Transcript Launching E-Records with a PERPOS: The Presidential

Launching E-Records with
a PERPOS: The Presidential
Electronic Records PilOt
System
2005 NAGARA Annual Meeting
Stephannie Oriabure
Laura Spencer
George Bush Presidential Library
Dr. William Underwood
Georgia Tech Research Institute
The PERPOS Project
Funding provided by the National
Archives
Computer research and system
software development by research
team at Georgia Tech University, led
by Dr. Underwood
In collaboration with the archival
staff at the George Bush Library
The PERPOS Objective
To conduct research and
develop a prototype
system that would enable
archivists to gain
intellectual and physical
control of the usercreated files contained
on the PC hard drives
from the George H.W.
Bush administration
The Many Processes of
PERPOS
Accession
Preservation & Storage
Arrangement
Review
Description
Creation of a reference
collection
Researcher use of the
electronic reference
collection
PERPOS Tools
Archival Repository Tool (ART)
 Accession
 Description
 Processing Management
Archival Processing Tool (APT)
 Filtering
 Arrangement
 Preservation
 Review
Accessioning
Accession number
Accompanying documentation
Password protected or
encrypted files
Files or hard drives?
Preservation
Preservation copy?
Data integrity
Software formats and related
issues
Filtering:
separating system files from
user-created files
The PERPOS processing tool
contains a computer software
filter that can be applied to each
file system.
Filtering Issues
Files not recognized by computer
filter
Files that are both system and
user-created
Capability to revise or change
filtering decisions
Storage of filtered system files
Obligation to researchers
Arrangement
File directory order is not
analogous to paper folder order
Files in root directory
Imposition of order?
Review
Requirements of FOIA processing
 Case tracking: ability to associate
necessary info with file
 Redactions & closures: electronic
markers; flexibility
 Storage: separate storage for open
and closed records
Description
Measuring extent of
electronic records
 No more cubic or linear feet
 Take a byte instead
Description
Finding aids
 Electronic or hard copy
 Storage
Extension of directory and
file names
Still to Come
Researcher use of
electronic records
Search
capabilities
Artificial
intelligence
Parting Thoughts
It can be done!
Archivists must lead the
way.