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Using repository

in the Slovenian Public Archival Service

dr. Miroslav Novak, Archival Councillor

Regional Archives Maribor

Glavni trg 7

SI-2000 Maribor

miroslav.novak@pokarh-mb.si

www.pokarh-mb.si

mag. Nina Gostenčnik, Directress at Regional Archives Maribor

Glavni trg 7

SI-2000 Maribor

nina.gostencnik@pokarh-mb.si

www.pokarh-mb.si

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Regional Archives Maribor

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SLOVENIAN ARCHIVAL NETWORK

State archives

Archives of the Republic of Slovenia

Regional archives

Historical Archives Ljubljana
Regional Archives Maribor
Historical Archives Celje
Regional Archives in Nova Gorica
Regional Archives Koper
Historical Archives in Ptuj

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177 employees
90 linear kilometers of archival records
5.000 researchers per year
8.000 clients per year

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scopeArchiv software from 2009
3.000.000 units of description
digitized content available to users online

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e-ARH.si is a complex environment intended for e-archiving. It includes procedures for submitting digitized and born digital records into the public Archives as well as their processing, long-term preservation (in accordance with valid legislation), and further use.

In 2016, the e-ARH.si project started with a mission to implement an efficient environment for appraisal, acquisition, processing, preservation and enabling of access to the national archival heritage of the Republic of Slovenia in electronic form.

Experts from all Slovenian archival institutions worked on this project and we can now say, that:

- it is organized in accordance with the OAIS Reference Model and operates under its own organizational and informational infrastructure within the Slovenian Public Archival Service,

- Represents a safe, reliable, and legally coherent system for long-term preservation of eAR in three geographically different locations.

But, since we are here today to talk about Fedora and its role in the project, I would like to give the podium to my colleage Miran, who will tell you all about it.

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SOLUTIONS AND CONCEPTS

AND THE SPAS

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First information about Fedora in official document with the title Feasibility Study for the Implementation of a Long-Term Digital Preservation (LTDP) System for the Republic of Slovenia, 2008

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Users interface of scopeArchiv from 2008. This vesion was without Ingest module.

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In year 2015/2016 the repository Fedora were implemented for both databases

ARS Data Base

SIRANET Data Base

In the year 2012, scopeSolution developed the first version of the scopeIngest module. Three years after, 2015/2016, Slovenian archives already implemented the module Ingest and Repository Integration in scopeArchiv. With this upgrade, we also got the Fedora repository.

Both databases had been linked to the Fedora. Because of that we could successfully develop and realize the first simple procedures of ingesting e-archival material into the repository.

At that time, we were focused on Fedora as the repository, especially on the metadata sets for standard types of archival material and on the problems of proper descriptions of archival material.

In this context, Slovenian archivists got their first practical skills and experiences about e-archiving. Soon they noticed different problems and archival professional challenges. They arise not only on the level of Information technology, communications, or tools but also on the archival professional level.

As I can remember, since we set up our repository, we had never problems with Fedora 3. Probably because Fedora 3 was very stable, and o our packages were small and not demanding.

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Strategy and implementation development plan of Slovenian electronic archive for years 2016 - 2020

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In the year 2020 we merged both databases into a single database with one repository Fedora.

ARS Data Base

SIRAnet

Data Base

SIRAnet

Data Base

Mutual SJAS

Data Base

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In the year 2022, we upgraded Fedora 3 to Fedora 6.

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CURRENT SITUATION

AND THE SPAS

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SAMBA SHARE

supervision

GEODATA

SIP

Creator

AV Archives

BACKUP

DMS

SIP

AIP

DIP

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SIP

Creator

Submission Information Package (SIP)

Archival Information Package (AIP)

Dissemination Information Package (DIP)

Metadata

Primary data

Metadata

Primary data

Metadata

Producer

Archivist

User

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Interface for controlling the whole ingest process of packages into e-repository Fedora.

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OUR CURRENT CHALLENGES

AND THE SPAS

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Possible limitations of the system

Proper desingn of the system for long term use

Needed skils and experiences of employee

In archives, we can expect a lot of different types of e-archival material in very different formats and sizes, contexts, technological environments, etc. Because of that, we need to know the basic limitations of the system. For example, the maximal size of the SIP. Currently is that value 20 GB. We wish that the size of SIP would be up to 100 GB. Probably will need limitations up to several TB etc. The same problem is with the number of files in the package. The current limitation is 10,000 files.

The next open topic refers to the system's proper design and long-term stability. In this context is an important question about preservation action – for example, format change due to obsolescence. We are strewing to get enough information for decisions and solutions that will be solid for the next several years.

Our challenge is related also to human resources. The existing number of archivists is even not enough to support everyday archival professional work. On another hand, we need specialists for reading and understanding old documents in different languages (Latin, Alt-German, Hungarian, etc.) and have diverse types of old scripts. On the other hand, we need programmers, system integrators, DB managers, etc. At the current time, we are cowering some of these needs with outsourcing. But the question regarding the profile of the modern archivist and his skills stays open and we are seeking solutions.

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Project team

Fedora team of IT specialists and archivists

Team for testing and checking solutions

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OUR FUTURE CHALLENGES

AND THE SPAS

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Advanced Security Policy.

Technology watch

Inteligent Data Capture

Block Chain Technology

Artificial Intelligence, etc.

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CONCLUSIONS

AND THE SPAS

Let conclude. The Fedora repository is in the background of our system. In the foreground is the scopeArchiv interface. Because of that some people could get the impression that just scopeArchiv is in our focus. ScopeArchiv, Fedora repository, and Oracle Database are three equal pillars that are dedicated to the long-term support of the Archival information Packages.

Today we know also that the implementation of the Fedora e-storage in the year 2015/2026 represents an important step forward for the understanding of the management of electronic archive material in the Slovenian public archive service.

That year we can define it as the turning point of and shift of the paradigm from storage on various media (CDs, DVDs, etc.) to the paradigm for storage in an electronic repository. This development has impacted to many other activities such as gathering finance, understanding, and implementing technology in an archival context, training the staff, to be on current with new archival professional development on the national and international level, etc.

Let conclude. The Fedora and all other related activities had significant consequences for the perception not only of the archival professional work, but also the requirements regarding the long-term storage of electronic archival material, changing the management procedures for this type of documentation, and, finally, also for the legal regulation of the field of modern archiving in Slovenia.

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Using repository

in the Slovenian Public Archival Service

dr. Miroslav Novak, Archival Councillor

Regional Archives Maribor

Glavni trg 7

SI-2000 Maribor

miroslav.novak@pokarh-mb.si

www.pokarh-mb.si

mag. Nina Gostenčnik, Directress at Regional Archives Maribor

Glavni trg 7

SI-2000 Maribor

nina.gostencnik@pokarh-mb.si

www.pokarh-mb.si