I am in the middle of figuring out how to accomplish a couple things for archiving. Our NPO has a large back catalog of media files (photos, MP3, WAV, MP4, FCP files…) as well as an entire Archive Department that is currently looking to digitize items (photos, programs, articles, bulletins, contracts…)
I was looking at something like NeoFinder for the media things, but then I started to think about EagleFiler, which lead to thoughts about DevonThink Server and then perhaps there are better solutions?
We have a large donation from Google Drive for storage, which helps that it is off site and backed up. But I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for cataloging all this info and how we might be able to find it. We are a small-ish NPO with a staff of about 10-15 including volunteers.
Will the archive be managed collaboratively or by just one or two individuals who will be charged with locating and retrieving your organization’s archival assets?
How often do you anticipate having to retrieve items from the archive? Would anyone in the organization be able to do this, or will that be in the hands of the archivists?
How much do you have to archive? Will the archive grow over time?
Is your NPO a US 501(c)3 organization?
Are there any regulations that govern your NPO’s activities or its record-keeping? For example, do you provide services to some government agency that might have rules about the kind of information you must retain, or regarding privacy?
How much would your organization be willing to spend on a solution?
For our historical society with not just media but also physical collections we’ve been exploring the various open source collection management packages. For our needs it’s critical that it be simple for novices/non tech folks to use.
Thanks all. I am thinking that NeoFinder is exactly what I need. They have a windows (sort of) version that my volunteer can access. If I need more, CollectionSpace does look interesting. I will keep that on the back burner.
Thank you for posting these links. I’m looking for something to manage a personal archive of third-party visual arts images. Lightroom doesn’t quite work because it doesn’t easily support DCMI metadata.
Looks like you’ve found something that will work for you, but if you end up at a roadblock and haven’t run across the term “digital asset manager” or DAM, in particular for GLAMs (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) that might help you locate something. Also, if you live in a state with a good library school, there are often masters students looking for projects like this for their thesis. Good luck!
My hunch: you might be better off keeping the files in a secure file server somewhere–you don’t want people messing with the archive, e.g. uncontrolled adds, deletes, changes. Setup controls on permissions about who has privileges to make changes. Create a simple but sufficiently robust file folder regime.
Be careful with Google Drive used for synching. It may not be a sufficiently secure storage place if changes on local drives can replicate up to the Google Drive in a “moment”. Down to ensureing permissions and understanding how sync vs. backup works.
Then let the people use simpler and more ubiquitous/routine tools like Finder and/or Windows File Explorer to view and search the files as needed. It is reasonable for anyone who is trusted with a computer to know how to use Finder and Explorer. Learning how to use any special/bespoke apps is perhaps a step too hard (or no interest) for many people, especially volunteers.
Final comment, as the archive is important to you, I recommend you look into how these files are backed up. Google Drive IMHO not good enough if the archive data important. Design and implement a 3-2-1 backup regime. Plenty of articles on the Internet to explain that.
I agree. In the case of Google Drive, for example, older versions of a file may be deleted after 30 days or after 100 versions are stored. As an individual I keep things simple by syncing everything to my Mac, backing it up hourly, and keeping all versions of files for 5 years.
Like most business solutions there are a lot of options available. It might be worth talking to a Google Workspace consultant if you choose GD.
DAMs and GLAMs are a good option if your organization has the budget for them. They’re purpose-built, so there’s not need to tweak an application designed for documents.