Washington State Archives
Digital Archives
MOVING E-RECORDS
INTO THE FUTURE
Debbie Bahn and Scott Sackett
Washington State Archives
May 6, 2011
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Digital Archives
Services and Benefits
WHAT: Introduction to the Digital Archives
WHY: Value to Agencies and the Public
HOW: Transferring Your Records
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Introduction to the
Digital Archives
• Open in 2004 in Cheney, WA
2005
3.5 million records
2006
6 million records
2011
99 million records
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Digital Archives Value
1. Access and convenience
2. Reduce agency workload
3. Limited business resumption
It is the State Archivist’s duty to
“centralize the archives of the
state of Washington, to make
them available for reference
and scholarship, and to ensure
their proper preservation.
RCW 40.14.020
4. Digital Archives migration strategy
Benefits of centralization
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Digital Archives Value
•Eliminates vague search
requests which require
considerable staff time
1. Access and convenience
2. Reduce agency workload
3. Limited business resumption
4. Digital Archives migration strategy
•Reduces public records
requests
•Eliminates microfilm
searches and reproductions
•Avoids cost of hardware and
software obsolescence
•Use of DA resources and
staff
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Digital Archives Value
1. Access and convenience
2. Reduce agency workload
3. Limited business resumption
4. Digital Archives migration strategy
Agency’s access to
confidential and nonconfidential records
through passwordprotected website.
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Digital Archives Value
1. Access and convenience
2. Reduce agency workload
3. Limited business resumption
4. Digital Archives migration strategy
•In-house architecture
and migration strategy
•As needed for
technology obsolescence
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Part 1:
Set up Record Series in Digital Archives system
Part 2:
Self-service records transfers to Digital Archives
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Part 1: Set Up Record Series
1. Consultation
Information Gathered:
2. Transmittal Agreement (TA)
•Identify Record Series
•Identify File Formats
3. Transfer Information Plan (TIP)
•Identify Recording System
4. Transfer
5. Ingestion
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Part 1: Set Up Record Series
1. Consultation
2. Transmittal Agreement (TA)
3. Transfer Information Plan (TIP)
4. Transfer
5. Ingestion
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Part 1: Set Up Record Series
1. Consultation
2. Transmittal Agreement (TA)
3. Transfer Information Plan (TIP)
4. Transfer
5. Ingestion
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Part 1: Set Up Record Series
1. Consultation
2. Transmittal Agreement (TA)
3. Transfer Information Plan (TIP)
•“ArchiveThis!” transfer tool
4. Transfer
•Hard Drive for large initial
transfers (200+ gigs) or FTPS
for smaller volumes
5. Ingestion
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Part 1: Set Up Record Series
1. Consultation
2. Transmittal Agreement (TA)
•Verify security
3. Transfer Information Plan (TIP)
•Create report
•Copy data to backup
4. Transfer
•Byte count
5. Backup and Ingestion
•Store security copy
•Ingest
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Part 2: Self-Service Transfers
1. Tools
•“ArchiveThis!” transfer tool
2. Order Fulfillment
•Password-protected access to
your records
3. Support
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Part 2: Self-Service Transfers
1. Tools
2. Order Fulfillment
3. Support
•Certified copy orders
•E-Commerce tool
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Part 2: Self-Service Transfers
1. Tools
2. Order Fulfillment
3. Support
•WADA Admin website access
•Electronic Records
Management Consultant for
your region
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Transferring Your Records
Biggest Challenge
Biggest challenge to the Digital Archives:
Proprietary formats!
When purchasing an electronic records management system,
please let your vendor know that the Digital Archives has an
acceptable data export format. We will be glad to work with your
vendor so that we can preserve your records.
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Our Services Tab
www.digitalarchives.wa.gov
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy
Thank You
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy