Over the course of the semester each student serves as a digital preservation consultant for an organization interested in exploring how they can improve their digital content management practices and policies. Students gather initial information about the organizations holdings, practices and resources and write up a survey of their current practice. They then, write up proposed next steps for the organization to further mitigate risks of loss. Lastly, they draft model digital preservation policies for their organization to consider adopting. Below is information about each participating organization. Over the course of the semester links to each of the three assignments are added for each organization.
Archeology Program Office: The Archeology Program Office of the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation was established in 1988 to excavate, preserve and protect archeological sites in county parks. It is part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
Baltimore Community Museum: The Baltimore Community documents the history of Baltimore, Ohio and the surrounding areas. The organization is “dedicated to the preservation of local historical artifacts and the exploration of the history and culture of Baltimore for the betterment of the community.” (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
College Park Aviation Museum: The College Park Aviation Museum (CPAM), is an institution dedicated to “promoting aviation innovations at College Park Airport and in Prince George’s County while fostering research, inventiveness, and lifelong curiosity about the history and science of flight.” (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA): The Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) is a small non-profit art gallery in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1980 “the intention to foment and create contemporary art in Seattle.” (CoCA Digital Archives “About” page) The CoCA digital archives were founded in 2013 by Anna H., who served as the volunteer archivist until 2018.(Survey, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
Geneva Historical Society: The Geneva Historical Society is located in Geneva, New York. The Historical Society is committed to preserving Geneva history and using digital and analog materials to educate the community and sustain community interest in Geneva’s memory. (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
Greenbelt Community Museum: The Greenbelt Museum is a community museum that focuses on the “New Deal history and living legacy of Greenbelt, Maryland.” (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
Little Compton Historical Society: The Little Compton Historical Society is a small organization dedicated to preserving the history and cultural heritage of Little Compton, Rhode Island. (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
National Trust for Historic Preservation: The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a non-profit organization that works to protect and advocate for historic buildings across the United States. (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
Old Trails Museum: The Old Trails Museum is an educational institution meant to foster community engagement with and exploration of local history in northeastern Arizona. (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
Putnam County Museum: The Putnam County Museum, located in Greencastle, Indiana, was founded in 2003 with the mission to “collect, preserve, and interpret the natural, historical and cultural heritage of the county” (putnamcountymuseum.org). (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
StratComm Department at DC Non-Profit: StratComm is an in-house communications department for a not-for-profit company with offices in the Washington D.C. and Boston areas. The department manages an extensive digital image collection. (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
Wentzville Community Historical Society: The Wentzville Community Historical Society is based in the small, but growing, town of Wentzville, Missouri, located on the outskirts of St. Louis. The Society was founded around 1975 when a group of town citizens began to plan for a celebration of the United States’ Bicentennial. (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
WhetonArts and Cultural Center: The WheatonArts and Cultural Center (WACC) in Millville, New Jersey, was founded as Wheaton Village in 1968. The 45-acre campus is home to the Museum of American Glass, the Creative Glass fellowship program for artists and the Down Jersey Folklife Program. (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)
WYPR: Your Public Radio station in Baltimore, which is a local branch of NPR. WYPR’s collections of digital content primarily include digital audio recordings of its broadcasts, as well as production files or “script packs” used to produce those broadcasts. (Survey, Next Steps, Policy, Reflections and Full Report)