| Audio Tape Digitisation Workflow |
| WHY: After digitisation the target preservation format is now the digital file, which must be managed over the long term in such a way as to ensure data integrity and trigger action when its specific format becomes obsolete. These files may reside on a number of different types of carriers: data tape, hard drives, optical discs, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Audio preservation, then, requires a long-term responsibility to the digital file. If digital files are properly created and well documented, they not only represent the best chance for preservation of the target content, but carry a number of technical advantages over any analogue surrogates that might be produced, including the possibility of using automated processes in the creation of copies that are of the same fidelity as the original files. HOW: Update the asset register and generate a checksum for every file, including both audio and non-audio files created during the preservation process. Consider the checksum value as critical technical metadata and store it in the system used for other technical metadata, with backup copies kept in multiple physical locations. Verify the checksum before trusting any file that has been moved, copied, or had its header edited. |
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