktop application that enables you to quickly view and categorise groups of related digital files and then submit the resulting package to a repository for long term preservation and access.
http://www.apsr.edu.au/software.htm
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Collection Services Infrastructure (COSI) Framework

COSI is a web applications framework built to provide authentication (via either LDAP or the built-in service) and roles based access to modules of grouped functionality (or sub applications). More information about COSI can be found at the APSR web site. COSI is built with PHP (5.2.1) and PostgreSQL (8.2.3), and has been tested running under Apache 2.2.4 on Redhat Linux 9 and Mac OS X 10.4, but should also run on windows (and maybe even under Internet Information Server). PHP should be configured with pgsql, libxml, xsl, ldap, and open ssl.
http://www.apsr.edu.au/software.htm
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Automated Obsolescence Notification System (AONS) II

AONS (Automated Obsolescence Notification System) notifies repository managers about formats within digital resources in their repositories and alerts them to potential problems relevant to obsolescence and long term usage.
http://www.apsr.edu.au/software.htm
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RODA (Repositório de Objectos Digitais Autênticos)

The National Archive Institute of Portugal (IAN/TT) doesn't currently have the needed infrastructures to support the processes of ingestion and management of digital objects produced by the public administration (PA). The initiatives of the eGovernment establish the need to support its activity in information and communication technologies to improve the efficiency, productivity and quality of their public services. In this scenario it is clear that the number of digital objects produced by these institutions will grow, and that their legal value and authenticity should be assured.
http://portal.roda.dgarq.gov.pt/
Suitable for:

Preserv Project - Preservation Eprints Services

Preserv (now Preserv 2, since it is in its second phase of funding) is a JISC project investigating and developing infrastructural digital preservation services for institutional repositories. Project partners are Southampton University, The National Archives, The British Library and Oxford University. Functionality:  An ingest service based on the OAIS reference model for institutional archives built using EPrints software.
http://preserv.eprints.org/
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GDFR

Academic institutions are beginning to create institutional digital repositories. This is an on-going project set up by a collaboration of international digital library and archival communities to develop a sustainable, global registry of digital representation formats, which are represented in a human readable form. The GDFR would interoperate with the TOM tool Functionality:  File format registry. Level of Expertise:  Knowledge of digital repositories.
http://hul.harvard.edu/gdfr/
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EPrints

EPrints is a tool to manage the digital research output of scholarly institutions. It is free and open source and because it is OAI (Open Archives Initiative) compliant, other EPrints archives can also be searched.
http://www.eprints.org/
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Fedora

This digital repository service is open source and free to implement. The system architecture supports the storage of digital objects, version control, import and export of objects in XML as well as search and retrieval.
http://www.fedora.info/
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KB e-depot

This project has created a preservation sub-system; a storage repository that ensures access to the digital object over time.The e-depot is only one part of the preservation workflow, and the other parts have also been designed. Functionality:  Preservation resource tool. Level of Expertise:  Useful for anyone interested in digital preservation implementations to see a working model.
http://www.kb.nl/dnp/e-depot/e-depot-en.html
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DSpace

This software is open-source and free for anyone to use. DSpace is an institutional repository system that focuses on long-term preservation. Functionality:  Active preservation strategy. Level of Expertise:  Useful for anyone interested in digital preservation implementations, particularly in the HE/FE research domain.
http://www.dspace.org/
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SRB

Storage Resource Broker, San Diego Supercomputer Centre. Free to academic users. Functionality:  Mass Storage Interface with metafile catalogue. The SDSC Storage Resource Broker is client-server middleware that provides a uniform interface for connecting to heterogeneous data resources over a network and accessing replicated data sets. SRB, in conjunction with the Metadata Catalog (MCAT), provides a way to access data sets and resources based on their attributes and/or logical names rather than their names or physical locations.
http://www.sdsc.edu/srb/index.php/Main_Page
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Tei Publisher

This digital repository toolkit will enable xml-based digital objects to be searched and retrieved according to any XML DTD. The tool is aimed at assisting repository administrators who have limited technical knowledge. Functionality:  XML-based digital repository for management of digital collections. Level of Expertise:  Basic knowledge of storage systems.
http://teipublisher.sourceforge.net/docs/index.php
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VIRLIB - Electronic Document Store (Universities of Antwerp)

