P1251955596NOrnC

1
North Carolina Geospatial Data Archiving Project
(NCGDAP) JISC/NDIIPP Joint Digital Preservation
Workshop May 2006
Project Introduction, Context, and Phases Overview
Project Introduction
Mitigating Community Practice Risks 3 examples
Mitigating Technological Risks 3 examples
The North Carolina State University Libraries and
the North Carolina Center for Geographic
Information and Analysis have partnered on a
three-year project to collect and preserve
at-risk digital geospatial data resources from
state and local government agencies. This project
draws on a cooperative agreement with the Library
of Congress in connection with NDIIPP as one of
eight Collaborative Collection Development
Partnerships. Although this venture will focus
solely on North Carolina, it is expected to serve
as a demonstration project for other states. The
project is closely tied to NC OneMap, a combined
state, federal, and local initiative that is
focused on facilitating seamless access to
geospatial data across all levels of government.
One of the stated goals of NC OneMap is that
Historic and temporal data will be maintained
and available."
Topological Relationships
Raster Data
Vector Data
Issue Local government agency data resources
usually lack metadata. Solution Gather available
metadata details from GIS inventories and capture
technical and administrative details during the
data transfer process. Future Scenarios The NC
One Map metadata outreach program is expanding
state-wide. The new RAMONA survey tool includes
the rapid development of basic metadata elements
online.
Issue Spatial databases have become an
increasingly common data management environment. 
These complex systems include components that are
difficult to preserve. Solution Archive data
layer exports, raster exports, XML representation
of the database components, and the original
spatial database. Future Scenarios Spatial
database technical directions being pursued by
vendors may make it more feasible to preserve
spatial databases in their entirety.
Spatial Database
NCGDAP Context Long-Term Risks to Geospatial
Data

• Media Failure or Obsolescence - old or
  unreadable tapes
• Format Obsolescence - how long will formats be
  supported?
• Absence of Metadata - insufficient documentation
  to support use of the data
• Naming and Coding Inconsistency - data layer
  names, attributes, and coding schemes vary across
  agencies
• Permanent Access Not Available - data
  distribution focuses on current copies
• Shift Towards Web Services-based Distribution -
  threat to formation of secondary archives
  (libraries, etc.)

Potential Ingest Objects
Feature Class Layers
XML Database Export
TIFF Images
Issue Most geospatial data sets are multi-file
objects involving multiple formats. Solution Grou
p files as single logical item during ingest
workflow. Use METS for distribution
packaging. Future Scenarios The GeoDRM
initiative may stimulate geospatial industry
attention to the issue of content packaging.
Issue Metadata may occur in html, xml, text, or
pdf and may adhere to a broad content standard
such as ISO 19115 or FGDC, an industry profile,
or a locally defined scheme. Solution Normalize
the format to an XML representation of a commonly
utilized profile of the FGDC content standard and
retain original metadata record. Future
Scenarios The finalization and adoption of the
North American Profile of the ISO 19139 metadata
encoding standard will promote industry-wide
consistency in metadata records.
Metadata Encodings and Formats
A Single Vector Layer

• Layer Components
• Geometry file
• Index file
• Attribute file
• Metadata file
• Coordinate System file
• Spatial Index files

Project Phases Overview
Data Acquisition
Digital Repository Development
Data Selection and Identification

• Review existing inventories of state, regional,
  and local agency data holdings
• Target data for acquisition, focusing on GIS
  vector data, digital orthophotography, digital
  maps, and georeferenced tabular data
• Determine data acquisition frequency for
  continuously updated data layers such as land
  parcels and municipal boundaries
• Determine optimal data formats for preservation
  and develop plans for archiving unique spatial
  data formats

• Acquire state, local, and regional agency data as
  well as federal agency products of local scope
• Capture, process, and normalize existing FGDC
  metadata
• Use the Metadata Encoding and Transfer Standard
  (METS) to form preservation metadata records that
  include descriptive, administrative, and
  technical components
• Explore Open Geospatial Consortium specifications
  and technologies for potential use in automated
  identification and capture of data

• Ingest data into DSpace open source digital
  repository software for bit-level preservation
• Develop redundant archive, with offsite storage
• Implement format migration strategy for at-risk
  data resources
• Explore longer-term archival approaches with
  state, federal, and local partners
• Explore options for exposure of time-versioned
  and archived content through access and discovery
  tools

Issue There is no open, widely-supported format
for geospatial vector data. Solution Settle for
now on the shapefile as an openly documented,
easily-archived, and widely supported
format. Future Scenarios Initial discussions
regarding an archival profile of the Geography
Markup Language (GML) are underway, involving the
Open Geospatial Consortium, ESRI, and NARA.
Issue Many geospatial data layers are volatile in
nature, and may be updated daily or
weekly. Solution Capture snapshots of data
layers at defined intervals and encourage
maintenance of snapshots by data
custodians. Future Scenarios Preservation
partners will conduct a survey to determine
optimal data capture frequency for each framework
data layer.  State Archives retention schedule
processes may provide a means to formalize the
capture process.
Parcel delineation in northern Raleigh March 1997
Results from 2003 North Carolina local government
survey
Partnership Building

• Advisory Committee formed from elements of NC
  Geographic Information Coordinating Council
  subcommittees

• Work within the NC One Map framework of
  inventories, data sharing agreements, and
  technical best practices

• Explore state, local, and federal partnerships in
  developing strategies for digital preservation
  infrastructure development

Parcel delineation in northern Raleigh February
2005
Presented by Rob Farrell, Steve Morris, and Jim
Tuttle