control methods
Identifying and defining system control mechanisms are crucial for ensuring the integrity, accessibility, and consistency of large-scale collections. These controls provide guidance and management tools that support cohesiveness throughout the collections’ life cycle. By implementing these mechanisms, archivists can maintain order and reliability, ensuring that the materials remain accessible and well-organized over time. With the amount of data accompanying the Collection it is priority to organize and standardize as many elements as possible for cohesiveness and maintenance. Developing control processes requires the clear identification of barriers which can include corrupt or fractured data, duplication, and other complex inconsistencies.
data aggregation
The unique challenge managing the Collection was the consolidation of large volumes of diverse data from multiple sources into a unified dataset. With a more comprehensive dataset, our automated algorithms can effectively learn and adapt to the characteristics of the data. This enables better discovery of the subtle correlations, and dependencies that contribute to the overall pattern detection.
Through the use of python scripts implementation of automated algorithms streamlined the processing and analysis of the extensive dataset. The outputs and reports created provide deeper understanding or predictive capabilities to re-align coding folder to review initial codes and processes.
In many instances, obsolete media, files, and platforms required the use of forensic tools3 to extract data. Various barriers were encountered, such as broken hard drives, corrupt servers, username and password restrictions on multiple PCs or Macs, as well as obsolete data storage devices and software.
integration of data
Newly discovered collection data has its own distinct structure, metadata, and scope, representing unique content and information. In order to create cohesiveness, accessibility and ensure seamless management, it was necessary to integrate new collection data into the Center’s existing archival information system. This integration involves mapping the data from the new collection to align with the established system’s data model, standards, and organizational hierarchy.
