Course Details

Thu, August 27, 2015  
Sacramento, CA

The field of digital forensics often evokes imagery of prime-time television crime dramas. But what is it, and how can archivists put digital forensics tools and processes to use in their home institutions?

Archivists are more likely than ever to be confronted with collections containing removable storage media (e.g. floppy disks, hard drives, thumb drives, memory sticks, CDs). These media provide limited accessibility, and may endanger the electronic records housed within, due to obsolescence and loss over time. Caring for these records requires archivists to extract whatever useful information resides on the medium, while avoiding the accidental alteration of data or metadata.

Upon completion of this course you’ll be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles, tools, and technologies behind the practical field of digital forensics;
• Explore how digital forensics tools and techniques can apply to an archival setting;
• Consider a range of digital forensics tools, and use some of them to create disk images and analyze their content for different types of information.

In addition, you'll explore the layers of hardware and software that allow bitstreams on digital media to be read as files, the roles and relationships of these layers and tools and techniques for ensuring the completeness and evidential value of data.

Who should attend?  Archivists, manuscript curators, librarians or others who are responsible for acquiring or transferring collections of digital materials particularly those that are received on removable media.

This course is one of the Foundational Courses in the Digital Archives Specialist (DAS) Curriculum and Certificate Program and builds on others including Basic Electronic Records, Thinking Digital, and Standards for Digital Archives.  If you intend to pursue the Certificate, you'll need to pass the examination for this course. Please follow Option 1 to access exam information.

The DAS Core Competencies Addressed in this Course:

• #1. Understand the nature of records in electronic form, including the functions of various storage media, the nature of system dependence, and the effect on integrity of records over time.
• #3. Formulate strategies and tactics for appraising, describing, managing, organizing, and preserving digital archives.
• #6. Curate, store, and retrieve original masters and access copies of digital archives.

Attendance is limited to 30.

Course Format:	On Site
Address:	Society of California Archivists Mini Conference, Sacramento, CA
Duration:	8 hours
Audience Category:	Archivists, records managers, and special collections curators responsible for managing an electronic records program.
Level:	Beginner
Instructor(s):	Martin J. Gengenbach
Maximum Attendees:	30
Cost Range:	SAA Member $199 / $269 Employees of SAA Member Institutions $229 / $299 Nonmember $259 / $319
Provider:	Society of American Archivists
Sponsored by:	Society of California Archivists

Course website (external link)

This information is provided as a convenience for informational purposes only; it does not constitute an endorsement by the Library of Congress.