U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey
Managing Geospatial Data at the USGS’ EROS Data Center
RACO West31 August 2004Denver, Colorado
Outline
Background & Context Records Management at USGS / EDC Appraisal Process Accession Experience Access / Finding Aids Preservation Efforts Disposition Procedures Summary
Background & Context
Then 1972 Landsat
Primarily Laser-Beam Recorder Film Sioux Falls, SD
Now Multiple Satellites – Mainly Digital Aerial Photography – Still Analog GIS Topography / Elevation
Background & Context
Film 4 Film Types Multiples Sizes 110,000 Rolls – 13,000,000 Frames 1937 to Present
Background & Context
Digital 1 to 2 Terabytes / Day 2 Petabytes – 3,000,000 Images 1972 to Present
National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive Public Law 102-555 (1992) Federal Advisory Committee Act
Records Management at USGS / EDC
No “Back Door” Seeking Additional Relevance Meshed With Other Agency Desires
Embracing Lifecycle Creation / Acceptance Maintenance & Use Disposition
Records Management at USGS / EDC
Appraisal Accession Arrangement Description Access Preservation Disposition Outreach
Appraisal Process
Evolving Driven by
Archivist Position Need for Mission Alignment
Re-Organizations Budget Constraints
Appraisal Process
Collection Policy Appraisal Flow
EDC Science Council Support Scientific Tool Development
http://edc2.usgs.gov/government/RAT/tool.asp USGS HQ and NARA Involved
Accession Experience
Collection Policy Requirements Checklist Shipping Summaries
Accession Experience
Experience NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center NASA / Ames & Houston NOAA / National Climatic Data Center
Reciprocal Archive LOA SPOT Image Corporation Space Imaging Corporation
Future NARA
Access / Finding Aids
Organizational Commitment Spatial & Temporal Criticality Spatial Challenges
Contracts New Techniques
Access / Finding Aids
Textual and Spatial Characterizations Federal Geographic Data Committee Earth Explorer Photo Finder GloVis EOS Data Gateway Seamless / The National Map Customer Service Unit
Preservation Efforts
Macro Environmental Security
Micro Molecular Sieves AD Strips
Preservation Efforts
Film Vinegar Syndrome
Digital Flaking Obsolescence Digital Transcriptions Digital Migrations
Preservation Efforts Vinegar Syndrome
20,000 Rolls 1950s & Older Film Not If, But When & at What Rate
Digital Transcriptions 22,000 Wide Band Video Tapes 1980 – Current, Landsat HDTs to DCRSi DCRSi to LTO2 & 9940B
Migrations CCT to 3480 to DLT to LTO2 to …
Preservation Efforts
Archive Media Trade Studies http://edc2.usgs.gov/government/records/tools.asp
Long-Term Philosophy Near, Off, and Off
Disposition Procedures
Formal Appraisal Process Evolving Scientist Involvement
Documented Recommendations & Actions Follow Through
Relevant Agencies NARA Transfers or Destruction
Disposition Procedures
Recent Dispositions Landsat Return Beam Vidicon SPOT High Density Tapes Landsat Wide Band Video Tapes NASA Apollo Hand-Held Photography
Summary
3 Years in Records Management Processes Formal Archivist Position Legislative Mandate Organizational Commitment to Archiving Endorsement of the Lifecycle of Records