MetaArchive Cooperative
Encyclopedia
The MetaArchive Cooperative is an international digital preservation
network composed of libraries, archives, and other memory institutions. As of August 2011, the MetaArchive preservation network is composed of 24 secure servers (referred to as “caches”) in four countries with a collective capacity of over 300TB. Forty-eight institutions are actively preserving their digital collections in the network.
The MetaArchive Cooperative preserves a wide variety of data types and many genres of content, including electronic theses and dissertations, digital newspapers, archival content such as photograph collections and A/V materials, business/e-records, and datasets. The network is “dark,” meaning access is limited to the content owner/contributor. It is also format-agnostic, meaning that each content contributor may determine what formats it wishes to preserve.
, Florida State University
, Emory University
, Georgia Tech, University of Louisville
, and Virginia Tech) came together to collaboratively explore creating a digital preservation solution that they could own and manage for themselves. With backing from the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
(NDIIPP), they used the LOCKSS
software to build one of the world’s first operational digital preservation networks. In 2006, these six institutions created an organizational model to enable the project to transition into a sustainable program hosted not by any single member institution, but rather by the Educopia Institute, a 501(c)3 organization that was launched for this purpose. In 2007, the MetaArchive Cooperative began expanding with the addition of new members.
Each member institution hosts a server, or “cache”, within the network. All of these caches are united into a closed network using the LOCKSS
software. Content is prepared by members as “submission information packages (SIPs),” (see OAIS
for more information) and each of these SIPs is replicated seven times and ingested and preserved as AIPs (“archival information packages”) in seven geographically separate caches by member institutions. The network regularly compares these seven AIPs to ensure that nothing about them degrades or changes. If the network detects a change in an AIP, the cache containing the damaged copy re-ingests the source SIP if it is still available; if the source SIP is unavailable, it ingests a copy of the AIP from another cache.
, CONTENTdm
, ETDdb, and other systems.
All members run a 16TB server and pay $1/GB/year for their preserved collections.
The organizational model created and practiced by the MetaArchive Cooperative has served as a model for myriad other digital preservation groups, including the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA).
Digital preservation
Digital preservation is the set of processes, activities and management of digital information over time to ensure its long term accessibility. The goal of digital preservation is to preserve materials resulting from digital reformatting, and particularly information that is born-digital with no...
network composed of libraries, archives, and other memory institutions. As of August 2011, the MetaArchive preservation network is composed of 24 secure servers (referred to as “caches”) in four countries with a collective capacity of over 300TB. Forty-eight institutions are actively preserving their digital collections in the network.
The MetaArchive Cooperative preserves a wide variety of data types and many genres of content, including electronic theses and dissertations, digital newspapers, archival content such as photograph collections and A/V materials, business/e-records, and datasets. The network is “dark,” meaning access is limited to the content owner/contributor. It is also format-agnostic, meaning that each content contributor may determine what formats it wishes to preserve.
History
MetaArchive was founded in 2003, when six southeastern University libraries (Auburn UniversityAuburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
, Georgia Tech, University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
, and Virginia Tech) came together to collaboratively explore creating a digital preservation solution that they could own and manage for themselves. With backing from the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program is an archival program led by the Library of Congress to archive and provide access to digital resources. The U.S. Congress established the program in 2000...
(NDIIPP), they used the LOCKSS
LOCKSS
The LOCKSS project, under the auspices of Stanford University, develops and supports an open source system allowing libraries to collect, preserve and provide their readers with access to material published on the Web. The system attempts to replicate the way libraries do this for material...
software to build one of the world’s first operational digital preservation networks. In 2006, these six institutions created an organizational model to enable the project to transition into a sustainable program hosted not by any single member institution, but rather by the Educopia Institute, a 501(c)3 organization that was launched for this purpose. In 2007, the MetaArchive Cooperative began expanding with the addition of new members.
How it works
MetaArchive enables memory institutions (libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, etc.) to embed both the technical infrastructure and the knowledge that they need to preserve their digital content within their own institutions.Each member institution hosts a server, or “cache”, within the network. All of these caches are united into a closed network using the LOCKSS
LOCKSS
The LOCKSS project, under the auspices of Stanford University, develops and supports an open source system allowing libraries to collect, preserve and provide their readers with access to material published on the Web. The system attempts to replicate the way libraries do this for material...
software. Content is prepared by members as “submission information packages (SIPs),” (see OAIS
OAIS
An Open Archival Information System is an archive, consisting of an organization of people and systems, that has accepted the responsibility to preserve information and make it available for a Designated Community....
for more information) and each of these SIPs is replicated seven times and ingested and preserved as AIPs (“archival information packages”) in seven geographically separate caches by member institutions. The network regularly compares these seven AIPs to ensure that nothing about them degrades or changes. If the network detects a change in an AIP, the cache containing the damaged copy re-ingests the source SIP if it is still available; if the source SIP is unavailable, it ingests a copy of the AIP from another cache.
Services
MetaArchive’s services include data preparation, replication, geographical distribution, bit integrity checking, versioning, security, restricted viewing, and content restoration. When needed, the MetaArchive Cooperative will also perform format migrations for member content (to date, this service has not been required by the Cooperative’s membership). The Cooperative’s ingest procedure is compatible with any repository/content management system, including DSpaceDSpace
DSpace is an open source software package that provides the tools for management of digital assets, and is commonly used as the basis for an institutional repository. It supports a wide variety of data, including books, theses, 3D digital scans of objects, photographs, film, video, research data...
, CONTENTdm
CONTENTdm
CONTENTdm is digital collection management software that allows for the upload, description, management and access of digital collections. It is Unicode and Z39.50 compatible. CONTENTdm can handle documents, PDFs, finding aids , images, videos, and audio files...
, ETDdb, and other systems.
Membership Levels
The Cooperative has three membership levels:- Sustaining Members form the leadership of the Cooperative via their participation as Steering Committee members.
- Preservation Members engage in ongoing preservation activities.
- Collaborative Members are groups of institutions that run shared, centralized repositories and preserve this shared content in the MetaArchive preservation network.
All members run a 16TB server and pay $1/GB/year for their preserved collections.
The organizational model created and practiced by the MetaArchive Cooperative has served as a model for myriad other digital preservation groups, including the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA).