PREMIS in Open-Source Software: Islandora and Archivematica

Abstract

Open-source software is software whose source code is made freely available for use, modification and redistribution. Although there are many different models for developing and sustaining open-source tools, the tools are often developed in a collaborative and open environment, with development, technical, and user documentation made available online and community adoption supported by public discussion lists and user groups. The last few years have seen a considerable increase in the number of open-source software tools that have been or are being developed for use by archives and libraries. These tools provide a broad range of functionalities required for digital preservation, management of digital objects within a repository, cataloguing or archival description, and provision of online access. Many of these tools are now implementing all or part of the PREMIS Data Dictionary to record detailed technical, preservation, provenance, and rights information about digital holdings. This chapter describes implementations by two software tools, Islandora and Archivematica, providing practical examples of how PREMIS can be used to support the ability of archives and libraries to preserve digital holdings and make them accessible over time.