The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) was established in 1961 and merged with the British Columbia Vocational School in 1968. BCIT is a degree-granting, post-secondary educational institution that confers technical and vocational baccalaureate degrees and diplomas. The Institute has five campuses in the Vancouver area, comprising more than 1,600 full-time faculty, 600 part-time faculty and approximately 16,000 students.

The case study considers the more than 100 million digital records created and used by BCIT’s departments and administrative offices. Although these records are subject to the same retention and disposition schedules that apply to BCIT's paper records, only a small percentage of BCIT's departments and administrative offices actually apply the schedules to digital records. The digital records are not only essential for the daily activities and procedures of the Institute, they also contribute to its growing history.

The main objective of the case study is: to devise a policy and set of procedures that better ensure the long-term preservation of BCIT's digital records.

The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery was established in 1948. Since its founding, the Archives has amassed over 30,000 archival items relating to the post-war history of art in Vancouver and the avant-garde narratives of the 1960s and 1970s. The Gallery strives to research, exhibit, collect, publish, educate and develop programs in the field of contemporary art and contemporary approaches to the practice of art history and criticism.

The case study examines the issues involved with preserving contemporary art, specifically art that relies on digital technology for its presentation. The Gallery is interested in finding means to assure its donors that their works will survive in perpetuity and as they were originally intended to be displayed.

The main objectives of the case study are: to devise policies and procedures to guide the acquisition of the digital art works and manage their preservation; and to create policies and procedures for maintaining multi-media materials that currently reside in the Gallery’s collections and in its archives.

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) was established in January 1995 as a special government agency and became a Parent Crown corporation in January 2001 with a shift in its operations similar to its private partners. The CTC works with Canadian provinces, territories and the Canadian tourism industry to market Canada as a desirable four-season tourist destination.

This case study examines the digital materials created by the CTC, specifically its digital photographs and how the Commission uses MediaBin, a digital asset management system, to store, manage and preserve these images. Because these images help support a range of ongoing CTC activities—including marketing operations, promotional events and media involvement—long-term preservation and continued accessibility of the images is required.

The main objectives of the case study are: to determine the recordkeeping capabilities of MediaBin and its potential for serving as a digital repository for the long-term preservation of images and other types of media; and to determine what strategies and metadata elements may be needed to ensure the survival and accessibility of CTC’s digital records.

The City of Victoria Archives was established in 1967 to document the City’s history while identifying, selecting, preserving and providing access to its civic and private records. As a unit within the City’s government, the Archives caters to City Council as much as it does to the general public.

The case study examines the local area network (LAN) used by City Hall employees. Specifically, the case study considers the files produced and maintained by the Legislative Services unit. For various reasons, traditional paper records have followed retention schedules but their corresponding digital records have not. For the past twenty years, use and maintenance of the LAN by City Hall employees has gone unregulated and has accumulated nearly 1.5 terabytes of information.

The main objectives of the case study are: to establish policies for having City units apply retention schedules to their digital records located on the LAN; and to devise methods for identifying files on the LAN that either need to be disposed of or that have long-term value and need to be preserved by the Archives.

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) was established in 1973 to provide universal automobile insurance and services, such as driver licensing and vehicle registration, to British Columbia motorists. ICBC is a provincial Crown Corporation and in 1997 incorporated the Motor Vehicle Branch (in the Ministry of Transportation and Highways) of British Columbia.

This case study examines the document approval process for responding to document requests made by ICBC departments and external agencies. These are key activities for the Administration Services Division, which needs to ensure that the appropriate records are created, maintained and preserved.

The main objectives of the case study are: to examine the digital recordkeeping environment of ICBC; and to analyze the configuration of its newly-implemented Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS)—and related policies and procedures—to determine if the system is capable of supporting the creation, maintenance and long-term preservation of authentic and reliable digital records.

The Museum of Anthropology (MOA), located at the University of British Columbia (UBC), was established in 1949, although UBC has been collecting ethnographic materials since 1927. MOA seeks to identify, collect, preserve and provide information about, and access to, cultural objects from around the world, emphasizing the achievements and concerns of the First Peoples of British Columbia and B.C.’s cultural communities.

This case study examines the administrative and managerial framework of MOA to provide the organization with a policy for the preservation of its digital records. Currently, the MOA archives do not hold any digital records, but they are being produced exponentially by all of the Museum offices, so the Museum anticipates acquiring digital records in the near future. Currently, records creation and management at MOA is ad-hoc and takes place in a multi-platform environment; however, there is administrative support for a records management program at the Museum’s Archives. Because the Museum is a public institution its records are subject to copyright laws and the Freedom of Information/Protection of Privacy Act.

The main objectives of the case study are: to develop a framework of policies for the preservation of authentic digital records at MOA; and to devise a suitable means for effectively implementing a records management program across the entire organization.

The North Vancouver Museum and Archives (NVMA) was established in 1972 as an agency of the City of North Vancouver. Since 1996, the NVMA Commission has been responsible for the institution’s operations. The NVMA strives to preserve and present the heritage of North Vancouver by identifying, collecting and preserving appropriate materials. The Archives serves as a community repository rather than as the official archives for either the District or the City of North Vancouver.

This case study examines the technological, operational and procedural capabilities of the NVMA as it prepares to acquire, manage, preserve and provide access to digital records acquired from private individual donors.

The main objectives of the case study are: to prepare the NVMA for handling digital records and materials; to create a digital records Preservation Plan for the Archives; and to develop digital records outreach and education resources for the Archives' private donor community.

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The University of British Columbia (UBC) Alma Mater Society (AMS) was established in October 1915. On April 17, 1928, the AMS became an independent, non-profit organization existing to provide services to UBC students—such as improvements to campus buildings, tutoring, social support and employment—and to improve the overall quality of student life at the University.

The case study examines the AMS’s Web site in relation to the organization’s desire to preserve the site and its digital content. The Web site consists of a relatively elaborate series of inter-connected Web pages representing the various branches, departments and associated functions of the AMS. The site’s primary purpose is to disseminate information about the AMS and its policies, services, clubs and events. It also contains valuable information that may be used to provide operational continuity or to facilitate future research.

The main objectives of the case study are: to establish procedures for tracking changes to the AMS Web site; and to devise a non-technical solution for preserving the digital Web content.

The University of British Columbia School of Music was established in 1946. In 1959, it introduced a Bachelor of Music degree with Master and Doctoral degree programs initiated in 1966 and 1973, respectively. The School strives to provide professional preparation and qualification for music performers, composers and teachers. It also seeks to spread understanding and appreciation of the traditional music idioms of the West, and of the World, among the University community and general populace at large.

The case study examines the digital records managed, appraised and preserved by the staff of the School of Music; specifically, it concentrates on the e-mails handled by the School’s Director. These e-mails represent most of the School’s administrative activities, including correspondence (with attachments) relating to budgets and policies. There are no formal records management policies at the School and, as a result, recordkeeping practices are left to the discretion of each staff or faculty member.

The main objectives of the case study are: to devise an appropriate use (of Information Technology) policy specific to the School of Music; and to create corporate e-mail guidelines for the School to improve e-mail management at the administrative level.

Established in 1963, Facilities Development at Simon Fraser University (SFU) is one of three business units that constitute Facilities Services. Facilities Development provides the management and planning expertise for major new buildings on the three SFU campuses as well as providing planning support for campus development for the future. This includes maintaining building records, setting design and technical standards and providing direction for university facilities in meeting the sustainability goals of the University.

The case study examines the recent implementation of the DocuShare document management system and its capabilities for managing and preserving e-mails. Because SFU is a public institution, all records (e-mails included) generated by University employees are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The main objectives of the case study are: to develop guidelines and strategies for (1) effective management of e-mail records by their creators for on-going administrative, legal, fiscal and audit purposes, (2) appraisal, identification and selection of e-mail records of enduring value, (3) long-term preservation of authentic and reliable e-mail records selected for permanent preservation and (4) provision of access to e-mail records selected for permanent retention.

Established in 1991, the Human Rights Office (HRO) at Simon Fraser University (SFU) provides mediation services and confidential advice to: persons who believe they are the target of discrimination or harassment; SFU members who may be experiencing harassment or discrimination off-campus; managers/supervisors dealing with allegations in their departments; and persons who have been accused of discrimination or harassment by a fellow employee or student. The office also provides educational seminars on harassment, human rights, conflict in the workplace, and other associated topics.

