layout: docs title: “Inventorying Digital Media Items”

Overview

  • Inventory digital media item(s) in ArchivesSpace when the item(s) are encountered during accessioning/processing. Initial description of any digital media items inventoried during accessioning can be created in an FA shell record.
  • Describe digital media items in a sibling relationship to their parent units (e.g. file for standard processing) with the same box and/or folder instances. Do not create a child relationship to represent the association between the digital media item and the parent unit.

Role of the Digital Media Log

The Digital Media Log is a tool for identifying digital media items during accessioning/processing in order to plan for future preservation actions like disk imaging and for recording digital media stabilization information. The Digital Media Log serves as a “backlog database” and should only be used when preservation actions (imaging, file transfers) cannot happen during processing. Additions to the Digital Media Log will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Assistant Director for Processing and the Digital Media Archivist.

Processing Team

The Processing Team is responsible for addressing the backlog of digital media represented by the Digital Media Log and should avoid adding to it where feasible. Add to the Digital Media Log only if:

  • The item is outside the scope of the media types that can be imaged in-house, please fill out the Digital Media Vendor Transfer form and follow the corresponding workflow.
  • The item will not image/virus check successfully, please troubleshoot and if imaging/virus checking is still unsuccessful fill out the Advanced Troubleshooting form and follow the corresponding workflow.

Archivists Outside of the Processing Team

Notify the Digital Media Archivist of the existence of digital media within the collection that is being processed by doing the following:

  • Navigate to the Preservation and Access section of the Processing Asana Project
  • Open the task labelled: “Image eligible digital media and document in finding aid/digital media log”
  • Tag the Digital Media Archivist/Assistant Director for Processing by using “@+their name” in the comments.

Next Step: Transfer Instructions