Records Mgmt & Archiving

from:
Mark Conrad
NARA Center for Advanced Systems and Technologies
on ERECS listserv

The National Archives of the United Kingdom and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) of the United States issued press releases on 6 December 2010 concerning the expansion of the PRONOM database. "PRONOM is a web-based public technical registry of more than 750 different digital file formats that enables digital archivists, records managers and the public to precisely identify and confirm digital file formats. This identification is the first step to ensuring long-term electronic file preservation by enabling the identification of those file formats that are in danger of becoming obsolete."

NARA's Center for Advanced Systems and Technologies (NCAST) Research Partners from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the Army Research Lab (ARL) have increased the number of internal signatures in the PRONOM database by almost 25%. They will continue to add more internal signatures over the coming months. The NCAST Research Partners are also contributing to improvements to the underlying technology used in PRONOM and DROID.

You can find the full text of the press releases here:

http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2011/nr11-31.html

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/519.htm


You can find more information about the research collaboration between NCAST, GTRI, and ARL here:

http://www.archives.gov/ncast/gtri/

http://blogs.archives.gov/online-public-access/?p=3737

You can keep up with NCAST developments by following the Tech Tuesdays channel on the NARAtions blog here:

http://blogs.archives.gov/online-public-access/?cat=52