Volume 14 (2025-26)

Archives and cultural heritage institutions face a mounting backlog of uncatalogued or sparsely described materials that constrain public access and scholarly research. This paper examines the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) as a practical, strategic tool to alleviate these backlogs, enhance collection discoverability, and advance the mission of democratic access to historical records. Case studies showcase large language models and computer-vision techniques applied to handwritten prisoner-of-war index cards, administrative records and extensive photographic and video archives. Each case study outlines the workflow for extracting structured metadata at scale or the enabling of novel visual and semantic search capabilities. Results demonstrate that AI can process photographs, video footage and handwritten index cards with remarkable speed and accuracy. Structured metadata derived from these methods unlocks new genealogical and historical research pathways by transforming unstructured content into searchable datasets. While acknowledging ongoing challenges, including transcription errors, algorithmic bias and seamless integration into existing archival workflows, the findings affirm that AI has matured into an accessible, scalable solution for reducing persistent cataloguing backlogs across institutions of all sizes, augmenting, rather than replacing, the indispensable expertise of professional archivists. The paper presents a straightforward framework to help archival organisations launch their own AI initiatives to accelerate backlog reduction, elevate institutional visibility, unlock fresh avenues for research and ultimately broaden public engagement with cultural heritage collections. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https:// hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: artificial intelligence; digital archives; metadata; visual collections; digital humanities

This paper provides an overview of a two-year project designed by archivists and librarians at Johns Hopkins University to transform and import collection metadata for the Barbara A. Mikulski papers into ArchivesSpace using Python and the ArchivesSpace application programming interface. The authors describe the challenges of managing a large volume of unformatted archival description and the resulting workflow to create metadata compliant with a designated collection management system. The paper analyses how archivists can incorporate new technology into processing workflows, arguing that archivists should take metadata import into consideration throughout processing projects to maximise their time and facilitate access. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http:// hstalks/business.
Keywords: metadata; archives; Python; API; JSON; ingest

This paper presents a case study of the University of Kentucky Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) and its workflows for processing hybrid archival collections containing both physical and born-digital materials. As digital media have become increasingly intermingled with physical formats, the SCRC has developed a tiered migration strategy — ranging from full forensic imaging to minimal logical transfers — guided by a locally developed born-digital migration decision tree. The paper details the hardware and software assembled to address legacy media formats, including open source and proprietary tools for data extraction, virus checking and file format analysis. It further explores decision trees for descriptive granularity, balancing item-level detail with pragmatic resource constraints, and discusses strategies for integrating or separating physical and digital descriptions within finding aids. The SCRC’s approach emphasises extensible processing, allowing for future refinement, and considers researcher access, collection value and institutional capacity in its descriptive policies. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http:// hstalks/business/.
Keywords: digital reappraisal; hybrid description; archival processing; integrated description

The acceptance and management of donated audiovisual materials present archives with complex legal, ethical and operational challenges, particularly in collections with layered rights histories such as news footage, independent documentaries and community-produced media. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence amplify concerns about misappropriation, distortion and unauthorised reuse. This paper presents best practices for negotiating rights agreements, addressing cultural and ethical considerations and developing workflows that ensure clarity, sustainability and responsible access. It provides actionable strategies for archives and digital media professionals, including practical tools, model templates and a case study demonstrating how clear policies and strong donor relationships enhance access, trust and institutional resilience. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: audiovisual archives; copyright; donor agreements; digital ethics; artificial intelligence; AI; rights management