The VIRLIB project's focus is on the development of a real delivery service of electronic documents added to Impala, i.e. the Belgian system of managing and transmitting interlibrary requests for loan. In other words, the system VIRLIB II will enable the interlibrary loan department of any scientific library affiliated to the Impala network to deliver directly to the users workpost, in electronic format, any article asked for by the user in question.
http://www.kbr.be/virlib2/
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DSpace@Cambridge

Cambridge University Library, in association with the University Computing Service, has formulated a major project to provide the University with an institutional digital repository, "DSpace@Cambridge". This repository will provide a home for the increasing amount of material that is being digitised from the University Library's own printed and manuscript collections. It also has the ability to capture, index, store, disseminate and preserve digital materials created in any part of the University.
http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/dspace/
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Documentation and Standards

eDAVID - Expertisecentrum DAVID

Expertisecentrum DAVID is a centre of research and knowledge on digital archiving.
http://www.expertisecentrumdavid.be/eng/index.php
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CRiB (Conversion and Recommendation of Digital Object Formats)

The CRiB is a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) designed to assist cultural heritage institutions in the implementation of migration-based preservation interventions. The CRiB system works by assessing the quality of distinct conversion applications or services to produce recommendations of optimal migration strategies. The recommendations produced by the system take into account the specific preservation requirements of each client institution.
http://crib.dsi.uminho.pt/
Suitable for:

RODA (Repositório de Objectos Digitais Autênticos)

The National Archive Institute of Portugal (IAN/TT) doesn't currently have the needed infrastructures to support the processes of ingestion and management of digital objects produced by the public administration (PA). The initiatives of the eGovernment establish the need to support its activity in information and communication technologies to improve the efficiency, productivity and quality of their public services. In this scenario it is clear that the number of digital objects produced by these institutions will grow, and that their legal value and authenticity should be assured.
http://portal.roda.dgarq.gov.pt/
Suitable for:

ICA (International Council on Archives)

The International Council on Archives (ICA) is dedicated to the advancement of archives worldwide. In pursuing the advancement of archives, ICA works for the protection and enhancement of the memory of the world. ICA is the professional organisation for the world archival community, dedicated to promoting the preservation, development, and use of the world's archival heritage. It brings together national archive administrations, professional associations of archivists, regional and local archives and archives of other organisations as well as individual archivists.
http://www.ica.org
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Go-Geo

Go-Geo! is an online resource discovery tool which allows for the identification and retrieval of records describing the content, quality, condition and other characteristics of geospatial data that exist with UK tertiary education and beyond. The portal supports geospatial searching by interactive map, grid co-ordinates and place name, as well as the more traditional topic or keyword forms of searching.
http://www.gogeo.ac.uk/
Suitable for:

Strategy Tools and Guidelines

eDAVID - Expertisecentrum DAVID

Expertisecentrum DAVID is a centre of research and knowledge on digital archiving.
http://www.expertisecentrumdavid.be/eng/index.php
Suitable for:

RODA (Repositório de Objectos Digitais Autênticos)

The National Archive Institute of Portugal (IAN/TT) doesn't currently have the needed infrastructures to support the processes of ingestion and management of digital objects produced by the public administration (PA). The initiatives of the eGovernment establish the need to support its activity in information and communication technologies to improve the efficiency, productivity and quality of their public services. In this scenario it is clear that the number of digital objects produced by these institutions will grow, and that their legal value and authenticity should be assured.
http://portal.roda.dgarq.gov.pt/
Suitable for:

erpaGuidance

This set of guidance papers include advice on digital preservation issues such as Costing, Risk Management and Policy as well as more hands-on preservation issues such as Selection and Ingest.
http://www.erpanet.org/guidance/
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CAMiLEON (Creative Archiving at Michigan and Leeds: Emulating the Old on the New)

