Southeastern’s Digital Dark Archive (DDA) service provides a low-cost, secure, and geographically distributed storage solution to preserve Southeastern members’ locally created digital resources.Southeastern is committed to helping member organizations preserve essential digital content for the future. The DDA is not intended to be a depositor’s only backup system but to provide an additional storage solution for a comprehensive digital preservation/backup strategy.
For more information on digital preservation and Southeastern’s Digital Dark Archive, please read the following FAQ:
What is Digital Preservation?
Digital Preservation is the proper management and maintenance of digital objects to be accessed and used in the future. Digital information is more fragile than analog information and requires active management to ensure its continued accessibility.
What is a Digital Dark Archive?
A digital dark archive is a file storage system designed to preserve the information it contains and serve as a failsafe during disaster recovery. It is typically used for the preservation of content that is accessible elsewhere. A digital dark archive is not publicly accessible; access is restricted to a few individuals.
How is Southeastern’s Digital Dark Archive Different from a File Backup System?
A file backup system copies files to another location. Southeastern’s Digital Dark Archive includes file fixity checking, virus scanning, and standardized preservation metadata.
Who is Eligible to Participate in the Digital Dark Archive Service?
Any Southeastern member organization may participate in the Digital Dark Archive service.
What File Formats May be Submitted to the Digital Dark Archive?
At this time, Southeastern will accept TIFF, JPEG, JPEG2000, PDF, MP3, WAV, MP4, MKV, CSV, and TXT.
How Does an Organization Transfer Files to the Digital Dark Archive?
Two methods of transfer are available. An organization may transfer files directly to the Digital Dark Archive staging server over the web if they have the resources to support data transfers. Alternatively, an organization may deliver a hard drive to Southeastern.
How Much Does it Cost to Participate in the Digital Dark Archive Service?
There are different costs by content type:
a. Hudson River Valley Heritage (HRVH) / New York Heritage (NYH) content
Southeastern members contributing to HRVH/NYH may deposit up to 500 GB of HRVH/NY content for no additional annual fees. If a member’s files exceed 500 GB, extra storage through the Service can be obtained at the following annual rates:
| < 99GB | $100 |
| 100GB-199GB | $200 |
| 200GB-299GB | $300 |
| 300GB-399GB | $400 |
| 400GB-499GB | $500 |
| >500GB | Call for quote |
b. Other content
Any Southeastern member that wishes to store other digital assets in the Digital Dark Archive may do so at the following annual rates:
| < 99GB | $100 |
| 100GB-199GB | $200 |
| 200GB-299GB | $300 |
| 300GB-399GB | $400 |
| 400GB-499GB | $500 |
| >500GB | Call for quote |
Upload fee: If the member doesn’t have the bandwidth to upload files directly to the Digital Dark Archive server, a hard drive can be delivered to Southeastern and Southeastern staff will perform the upload for a fee of $50 per upload.
Retrieval fee: $20 per 100GB of retrieved data. Please allow up to two weeks.
Whom at Southeastern do I Contact for More Information?
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Palmentiero, Digital Services Librarian (845.883.9065 x116 / jennifer@senylrc.org)
Or
Zack Spalding, Systems Manager (845.883.9065 x111 / spalding@senylrc.org)