This paper presents a case study of the University of Oregon’s Special Collections and University Archives’ efforts to rebuild a sustainable born-digital archives programme following the departure of its sole digital archivist in 2023. Faced with a growing backlog of at-risk digital media and limited institutional knowledge, the Archives restructured its workflows to define and distribute digital processing responsibilities across all unit staff. The initiative emphasised collaborative workflow development, the acquisition of new professional skills and the adoption of scalable tools, including Preservica and digital forensics hardware and software. This paper outlines practical steps taken to stabilise data held on legacy media carriers, develop shared vocabulary and implement a ‘more product, less process’ approach to the arrangement and description of borndigital records. Key challenges addressed include equipment limitations, the creation of adequate metadata, transparent communication with donors and users and the ethics of born-digital collection management. Findings suggest that while commercial tools and institutional support can accelerate progress, sustainable digital preservation also depends on iterative, values-driven practices. The paper offers a replicable framework for other institutions navigating similar transitions and concludes by advocating for a ‘slow archiving’ model that balances access, risk and ethical stewardship. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http:// hstalks/business/.
Keywords: born-digital preservation; collaborative workflows; archival backlog management; more product less process; MPLP; arrangement and description; digital stewardship

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when libraries and archives shuttered, the George C. Marshall Foundation reassessed its long-term strategy to make its historical records available to the public. As few researchers could visit the collection in person, the foundation decided to meet the public where they were: online. By the end of the year, the foundation had committed to a multi-year, multi-phase project to digitise Marshall’s papers (a collection of more than 250 archival boxes) and to make every document individually searchable — a feat that would challenge many larger repositories. This paper examines how a small library, with a limited staff, developed and launched a document-level digitisation project, and discusses the lessons learned along the way. With the first phase of the project completed in late 2024, the paper details the development of the project, how decisions, large and small, were made with little precedent or best-practice guidance and what the future holds for such a small library tackling such an ambitious project. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http://hstalks/business.
Keywords: digitisation; digital preservation; resource management; archive management

The remediation of legacy metadata descriptions has become an increasingly prominent topic among cultural heritage institutions. As descriptive practices evolve and new collections continue to be processed, the time and resources available for reviewing outdated or inaccurate metadata are often limited. Yet, inaccurate description directly impacts user access, discoverability and the overall research experience. In response to these challenges, the Special Collections and Archives Department (SCA) at Florida State University Libraries undertook a number of studies as part of a broader initiative involving the remediation of legacy archival description in SCA’s ArchivesSpace database and its digital library, the FSU Digital Repository. The work centred on analysing and correcting outdated, missing or incorrect metadata description to improve user experience and discoverability. Conscious editing practices, APA language guidelines, and updates to linked data such as Library of Congress subject headings, name authority files and other controlled vocabularies, alongside institutional case studies, served as guiding resources. The case studies discussed in this paper include the Bradford-Eppes Papers — the first collection to be remediated; the Claude Pepper Papers — a popular collection which used outdated language and standards and the Historical Photographs Collection launching the Mrs. Husbands-Name Project which set out to recover women’s independent identities. The paper discusses the development and refinement of reparative practices and workflows for legacy description in SCA’s finding aids and repository. It highlights successes and ongoing challenges while encouraging other institutions to adopt a user-centred approach to archival metadata. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http://hstalks/business.
Keywords: user-centred description; legacy metadata; archival description; reparative metadata; metadata remediation

This paper examines an exploratory use of artificial intelligence and natural language processing tools to restore and re-version audiovisual assets held by the Visual Collections Repository of Concordia University. The case study on which this paper is based focuses on magnetic tape recordings of a series of lectures delivered by Swiss-French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard to cinema and humanities students in the late 1970s. The tapes are especially valuable to biographers of Godard and researchers studying the French New Wave but have never been exhibited in their entirety as the poor audio quality has historically limited their exhibition and research value. This case study describes innovative workflows for incorporating AI into restoration projects, particularly those involving audio reformatting. For audiovisual archivists, this has relevance to collections of deteriorated quality. The paper provides lessons and best practices when working with WhisperAI, Adobe Audition and iZoTopeRX software, in addition to a discussion of the broader questions surrounding AI’s role in cataloguing and creating access copies of archival master files. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http://hstalks/business.
Keywords: natural language processing; audio restoration; Jean-Luc Godard; close captioning; subtitling

