In June of 2006, Thomas Kiehne and Catherine Stollar were selected to present the results of work performed the previous year at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas to a colloquium assembled by the Society of American Archivists and the National Archives and Records Administration. The following is the case study that was presented.

Update: This text was re-published by SAA in the proceedings from the "New Skills for a Digital Era" colloquium.

Problem Definition

For this exercise, we will prepare a digital object for submission to a digital archive for long term preservation. The digital object in question is an HTML text with an in-line image and links to several other HTML texts. The objects must be readable, but the specific look and feel of the rendered text is not important. We are to generate a metadata set that will conform to ingest requirements for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) according to a Submission Information Package (SIP) agreement. Additionally, we will consider the process for converting a SIP into an Archival Information Package (AIP) and extend the metadata set with additional elements for the conversion process, as needed.

New and disparate ways of digitally encoding texts were developed as computing became available to scholars of the humanities in the 1980s. The encoding of textual objects into a digital form creates opportunities for examining old and rare texts simultaneously and without the risk of wear or damage to the original object. Additionally, an encoded object permits new ways of interacting with the text, such as concurrent views of different versions and viewing subsequent editorial or annotations. The lack of standard methods for encoding and describing texts made it difficult for researchers to exchange objects and diminished the benefits that the digital format offers.