Information Technology Reference
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materials and combinations of chemicals that are highly susceptible to deterioration in
the presence of light, heat and moisture. Digitization of photographic media through
scanning and migration has enabled archivists to expose collections for discovery and
use to a larger audience while supporting the long-term preservation of the original
records (e.g., glass lantern slides, film-based negatives, silver gelatin prints etc.). The
standards that guide digitization of still and moving images recommend the creation
of preservation masters and reference copies for access and use, which inevitably
results in the archival institution becoming responsible for managing and preserving
the original record, the digital preservation master and the digital reference/access
copies [2]. The proper management of digitized holdings requires software to provide
access and a system to preserve the master files, in which migrations can be planned.
Depending upon the size of the digital holdings, archival institutions implement
strategies that incorporate on-site and/or off-site storage and backup, which remains
under their control, or off-site storage and backup provided by a trusted third-party.
Recent developments in cloud computing are introducing new opportunities to
archival institutions interested in outsourcing the management and preservation of
their digital resources to third-party providers.
The second focus of archival institutions has been on the acquisition of born-digital
images. Since the early 1990s individuals and organizations have been creating digital
records as by-products of business and personal activities. The records are typically
accessed and stored on personal computers, external media such as compact discs (CD)
and hard drives. A number of recommendations and guidelines aimed at helping
creators and preservers ensure the long-term accessibility and readability of born-digital
resources have been produced by research projects conducted by archivists and heritage
professionals [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]. However, the recent convergence of cameras into
mobile devices with Internet connectivity and photo-sharing and social networking sites
that provide digital image access, management and storage presents a new level of
complexity for information professionals charged with protecting and preserving digital
images as reliable and authentic records for future use. Unlike personal computers and
boxes of floppy discs, digital image collections held within online accounts and made
available through photo-sharing and social networking platforms such as Flickr
(<http://www.flickr.com>), Facebook (<http://www.facebook.com>) and Instagram
(<http://www.instagram.com>) are part of a larger system that relies on cloud
computing infrastructure to enable providers to manage vast data sets (e.g., millions of
digital images) and deliver continuous and scalable services to customers. The workings
of these systems are relatively unknown to many heritage professionals (e.g., archivists,
curators, special collections librarians) and others who have entrusted their digital image
collections to providers of cloud-based infrastructure and software services. Many of the
commercial online services aimed at providing individuals and organizations with
scalable solutions to storing and accessing volumes of digital assets are private for-profit
companies utilizing proprietary technologies. The future sustainability of these
companies is unknown and the legal agreements (i.e., Terms and Conditions) that define
how user accounts and user-generated content is controlled, including policies for data
protection and privacy, and copyright and intellectual property can be modified without
notice to their customers [8].
To conclude this section, it is necessary to emphasize that digital images are
created as business records in a number of contexts that require strict controls over the
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