The CAMiLEON Project is developing and evaluating a range of technical strategies for the long term preservation of digital materials. User evaluation studies and a preservation cost analysis are providing answers as to when and where these strategies will be used. The project is a joint undertaking between the Universities of Michigan (USA) and Leeds (UK) and is funded by JISC and NSF. CAMiLEON stands for Creative Archiving at Michigan and Leeds: Emulating the Old on the New.
http://www.si.umich.edu/CAMILEON/
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Web Archiving Tools

WebCite

WebCite® is a project initiated by the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation at the University of Toronto intended to digitally archive web material (web pages, PDF documents, and so on) which are cited in scholarly articles. The idea of WebCite is that authors of scholarly papers (as well as editors and publishers of scholarly work) are increasingly citing digital material which is in the public domain on the web, yet which is at risk to disappear, i.e.
http://www.webcitation.org
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eDAVID - Expertisecentrum DAVID

Expertisecentrum DAVID is a centre of research and knowledge on digital archiving.
http://www.expertisecentrumdavid.be/eng/index.php
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Web Curator Tool

The Web Curator Tool (WCT) is a tool for managing the selective web harvesting process. It is designed for use in libraries and other collecting organisations, and supports collection by non-technical users while still allowing complete control of the web harvesting process. The WCT Project is a collaborative effort by the National Library of New Zealand and the British Library, initiated by the International Internet Preservation Consortium.
http://webcurator.sf.net/
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LOCKSS

Lots Of Copies Keep Stuff Safe. This service is a freely available preservation service that works on the principle that by persistently caching multiple copies of a web serials over multiple sites, the chances of that particular object being preserved are greatly increased. It is used by libraries to preserve their content over the long-term.
http://lockss.stanford.edu/
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Relevant Projects

eDAVID - Expertisecentrum DAVID

Expertisecentrum DAVID is a centre of research and knowledge on digital archiving.
http://www.expertisecentrumdavid.be/eng/index.php
Suitable for:

RODA (Repositório de Objectos Digitais Autênticos)

The National Archive Institute of Portugal (IAN/TT) doesn't currently have the needed infrastructures to support the processes of ingestion and management of digital objects produced by the public administration (PA). The initiatives of the eGovernment establish the need to support its activity in information and communication technologies to improve the efficiency, productivity and quality of their public services. In this scenario it is clear that the number of digital objects produced by these institutions will grow, and that their legal value and authenticity should be assured.
http://portal.roda.dgarq.gov.pt/
Suitable for:

UVC for Images

The National Library of the Netherlands, Koninklijke Bibliotheek [KB], have enhanced their existing preservation services by working with IBM in developing the Universal Virtual Computer. The UVC works by archiving the programme along with a digital file in order that the file can be decoded. PDF files have been used as a testbed, and the project has moved on to investigate JPEG image files.
http://www.kb.nl/hrd/dd/dd_onderzoek/uvc_voor_images-en.html
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IMAPpreserve

Independent Media Arts Preservation, Inc. (IMAP) is a non-profit service, education, and advocacy organization committed to the preservation of non-commercial electronic media. IMAP has grown from a New York-based consortium of arts organizations and individuals to a national resource for preservation training, information, and advocacy. IMAP's core constituents include institutions, organizations, and individuals whose diverse media collections are underserved by existing preservation efforts.
http://www.imappreserve.org
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Grainger Engineering Library Information Center - Digital Library Research Projects

A collection of digital library projects under existence at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These include search tools and resources for digital library development.
http://dli.grainger.uiuc.edu/
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Maastricht McLuhan Institute

The Maastricht McLuhan Institute (MMI), European Centre for Digital Culture, Knowledge Organisation and Learning Technology, was officially opened by Dr Eric McLuhan in November, 1998 and began its formal activities in January, 1999 at the Grote Gracht 82 in Maastricht. MMI is an initiative of the Universiteit Maastricht, the Hogeschool Maastricht, the Hogeschool Limburg, the Limburgs Universitair Centrum (Diepenbeek), the LIOF Industriebank N.V. and the Province of Limburg. The mission of the Research Unit on Digital Culture is twofold.
http://www.mmi.unimaas.nl
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The DCC is funded by

Joint Information Systems Committee