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meemoo, Flemish Institute for Archives, is a Belgian organisation dedicated to safeguarding the past in digital form. The organisation has successfully integrated eArchiving standards and E-ARK specifications into its operations, transforming the way it handles digital archiving and accessibility. By using these specifications, meemoo has positioned itself among the leaders in the field, serving over one hundred and eighty content partners and archiving more than eight million digital objects.
Overcoming Initial Hurdles
As meemoo expanded its partnerships and digital collections, it encountered significant challenges. The organisation needed a system to efficiently manage the diverse range of materials its partners provided, which included governmental, media, and cultural heritage organisations. The complexity of managing multiple file formats and metadata standards created a cumbersome workflow. Traditional methods proved insufficient, pushing the need for a scalable solution that could adapt to the growing volume and complexity of archived materials.
Pioneering Solutions
To address these challenges, meemoo embarked on a journey to create a tailored Submission Information Package (SIP) based on the E-ARK specifications. The meemoo team recognised the need for a formal and mature specification that could support its diverse partners while ensuring compliance with established standards like METS and PREMIS.
By developing specific content profiles for various types of digital materials, including a bibliographic profile for archival items such as newspapers and a material artwork profile for 2D and 3D artworks, meemoo enhanced the E-ARK specifications. This structured approach allowed for a clear and flexible system, enabling partners to package and submit their materials efficiently, regardless of their technical expertise.
Furthermore, meemoo established a streamlined ingestion process. Content partners can now deliver SIPs via secure channels, which are validated and transformed into RDF graphs. This process allows for semantic validation of descriptive metadata and ensures seamless integration into meemoo’s future Knowledge Graph.
Achievements and Advantages
Enhanced Accessibility and Usability
By implementing E-ARK specifications, meemoo has significantly improved the rate at which its vast digital collections can grow. Indirectly, this has led to quicker publication of materials on various dissemination platforms, including The Archive for Education, which serves over 185,000 Flemish teachers, teacher trainees and pupils in primary and secondary education.
Long-Term Preservation and Data Integrity
Adherence to E-ARK specifications ensures that digital assets are preserved in a format that maintains their integrity over time. Structured metadata not only aids in the management of archived materials but also supports future-proofing efforts as new standards and technologies emerge.
Empowerment of Content Partners
The flexible and extensible nature of the customised SIP allows content partners to contribute novel material types with ease. This empowerment fosters collaboration and encourages more organisations to participate in the archiving process, thus enriching the cultural heritage landscape.
Improved Metadata Quality
With the introduction of specific content profiles and metadata mapping guidelines, meemoo has enhanced the descriptive quality of its archived materials. This ensures that diverse materials are accurately represented, enabling better searchability and usability for end users.
A model for Future Initiatives
The success of meemoo in implementing E-ARK specifications serves as a model for other cultural heritage institutions aiming to enhance their digital archiving capabilities. The organisation's collaborative approach, innovative use of technology, and commitment to quality preservation demonstrate the potential for E-ARK to transform digital heritage practices across Europe.
As meemoo continues to refine its processes and expand its offerings, it aims to contribute to the broader E-ARK community and promote best practices in digital archiving. The organisation’s journey exemplifies how adherence to established specifications can lead to significant advances in the accessibility and preservation of our collective cultural heritage.