The case study examines the policies, procedures and tools for the management and preservation of e-mail within HRO. Since SFU is a public institution, all records (e-mails included) generated by University employees are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The main objectives of the case study are: to develop guidelines and strategies for (1) effective management of e-mail records by their creators for on-going administrative, legal, fiscal and audit purposes; (2) appraisal, identification and selection of e-mail records of enduring value; (3) long-term preservation of authentic and reliable e-mail records selected for permanent preservation; and (4) provision of access to e-mail records selected for permanent retention.

The Office of the University Secretary (USEC) at the University of Victoria (UVic) was established in 1963, then called the Registrar’s Office. In 1990, the name was changed to the University Secretary’s Office. USEC is the corporate secretariat to the governance bodies of the University and is responsible for University-wide elections, senior advisory committees and matters relating to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act compliance.

The case study examines policies, procedures and tools for the management and preservation of e-mail within USEC. Although e-mail is the primary means of conducting business activities at USEC, management of e-mail documents is unregulated and is left to the discretion of each employee.

The main objectives of the case study are: to devise e-mail guidelines for USEC staff; and to implement a new classification plan—one that mirrors the University’s existing directory of records—to improve the management of USEC’s e-mails. 

The University of British Columbia Graduate School of Journalism was established in July 1996 and accepted its first intake of students in September 1998. As an academic unit within the UBC Faculty of Arts, its mission is to achieve the highest professional standards in journalism through instruction in journalistic practice and the scholarly understanding of journalism, critical thinking, and teaching of ethical responsibility.

The case study considers the High Definition digital videotapes and files created by the School’s students as part of their course projects and theses; specifically, the study examines the students’ finished video documentaries and the raw footage produced in the course of making them. While the videos are pieces of artistic expression, they also provide evidence of one component of the students’ coursework for which they are graded and they also reflect the quality of education each student receives from the program.

The main objectives of the case study are: to establish a digital video archive of High Definition video footage created by the School’s students; devise means to ensure the preservation of the raw footage of student projects; and create policies allowing for the footage to be used internally and externally.

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) was established in 1886. The case study focuses on sections and units primarily within the Department's Investigative Services that seize or generate large amounts of digital evidence, including Financial Crime, Forensic Identification, Homicide, Robbery/Assault/Arson and Sex Crimes. Such evidence may include digital photographs, GPS tracks, recordings of interviews of suspects and witnesses, wiretaps and images of seized hard drives. Each unit has specialized functions and responsibilities, including collecting evidence and conducting forensic examinations.

The case study examines VPD's digital evidence. VPD is interested in the long-term preservation of digital evidence, whether seized or generated. The purpose of these records is to function as exhibits and be admissible in court as evidence. The presentation of evidence in court can serve to convict or exonerate suspects.

The main objectives of the case study are: to devise policies for management and long-term preservation of digital evidence; and to improve upon the current electronic crime recording system. Appropriate policies and an improved system will be the case study outcomes.

The Vancouver School of Theology (VST) is an independent graduate school of theology whose roots reach back to late nineteenth-century Vancouver. Founded in 1971 through the amalgamation of the Anglican Theological College and Union College (United Church of Canada), both of which had occupied VST’s current location since 1927, VST offers academic and research degrees as well as training for ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada, the United Church of Canada and the Presbyterian Church in Canada. VST’s recordkeeping systems have developed ad hoc and the present system now keeps student records, personnel records and other important and vital administrative records in a variety of formats without proper classification and linkage.

The case study examines VST’s administrative records with emphasis on its digital records. VST is interested in the creation of reliable digital records, and their authentic maintenance and long-term preservation. Without the capacity to produce, manage and keep trustworthy digital records, VST will be forced to continue with an imperfect paper-based system, or risk losing critical records.

The main objectives of the case study are: to devise policies for the creation, maintenance and preservation of administrative records; and to develop an institution-wide system of managing digital files to reduce duplication and protect version integrity.

With a population of over 450,000, the City of Surrey is the second largest city in British Columbia and twelfth largest in Canada. Since 2006, Surrey’s Council has committed to a sustainability initiative: in keeping with this initiative, the Legislative Services division is implementing an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Program that will result in a paper and network drive-reduced environment. The goal of the ECM Program is to develop an enterprise system for unstructured records that meets the Canadian General Standards Board Guideline 72.34 Electronic Records as Documentary Evidence requirements for system integrity, and the Model Requirements for the Management of Electronic Records (MoReq2).