This paper analyses the key role that archives play in the modern era, bringing the past into the present through expertise in film, metadata, archival processes and legacy editorial practices. The paper describes the unique processes undertaken to bring to life a previously created television show, which was previously only available on older technology, for a high-profile streaming distribution deal. The paper describes how dedicated professionals collaborated within a studio system to use their technical knowledge, workflow expertise and understanding of library history to remaster this historic television show. The paper details the challenges of identifying the correct elements, ensuring legal requirements were fulfilled, and demonstrates the number of people and elements required to translate these shows into new technology. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http:// hstalks/business.
Keywords: post-production; UHD HDR; music cue sheets; NTSC 4:3; Super 16-mm; Davinci Resolve; Blackmagic Design Cintel Scanner; ¼-inch Nagra; Avid Media; electronic decision list; Pro-Tools

This paper examines Yale Library’s transformation from a fragmented digital collections environment into an integrated digital stewardship model that places preservation at the heart of access. Over the past decade, Yale has established a sustainable framework for managing its digitised and born-digital special collections. It began by implementing core systems, including Alma and ArchivesSpace for metadata, Preservica for content preservation, and custom middleware to maintain synchronisation across all components. The library’s most significant advances include the Metadata Cloud, which automates complex metadata mapping between systems, and its adoption of International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) standards to ensure collections work seamlessly across platforms. Everything feeds into its discovery ecosystem: Archives at Yale, QuickSearch and LUX. The library has broken down the data silos that once blocked its work, built a stronger preservation infrastructure, and created seamless discovery paths for researchers across every platform. Of course, nothing comes without trade-offs. The systems now depend heavily on each other. When one component fails, it affects the whole chain. Processing takes longer because teams must meet rigorous preservation standards. Staff constantly navigate the tension between traditional archival descriptions and users’ expectations for granular, item-level access. This paper demonstrates that integrating preservation into access workflows, while complex, creates more sustainable, reliable and user-centred systems. The paper provides practical guidance for institutions seeking to transition from short-term digital access solutions to long-term digital stewardship. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http://hstalks/business.
Keywords: digital stewardship; digital preservation; metadata integration; authoritative systems; middleware; IIIF; International Image Interoperability Framework

This paper explores the challenges of modern production, where the creative process is no longer linear. Today’s dynamic workflows, with script and visual development in constant flux, often lead to logistical chaos, costly delays and creative friction due to version control issues. This new paradigm requires new technological foundation built on two principles: interoperability and ontology. Interoperability allows different software to exchange data seamlessly, while a shared ontology acts as a common language to define relationships between production artefacts and their digital assets. These would create a transparent ‘supply chain of custody’, tracking every asset’s history from start to finish. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http://hstalks/business.
Keywords: digital assets; script; interoperability; ontology; asset management; AI agent; media supply chai

This paper examines how digital asset management (DAM) can maximise the value of digital content throughout its life cycle. It specifically highlights the LA Philharmonic Orchestra as a model of innovation in adapting its digital media strategy to meet the demands of a changing technological landscape and evolving audience expectations. Through interviews conducted at the orchestra, several key areas of interest emerged that deepen our understanding of how DAM facilitates digital initiatives. These areas include social media marketing, metadata management and remote working practices. The research finds that DAM is central to a complex media ecosystem that encompasses not only DAM technology and the systems with which it interacts but also the workflows, processes and individuals involved. While this paper concentrates on the specific context of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra, the insights gained can be beneficial for classical music performing organisations more broadly, as well as other nonprofit cultural entities, such as museums and art institutions. This case study underscores the importance of understanding how cultural organisations adapt to the demands of modern audiences and the changing technological environment, highlighting the role of DAM in supporting this digital adaptation. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http://hstalks/business.
Keywords: innovation; management; orchestras; music; digital; media

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the need and urgency for archives to scale up digital collections to continue providing access to their materials. The Center for the Study of Political Graphics (CSPG) planned, troubleshot and constructed an in-house digitisation studio with a limited budget and team. Since 2021, CSPG has digitised over 60,000 posters. More than half of these digitised images have been processed and added to CSPG’s collections management system. So far, over 20,000 of these digitised posters have been added to CSPG’s collections website. This paper provides an overview of how a relatively small poster archive created an in-house digitisation studio. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http:// hstalks/business.
Keywords: digital preservation; digitisation; community archives; studio photography; political posters; non-profits

The digitisation of oversized materials has long been a challenge for librarians and archivists. Often, the equipment and expertise required exceed the capacity of increasingly resource-strained cultural heritage institutions, and this challenge is further exacerbated by the pressure to create surrogates that meet increasingly high and complex digital preservation standards. This can easily result in resource drains or opting not to attempt digitisation at all, leaving these materials less accessible and much of their informational value dependent on physical preservation. This paper explores an experimental collaboration between the archives and marketing and communications team at a university, which used a drone to digitise a collection of oversize military plans. A walkthrough of the process highlights the considerations and challenges, and an assessment of the results outlines benefits and drawbacks, with suggestions for potential improvements to the experiment. Ultimately, the stakeholders considered the process and output a success, and the paper argues for creative and collaborative approaches to resource-intensive processes that prioritise the strategic use of available resources and useful results over traditional methods and rigid professional standards. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http://hstalks/business.
Keywords: digitisation; imaging; oversized material; drones; digital preservation; collaboration

In 2023, the Taylor University Archives set out to migrate its digital collections from Microsoft Access to ArchivesSpace. This decision was driven by significant staff changes within the archives and by the imminent risk of total digital collection loss due to the instability of an overburdened Access database. The success of the migration depended heavily on collaboration between the Taylor University Archives, the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana and the Anderson University Archives. This partnership was instrumental in enabling the Taylor University Archives to complete the transfer of its main collection’s data into ArchivesSpace two years ahead of schedule. This paper shares not only the methods used to implement ArchivesSpace but also the benefits of collaborating with other institutions already using the platform. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http:// hstalks/business.
Keywords: ArchivesSpace; collaboration; implementation; digital archives; digital collections; migration

This paper describes the Generative AI and Description Project started by the University of Alberta Archives team in January 2024. Stemming from a curiosity to explore the ways in which generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can be incorporated into daily workflows, the project sought to find ways of streamlining and saving time on some of the more laborious tasks of archival description. The team focused the implementation of GenAI tools on the creation of biographical sketches and administrative histories. Three GenAI tools were chosen, based on their open access and familiarity to most — ChatGPT, Perplexity AI and Microsoft’s CoPilot. Person and organisation-based entities were selected for the trials. As the project progressed, detailed processing notes were taken to track the accuracy of each tool used in the development of an appropriate and useful biographical sketch or administrative history. The results indicated a varying degree of inconsistency and fabrication (ie errors or inaccurate information) across the three tools, highlighting the need for staff to proofread and confirm the validity of sources; thus, not saving significant time in the end. The goal of this project was to provide other archives professionals with specific examples of practical applications of GenAI tools in archival description workflows. We hope that this project can inspire others to explore other ways in which GenAI can become a part of our professional practices. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: generative artificial intelligence; GenAI tools; archival description; libraries and archives

The University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries aim to provide a consistent and efficient reference service for users of the Portal to Texas History, the Gateway to Oklahoma History and the UNT Digital Library by centralising the collection of enquiries received into a single database. Faceted search functionality within this database allows staff to ascertain unanswered enquiries for each system, while statistical information can be used to track response rates, increasing the potential for users to receive responses in a timely manner. To improve response rates, the UNT Libraries’ Digital Libraries Division has developed a variety of extensive training materials for staff providing reference assistance to users. These materials document appropriate responses and detail the decision-making processes involved for a wide variety of common questions received from users. Developing this documentation has allowed the Digital Libraries Division to utilise students as reference assistants while still providing personalised responses to users of UNT Libraries’ digital repositories. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: virtual reference; digital libraries; training; student employment; decision-making

