Step Two: Select What You Want to Save

APPRAISAL AND SELECTION

Two of the first steps in archival processing are called appraisal and selection. Appraisal is defined as "the process of determining whether records and other materials have permanent (archival) value" while selection is defined as the "the process of identifying materials to be preserved because of their enduring value" (A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology, Society of American Archivists). Simply put, appraisal and selection refer to the act of putting value on what you have and choosing what to save.

Why do we need to do this? Because we can't possibly preserve everything.

DEVELOPING A SELECTION CRITERIA

Like many aspects of Personal Digital Archiving, selection will ultimately be up to you and what you value as "archival". However, there are two main criterion you can use when selecting files for long-term preservation: importance and format.

• Prioritize files based on importance: You should start by saving and implementing preservation strategies on files that have sentimental, professional, financial, or academic value.
• Prioritize based on format: If you have several copies in varying formats, select the uncompressed or lossless compression copy with the highest resolution (i.e. delete JPEGs but keep TIFFs).

If you're reading this before you create you start a new project (or while you're working on a new project), head to the documenting your work section to learn how to develop a proactive documentation strategy.

Step Three: Organize Your Files

Create a directory structure for the files you have decided to keep and document this directory structure.

TIP: Documenting all decisions regarding your digital preservation strategy, including how you're choosing to organize your files and name your folders, will not only help you in locating your files but it will also help you to maintain order and remind you of past decisions as well the reasoning behind them.

Step Four: Back Up Your Files

THE 3-2-1 RULE

• Make three copies
• Use two different types of media for storing your copies
• Store one copy offsite

Also consider making exhibition or access copies. These are copies that are created from your original work or preservation master and that are used to provide access to the work. Making an access copy is another step in ensuring that no data is accidentally lost by minimizing the times you access or move the original file. These copies are useful when submitting your theses work to the library as we will sometimes ask you for smaller or web-friendly formats rather than archival formats due to lack of capacity for storing large quantities of preservation-quality student work. Head to the Choosing a File Format section to learn how to select preservation formats.

Step Five: Maintain Your Files and Hardware

As stated previously, storing your files in archival-friendly formats is only part of a digital preservation strategy. Digital media and digital storage are fragile and need upkeep. Make a plan to migrate, refresh and test your data.

WHAT TO DO

• Use your inventory to keep track of the kind of formats and storage media you are using in order to assess if the software, hardware, and formats are still accessible to you. For example, if you initially decided not to migrate (transfer) a video art piece from a DVD to an external hard drive but are thinking of getting a new computer without a CD/DVD drive, you will now need to think about transferring that copy of the video to an external hard drive, your computer's hard drive, or consider purchasing a DVD player.
• Access your files and/or storage every 6 months.
• While some of your storage media may not be obsolete, it is a good idea to transfer your data to newer storage media
• Perform test recoveries of data stored in third party services such as Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, or any other commercial storage service you use.
• Develop a retention schedule. Now that you've decided what kinds of file you deem archival, decide how often you will delete drafts and productions files or files you no longer need. For example, you may decide to delete essay drafts at the end of each semester and copy final drafts to your cloud storage. Use this Google sheet as an example of what a retention schedule can look like and adapt it to your needs.

TIP: Set yourself a calendar reminder when you need to check, migrate, backup, or test your files.

WHAT TO DO FIRST

As in Step 2, you will need to use your judgement when implementing digital preservation strategies on the files you have selected for long-term storage. When deciding what to tackle first, think about the stability and durability of your storage media and formats and how close to obsolescence they currently are.

• Prioritize based on stability and durability:

•CDs/DVDs: two to twenty years, varies widely based on use and storage conditions

•Floppy disks: three to twenty years, varies based on storage and brand

•USBs: 10,000 writes

•Hard Drives: 3 years, then 12% annual failure rate

•External Hard Drives: Less time than regular hard drives due to wear and tear

• Prioritize based on risk of obsolescence: If you have files stored on CDs/DVDs, now is a good time to start migrating that data to another type of store media as CD/DVD drives are becoming less common everyday.