The case study examines the stores of existing unstructured digital records, created by sixty-five business units over fifteen years, and stored on over thirty-five shared drives at an estimated size of two terabytes. These records are of varying value and may be duplicated across drives or as hard copies. Identifying and successfully transitioning valued records into the new ECM system for long-term management is as essential as providing audited disposition for records that have met their retention requirements. Accordingly, the City is developing a Drive Migration (DM) project, which is critical to the success of the ECM Program and which—relative to the Program’s eleven other projects—represents the largest investment of City staff time in the Program.

The main objective of the case study is to help the DM project develop policies, guidelines and procedures to assist in its efforts to: devise repeatable processes to assess the unstructured records; appraise and reclassify the records; normalize to long-term formats (where possible); transition records into the repository; and provide auditable disposal for records that have met their retention or that have verified hard-copy sets.

The proposed outcomes of the case study include: methodologies for assessment, appraisal, and migration; review of a requirements specification for migration-automating tools; and review of a migration procedures manual. In essence, InterPARES will provide research, guidance and council on best practices to the DM project team: the City of Surrey will provide documentation for review and perform all of the activities specified within the DM project.

cIRcle is an institutional repository of the University of British Columbia, and is a service of the UBC Library. It is a database intended to ensure the free, online dissemination of the University's intellectual output as well as its long-term preservation. The digital content of the repository consists of the works of the UBC community in all formats, and will be deposited by individuals and/or identified communities. In Spring 2009, cIRcle became a full service of the UBC Library after the completion of its two-year pilot project phase.

The case study examines the operations of cIRcle including format standards, metadata requirements, and procedures, and policies for the maintenance and long-term preservation of digital content ingested by the repository. The digital content contained in cIRcle is intended to be accessible locally, nationally and internationally via the Internet and to provide testament to the intellectual contributions of the UBC community. Continued access can only be ensured by the responsible maintenance and preservation of these digital assets.

The main objectives of the case study are: to devise policies, procedures and guidelines for the acquisition, maintenance and long-term preservation of digital content; and to develop format standards and metadata requirements. Appropriate policies, procedures and guidelines will be the case study outcomes.

The City of Vancouver Archives is an administrative unit within the civic government of the City of Vancouver, Canada, and is part of the City Manager's Office—City Clerk's Department—Records and Archives Division. The Archives’ mandate is to acquire and preserve the records of the City government and its various boards and agencies, and to acquire and preserve private records that document the City's history. The first City Archivist was appointed by Vancouver City Council on June 12, 1933.

The case study focuses on analyzing functional requirements for the purpose of developing an OAIS-compliant Digital Archives system. This system is planned to ingest, at the current stage, unstructured digital records within the City’s TRIM electronic records management system and some public and private records that have already been digitized. The development of such a system is highly relevant to the Archives’ functioning because it will facilitate the preservation of authentic digital or digitized records created by the City of Vancouver, its boards and agencies, as well as by private donors.

The main objectives of the case study are to identify relevant InterPARES findings and to incorporate them into the project’s requirements analysis activity. The expected outcomes are translated InterPARES findings in use case scenarios and/or requirements/specifications supporting the development of the system. The end-goal is to develop an OAIS-compliant functioning prototype digital preservation environment with an accompanying policy and procedural framework that will enable the Archives to preserve authentic and reliable electronic records created by the City of Vancouver, its boards and agencies, as well as records acquired from private donors.

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) was established in January 1995 as a special government agency and became a Parent Crown corporation in January 2001 with a shift in its operations similar to its private partners. The CTC works with Canadian provinces, territories and the Canadian tourism industry to market Canada as a desirable four-season tourist destination. The CTC does not currently have a Records Management program.

The main objectives of this case study are to: 1) build the foundations of a records management program, i.e., establish policies, procedures, and tools, and 2) utilize the currently available technologies to implement the established policies, procedures, and tools. The case study will limit its scope to records generated in the CTC Headquarters as, the technologies provided for the project are not available to overseas offices.