There is more to the archive
Behind the old servers, forgotten folders and inherited systems is a collection worth understanding.
We inventory, document and prepare dormant data so you can decide what comes next.
Open the recovery sheetBegin with an inventory. Licensing is a separate decision.
Accession record DDP—A
- Collection
- Legacy product archive
- Format
- Documents / database exports
- Condition
- Partially documented
- Rights status
- Not yet established
of the collection.
What have you inherited?
Archives outlive the systems and organizations that created them. The starting point is often a change of hands.
An acquisition
New ownership. Incomplete records. A collection whose history needs to travel with it.
A shutdown
Before access and institutional knowledge disappear, establish what needs attention.
A migration
Old exports, retired systems and the context that didn’t make it into the new platform.
Unknown storage
A drive, a bucket or a room of tapes. Start by recording what you can identify.
The recovery planner
A few details become a practical first-pass inventory checklist. No upload, account or score required.
A place to start, even with gaps
Tell us what you can identify. Your answers stay in this page’s memory. Nothing is sent or saved.
Your first-pass inventory checklist
Ser. B · Folder 1 · Recovery register
Custodian’s note: retain each open question with the source record. Confirm ownership, permitted uses and handling arrangements with the responsible parties before recovery or sharing; valuation requires a separate review.
A provisional working record, based on the details entered here. Read the planner’s method §
From a collection to a finding aid
One continuous record of what exists, what is known and what still needs a decision.
- Record produced
Inventory
Locate sources, formats and custodians. Give each part of the collection a stable reference.
Source & format register - Record produced
Condition
Document access, duplication, missing metadata and possible personal data. Keep gaps visible.
Condition & gap notes - Record produced
Provenance
Trace origins, agreements and restrictions. Separate evidence from assumptions.
Rights & provenance register - Record produced
Preparation
Define appropriate cleaning, redaction and metadata recovery. Build a controlled sample for review.
Sample manifest & dictionary
A little order changes the conversation
A register connects the material to its context. “Unknown” remains a finding, with a question attached.
| Collection / format | Condition | Rights status / next question |
|---|---|---|
| Product records Database export | Readable; dictionary missing | Unknown Locate transfer agreements |
| Support archive Text & attachments | Personal data review needed | Unreviewed Identify consent and retention duties |
| Legacy backup Offline tape | Readability untested | Unknown Identify custodian and compatible reader |
Fabricated teaching specimen. These entries describe no client or live collection. A register documents evidence; it does not confer permission.
Care includes knowing the limits
Making an archive understandable is only one part of deciding its future. Some material needs further ownership, privacy or technical review.
We document these dependencies before preparation or sharing. Keep buyer interest, valuation and permission for reuse as separate questions in the record.
Unclear ownership or permissions
Gather agreements and evidence of transfer. Qualified counsel must resolve disputed ownership and permitted uses before material is shared.
Personal or restricted records
Identify sensitive categories, retention obligations and legal holds. Agree appropriate handling with the responsible privacy and legal specialists.
Damaged or inaccessible media
Recovery can require specialist hardware and expertise. Repeated attempts may harm fragile media; establish an appropriate recovery plan first.
Start a record of your own
Tell us where the archive lives, how it came to you and what is still unclear. You don’t need a complete inventory to begin.
We review the inquiry and return the first questions for defining a scope.