SAA's New Book Engages Archivists on Managing Born-Digital Design Records

CHICAGO—Born-Digital Design Records, a new book edited by Samantha Winn (University of Arizona), brings together three modules to guide archivists in managing born-digital design records. This book, which is part of the Trends in Archives Practice series from the Society of American Archivists, employs historical overviews, use cases, practical tool registries, sample workflows, and robust glossaries of terms to provide a comprehensive overview of this increasingly important area of archival management.

Written and informed by some of the leading voices in the field, each module deals with the unique technical landscape of born-digital design records:

• “Module 24: Navigating the Technical Landscape of Born-Digital Design Records” by Kristine Fallon, Aliza Leventhal, and Zach Vowell gives an overview of the typical workflows, software, essential tools, data types, common technical challenges, and terminology used in design construction and digital design.
• “Module 25: Emerging Best Practices in the Accession, Preservation, and Emulation of Born-Digital Design Records” by Jody Thompson, Euan Cochrane, Aliza Leventhal, Laura Schroffel, and Emily Vigor helps readers prepare for the accession and long-term preservation of born-digital design records through clear institutional mission statements, collection policies, and more.
• “Module 26: Case Studies in Born-Digital Design Records” by Aliza Leventhal, Stefana Breitwieser, Alex Jokinen, Mireille Nappert, and Zach Vowell shares the stories of five archivists who’ve navigated the challenges of born-digital design records at different institutions.

These modules are intended to appeal to archival workers in a variety of institutional contexts, including business archives, architectural firms, museums, universities, and government offices. The book is available in print and as an ebook; individual modules are also available in a digital format (epub, PDF, Kindle). Stay up to date with the profession with this newest installment of Trends in Archival Practice. Learn more about Born-Digital Design Records in the bookstore.