A Geospatial Data Preservation Strategy at the DOE Office of Legacy Management - 22411

Identifying and planning preservation activities associated with geospatial data will improve the ability of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management (hereafter, LM) to support its core mission of protecting human health and the environment. Legacy Management is expected to manage multiformat digital information content, including text documents, geographic information system (GIS) databases, geospatial data sets, survey information aerial photographs, satellite imagery, ground photography (documenting surface conditions), spreadsheets, and relational databases. Due to the fragile nature of digital materials and continually evolving hardware, software, standards, and file formats, challenges exist in implementing an effective geospatial data preservation plan. This paper documents the LM strategy for preserving and curating geospatial data within the context of its data life cycle-management framework. The strategy consists of different preservation elements, specific digital preservation activities, and key enabling factors to ensure LM geospatial data maintains its visibility, accessibility, understandability, linkability and interoperability, trustworthiness, and security (VAULTS). Preservation elements enable the effective preservation of LM geospatial data and recognize the need for flexible strategies to adapt to ongoing changes in scale, technology, and standards. Digital preservation activities will leverage a digital preservation infrastructure to ensure data integrity, format and media sustainability, and information security. Key enabling factors, which include responsibilities traditionally associated with program management and sponsorship, are intended to highlight considerations paramount to long-term success. Preservation elements involve establishing the fundamental logic necessary to evaluate ramifications on geospatial data encountered through its life. Documented standards and procedures will provide guidance on minimum metadata and preferred file formats. A risk-based approach to setting preservation priorities is recommended to establish scheduled assessments to identify at-risk formats. Geospatial data will be managed in a repository designed to provide reliable, long-term access to its owners. Data authenticity will be determined and maintained to ensure the record accurately represents the original. Metadata and ancillary data documentation will be created to provide essential contextual, administrative, descriptive, and technical information. To identify emerging risks, practices, and standards to continually improve its geospatial data preservation program, LM will actively engage with the DOE and local, national, and international digital preservation communities to share information and experiences, seek guidance, and collaborate to address digital preservation challenges. Digital preservation activities comprise the specific operations and maintenance necessary to fully leverage geospatial data preservation strategies. Infrastructure comprising hardware, software, networks, storage, related equipment, and facilities used to develop, test, operate, monitor, manage and/or support information technology services need regular evaluation to ensure they meet preservation requirements. Detailed processes defining data integrity and quality checks must be regularly conducted and assessed for continued relevance. Data format and preservation media must be regularly assessed to ensure geospatial data sustainability. Information security processes require definition for controlled access to preserved data and change documentation. Long-term geospatial data preservation requires commensurate budget resources to ensure achievable goals, a human resources capital plan to ensure knowledge management, and advocacy to clarify to senior managers the organizational value of sustained data governance and infrastructure. (authors)