Keep the context
Start with provenance: who created a record, why it was kept, and what changed before it reached the archive.
- Source trails
- Creator notes
- Rights and restrictions
Collection 01
Digital archives
A guide to keeping records legible after their first system, device, or audience has disappeared.
Starting question
What needs to travel with a file for it to remain meaningful?
A document is more than its bytes. Dates, descriptions, relationships, permissions, and the decisions around it are often what let another person use it responsibly.
Reading paths
Three ways into the shelf.
Make a finding aid
Small, plain-language descriptions can turn a folder of files into material another researcher can actually discover.
- Useful titles
- Dates and scope
- Stable identifiers
Plan for return
Preservation is a repeated practice: check formats, keep copies separate, and leave room for future migration.
- Readable formats
- Fixity checks
- Transfer notes
Questions to carry
A working checklist for the next file.
- Can a future reader tell where this came from?
- Does the name explain its content without relying on a particular application?
- What information would be lost if the folder structure vanished?
- Is there a clear path for someone else to understand its status and reuse?