The BitCurator Consortium (BCC) is an independent, community-led membership association that will serve as the host and center of administrative, user and community support for the BitCurator environment. Its purpose is to support curation of born-digital materials through the application of open-source digital forensics tools by institutions responsible for such materials.
The BitCurator project (2011-2014), funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, has developed, packaged and documented open-source digital forensics tools to allow libraries, archives and museums (LAMs) to extract digital materials from removable media in ways that reflect the metadata and ensure the integrity of the materials, allowing users to make sense of materials and understand their context, and preventing inadvertent disclosure of sensitive data. The BitCurator project has also engaged with interested professionals, through conferences, specialized events, online interactions, and site visits. Together, these tools and relationships provide a strong foundation upon which the BitCurator Consortium now builds.
The Software
The BitCurator software is freely distributed under an open source license. It can be installed as a Linux environment; run as a virtual machine on top of most contemporary operating systems; or run as individual software tools, packages, support scripts, and documentation.
Tools in the BitCurator environment – both those produced by the project team and those from third-party developers – can advance core curation activities, including (but not limited to):
- Reduce the risk of inadvertent changes to content through software-based write-blocking
- Create authentic copies of content through disk imaging and cryptographic hashing
- Mount forensically packaged disk images to view and export their content
- Reflect original order of materials through capture of filesystem metadata
- Establish trustworthy chains of custody through documentation of curatorial actions (log files, PREMIS records)
- Generate reports that characterize the contents of disks and directories
- Identify and document duplicate files
- Discover and expose associated contextual information
- Identify sensitive information that should be filtered, redacted or masked in appropriate ways
- Export contents of disks and directories for inclusion in Archival Information Packages and Dissemination Information Packages
Consortium Membership
Institutions responsible for the curation of born-digital materials – especially those held or acquired on digital storage media – are invited to participate in the BitCurator Consortium. Membership is open to institutions in all sectors and all nations. The BCC envisions a robust network of institutions committed to enhancing, promoting, and exploring this growing area of activity.
There are two categories of BCC membership: Charter and General. Charter Members will play an early, active role in the shaping of the BitCurator Consortium’s governance, ongoing development, and overall sustainability. Charter Membership is a one-time membership option, available only through December 31, 2014.
The most important member benefit is assurance that the BitCurator software will persist and evolve in future years. Other membership benefits include:
General Members:
- Access to a BCC help desk
- Prioritization in future enhancement requests
- Dedicated educational offerings
- Voting rights
- Eligibility to serve on the BCC Executive Council and Committees
- Service opportunities
- Community engagement and networking
- Professional development and training
- Subscription to a dedicated BCC member mailing list
- Special rates for BCC events, including the annual BitCurator User Forum
Charter Members – all General Member benefits and:
- Opportunity to participate in and shape the initial BitCurator Consortium Executive Council and BitCurator Consortium Committees, including exclusive eligibility for election or appointment to the Executive Council during the charter period
- Participation in the development of the initial BitCurator Consortium user, technical and service roadmaps.
- Recognition through the placement of your institution name, logo and link on the BitCurator Consortium web site.
- Use of the “BitCurator Consortium Charter Member” icon
During the Charter period (June-December 2014), members can take advantage of the following rates (subject to potential changes in the future):
Dues for Charter Members in the first year are $5000 (US). After the first year of membership, dues will be the same as those of General Members.
General Member dues are $2000 (US) per institution per year, for a three-year period with annual billing opportunities. Members can pay in full for their three-year period during their first six months of membership to lock in the above rates.
– If you’re interested in joining the BitCurator Consortium, contact Cal Lee – callee {at} ils [dot] unc {dot} edu
– For information about the BitCurator Consortium, visit: https://bitcurator.net/bitcurator-consortium/
– For information about the BitCurator software and user community, visit: bitcurator.net
The BCC is administered by the Educopia Institute, a non-profit that advances cultural, scientific, and scholarly institutions by catalyzing networks and collaborative communities.
