RAMping up Collaboration in Aotearoa

Martin Gengenbach is Digital Preservation Policy and Outreach Specialist, National Library of New Zealand

| Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa

Since the inception of the DPC Rapid Assessment Model (RAM) in 2019, the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa has used the framework annually to identify strengths and gaps in its digital preservation programme, and to adjust resources and initiatives accordingly. However, there was little direct comparison of RAM results between organisations. We were unsure who else was using the RAM within the region, and then COVID-19 related lockdowns proved challenging to many local collaborative initiatives. (But not all of them --  We see you, Australasia Preserves!)

In 2023, a number of events within the local cultural heritage sector have contributed to an interest in discussing our RAM results:

• Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision joined DPC and began work on their first RAM analysis, reaching out locally to better understand the process and considerations that we have undertaken at NLNZ;

• Utaina!, an inter-institutional audiovisual preservation project between Ngā Taonga, Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand, and National Library of New Zealand, has ramped up production in 2023. Among the many outputs of this project have been increased interest in workflows, systems, and infrastructure to support preservation of digital audiovisual heritage;

• Efforts of the new DPC Australasia office, including sponsoring a DPC RAM Jam event hosted by Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, encouraging interest in RAM within the region.

In the run-up to the DPC Ram Jam at Te Papa, communication between digital preservation practitioners at NLNZ, Te Papa,  Ngā Taonga, and Archives New Zealand led to a meeting for going in-depth into RAM, our respective scoring, and the current challenges shared by each organisation, with valuable outcomes for all:

Increased understanding of RAM across GLAM in our region

There were a wealth of opportunities for comparative discussion among participants representing archives, libraries, museums, and a/v heritage organisations with different levels of expertise and resources dedicated to digital preservation. Varying levels of experience in RAM provided an opportunity to discuss approaches to RAM specifically and assessment in general. Where scores differed significantly, each organisation could articulate how their score reflected their specific context and organisational goals. RAM provided an engaging framework for how each institution felt it was doing, what they were working toward, and what they needed to do to get there.

Untangling shared infrastructure and collaborative efforts

The detailed discussions sparked by our RAM assessments allowed participants to identify gaps in our understanding of one another’s institutional contexts (including workflows and infrastructure), and to share experiences that could benefit all parties in current and future efforts. For instance, shared digital preservation infrastructure between Archives New Zealand and National Library of New Zealand is well understood by members of those two organisations, but discussing the nature of that sharing and its relative strengths and weaknesses provided new information for other participants. Likewise, initiatives like the Utaina audiovisual preservation project and the Time Based Media Art initiative at Te Papa created a shared space and language for information sharing around particular formats and the systems, workflows, and resources needed to support them.

Current challenges and collaborative opportunities

One final benefit to this inter-institutional discussion of RAM results: it has sparked conversations between digital preservation practitioners in these institutions about the challenges faced by each organisation. During our first meeting several participants reflected--joking or not--about the cathartic nature of the discussion, and there has been strong agreement among the participants that the conversation should continue on a regular basis.

In-depth analysis of organisational digital preservation capability through the lens of DPC RAM has been an engaging exercise, and it has brought new interest and energy into ongoing collaboration between digital preservation practitioners in Aotearoa. On this World Digital Preservation Day, celebrating the shared and collaborative nature of our work, I’m grateful for the amazing community of practitioners here in Wellington and excited to mark and review all of our progress in next year’s RAM.