The Sherman Indian Museum and the University of California, Riverside Library completed a cross-institutional collaborative project to digitise the museum’s rich collection of materials documenting the student experience, institutional culture and community history of one of the few remaining off-reservation American Indian boarding schools still operational in the country. This two-year grant-funded project digitised and provided online access to nearly 14,000 items, totalling over 55,000 pages of content from the museum’s collection. Project activities were guided by the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials (PNAAM), to ensure that the digital collection was developed in a culturally-responsible and responsive manner that prioritised the needs of and incorporated knowledge from the Indigenous community. The concepts of mutual respect and reciprocity promoted in PNAAM were fully embedded into the core components of the project from its staffing model and technical approach to its digital preservation and discoverability plan and rights, ethics and reuse strategy. This case study provides a framework that can be leveraged, and further extended, by future collaborative projects seeking to build sustainable, culturally responsive, standards-based Indigenous digital collections. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: cross-institutional collaboration; digitisation; cultural heritage materials; off-reservation boarding schools; Protocols for Native American Archival Materials (PNAAM); Indigenous communities

The University of Houston Libraries (UHL) has made significant strides in the assessment, processing and preservation of its digital collections, both born-digital and digitised. This paper provides an in-depth examination of UHL’s digital preservation programme, tracing its evolution from the formation of its Digital Preservation Task Force in 2014 to its current experimentation with workflows to manage born-digital materials. Central to this effort is the adoption of Archivematica, an open source digital preservation system, which has been used to automate key preservation processes for digitised content. However, born-digital collections present additional challenges, requiring manual intervention for file arrangement, format normalisation and long-term storage. The collaboration with the Texas Digital Library (TDL) Resident Librarian programme offered UHL a unique opportunity to revisit and refine its approach to born-digital preservation. Through this partnership, the resident librarian tested new Archivematica workflows using a pilot project involving the Gene Green Papers’ social media archives. The project not only highlighted the complexities of preserving diverse file formats but also emphasised the need for sustained institutional support, including dedicated staffing for digital preservation work. This paper outlines UHL’s journey in building a sustainable digital preservation ecosystem, exploring the lessons learned from the TDL residency, and discussing the ongoing development of workflows to address the challenges of born-digital preservation. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: digital preservation; born-digital archives; Archivematica; workflow development

This paper discusses the transformative potential of using machine-learning (ML) tools in archival institutions to enhance the accessibility of archival collections. It highlights the challenges faced by archival professionals in managing the vast volume and diversity of archival materials, including physical backlogs and the difficulties of describing both digitised and born-digital collections. The paper explores the history of artificial intelligence and its relevance to archival work before delving into two case studies conducted by the author, a metadata archivist at the University of Calgary, involving the use of handwritten text recognition and automatic speech recognition tools to extract descriptive metadata from archival finding aids and generate transcriptions of oral histories, respectively. Through a review of existing literature and practical case studies, the paper provides archival professionals with a foundational understanding of ML concepts and insights into how these technologies can be harnessed to improve the accessibility and usability of archival collections. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: machine learning; handwritten text recognition; automatic speech recognition; archives; digital collections; archival processing; archival description

In 2021, the John G. Riley Center and Museum of African American History and Culture received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to digitise its archives. This project aimed to preserve and make accessible the rich history of African American communities in Florida. The grant facilitated the digitisation of the Riley House Archives at Tallahassee State College (TSC) and audiovisual materials held by Riley House, alongside a series of workshops to share the knowledge gained from the project. The project was a collaborative effort involving Riley House staff, City of Tallahassee personnel, Florida State University faculty, TSC staff and interns. Key challenges included logistical issues, copyright concerns, and the need for continuous adjustments to the project plan. Despite these hurdles, the team successfully digitised over 5,000 items, including photos, letters, business documents, yearbooks and oral histories from 24 collections. The project also focused on creating a sustainable digital library using Omeka S software, ensuring longterm accessibility and management. Interns played a crucial role, gaining valuable hands-on experience and contributing significantly to the project’s success. The initiative not only enhanced the discoverability of the Riley Archives but also provided a replicable model for other institutions within the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network. This case study will share how we designed and executed this project along with highlighting the challenges and importance of partnership building across institutions to make large-scale digitisation projects successful in a finite timeline. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: digitisation; partnerships; grants; project management; museums; African American history