UC Berkeley

The AIMS project evolved around a common need among the project partners — and most libraries and archives — to identify a methodology or continuous framework for stewarding born-digital archival materials. These materials have been slowly accumulating in archival backlogs for years but are rapidly growing as more contemporary collections are accessioned. Alongside the many and complex technological requirements, the challenges of stewarding born-digital material demand new strategies as well as a redefinition of archival workflows. If the archival profession aims to preserve and manage born-digital material to standards matching those of paper-based collections, a broader and deeper understanding of these issues must be developed, and this understanding must be incorporated into training of new archival professionals, professional development programs, and continuing education.

Into this climate, the AIMS partners proposed an inter-institutional framework for stewarding born-digital content. The AIMS partners realized that they could not solve all problems associated with born-digital materials but decided to focus their attention on professional practice defined by archival principles and by the current state of collections at the partner institutions. The AIMS Framework was developed to define good practice in terms of archival tasks and objectives necessary for success. The Framework, as defined in the White Paper found below, presents a practical approach but also a recognition that there is no single solution for many of the issues that institutions face when dealing with born-digital collections. Instead, the AIMS project partners developed this framework as a further step towards best practice for the profession

The AIMS Project was a partnership between the University of Virginia Libraries, Stanford University Libraries and Academic Resources, the University of Hull Library, and Yale University Library with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.