Caroline Gil, Kramlich/New Art Trust, Fall 2015
As an intern at the Kramlich Collection/NAT, I was tasked to work with the collection’s file-based work in the preparation of OAIS-compliant Archival Information Packages (AIPs), to facilitate the ingest into the Kramlich Collection digital repository. The following micro processes were performed on a sample of digital objects:
- “Framemd5”cryptographic hash functions (frame checksums) for digital video assets. Md5 checksums at the frame level were generated for all video files.
- MediaInfo technical metadata general & trace reports. General and trace reports were generated on all video files. These reports contain self-descriptive technical metadata that is extracted from the file as reference information. This metadata includes an asset’s Format type, Codec, Bit Rate, File Size, etc.
- Metadata Encoding & Transmission Standard (METS) XML. METS files contain technical information about the files themselves, description information, source tape information, preservation information, etc. Using a METS XML, the goal would be to make assets as self-descriptive as possible before sending them through the gateway for long-term storage. By using the open source tool, TextMate, we were able to edit XML records, using an in-house METS schema template that captures descriptive, administrative metadata and technical metadata for associated preservation master and mezzanine files.
A Tableau Forensic USB bridge was used to ensure that the assets accessed for reporting were write-blocked. In addition, SD cards were placed on read-only mode prior to inserting them onto a card reader. Open source software was utilized to generate the technical metadata reports and file integrity checks. FFMPEG software was employed to generate framemd5s, using the MacOS command line utility. In addition to the outlined workflow, Mibatchcompare was developed to facilitate the process of examining reporting batched. The shell script enabled us to create CSV files containing MediaInfo elements for easy comparison and interpretation across assets. During my time at the Kramlich Collection/NAT, I have been able to notably hone in on my Command Line Skills, strengthen my understanding of file format specifications, and, gain a deeper understanding of the inner mechanics and practicalities of working as a conservator for a private art collection.