Digital preservation ingest can be a “CINCH”

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the “Capture, Ingest, and Checksum” (CINCH) tool, developed by the State Library of North Carolina with funding from a 2011 IMLS Sparks! Ignition grant.

Design/methodology/approach

This article describes the needs assessment, development, and use cases for the CINCH tool in the digital preservation community. A special emphasis is put on the possible wider adoption of the tool for small and mid‐sized institutions and the call for community building around it.

Findings

CINCH does not relate directly to storage or access, but it does address the need for appropriately formatted SIPs to ensure the fixity, authenticity, and long‐term manageability of our digital assets. As a broadly accessible tool with generalized purpose, its greatest impact will be on small and mid‐sized institutions and organizations that do not now have access to an application of this nature.

Research limitations

CINCH 2.0 planning is already underway. Improving the quality and range of metadata, exploring DRM restrictions, and expanding the types of harvestable files are at the top of the development list.

Practical implications

CINCH will create a Submission Information Package (SIP) to certify that the files ingested are ready for whatever preservation action the institution is capable of performing on them.

Originality/value

CINCH was developed by the State Library of North Carolina and is the only tool of its kind available to the digital preservation community.

Citation

Rudersdorf, A. (2012), "Digital preservation ingest can be a “CINCH”", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 449-456. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831211266591