> Research & Reports Everything is not Lost The Digital Archive for Chinese Studies (DACHS) Simply put, the Digital Archive for Chinese Studies ‘[...] aims at identifying, archiving and making accessible of the long-term preservation of digital resources metadata Report > internet resources relevant for Chinese Studies, with special emphasis on social and political discourse as are highly significant in that they can carry all sorts of infor- China reflected by articulations on the Chinese internet’ (mission statement). Simple as this statement reads, a lot of mation on content as well as on technical and administrative questions arise from it: What does archiving and making accessible mean? What are resources relevant for data necessary for proper identification and future handling. Chinese Studies? And where is social and political discourse reflected on the Chinese internet? At present, the library catalogue of the Institute of Chinese Studies in Heidelberg has been re-designed so as to accom- By Jennifer Gross & Hanno E. Lecher modate the necessary metadata, including categories for rights management, history of origin, management history, rticulations reflecting the Chinese social and political file types, identifiers, and others. Adiscourse appear in all languages and, as the concept of The DACHS has been developed largely according to the national borders is alien to the internet, from all over the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) framework, an world, including China proper, Hong Kong and Macau, and ISO standard for long-term preservation of digital data. In Taiwan. The Digital Archive for Chinese Studies (DACHS) the DACHS issues such as daily backup routines in three defines ‘Chinese internet’ in a very broad sense, to include places in southern Germany, failure-proof IT systems, and material from overseas Chinese communities, Chinese for- virus checks based on hourly updated virus definitions are eign students and from scholars, institutions, and mass cared for in the best way possible. media covering the Chinese speaking region. It is the aim to Obviously, a comparatively small institute such as ours can- cover a broad range of resources on varied topics, such as the not satisfactorily cover the field on its own; hence prepara- reflection of the SARS epidemic on the internet, speeches tions for international cooperation are now in progress. While from high-ranked Chinese politicians, historical documents it is necessary to distribute the effort, it is essential that the from American or Russian archives, non-institutional web- integrity of the whole is preserved. Together with the Insti- sites created in China or elsewhere, and clippings from Chi- tute of Chinese Studies at Leiden University, where current- nese discussion boards. ly large digital collections on the SARS epidemic, contem- porary poetry, and the homosexual scene in China are being

A human approach www.pybk.com from Taken built up, DACHS is currently running the first testing phase Strategies of selection are crucial for the success of the proj- for transnational cooperation. In close cooperation with the ect. After detecting outbursts of heated internet debates as Having said that, this approach will enable us to respond The name of this Chi- Leiden University Library possibilities of large digital much as possible of it has to be captured . To this end we rely to current threads of discussion, to consciously select a broad nese website is resource management systems are also explored and will on our ‘information network’, that is the judgement and range of different opinions on various current affairs, and to ‘Don’t cry, my friend’ most probably be used for the whole project. < knowledge of frequent internet users from all academic make full use of the background knowledge our informants (pengyou bie ku). The fields, various professions, and every nationality, who are provide, due to the fact that we will integrate the latter as com- site hosts a nation- Jennifer Gross (University of Heidelberg) is manager of the DACHS (actively or passively) part of the discourse concerned. This mentary into the metadata for the resources. In addition to wide ‘Dating & Per- project at the Institute of Chinese Studies, Heidelberg University, human approach harbours many deficiencies, to be sure. Not gathering resources in this fashion, we also aim to consid- sonals’ service for and currently writing an MA thesis on press control in the People’s only does the selection, downloading, and metadata creation erably extend our archive by integrating complete collections gay and lesbian Chi- Republic of China. process require a considerable amount of labour, identifying donated or sold to the Institute by private individuals, nese. Although the [email protected] relevant resources in this fashion also involves a significant researchers, research groups, institutes, and other organi- site tries to operate portion of chance, and in the end only a tiny fraction of the zations. within the bound- Mag. phil. Hanno E. Lecher is librarian of the Institute of Chinese available resources can be covered. As there is quite some variation in our focal material, we aries of national law, Studies, Leiden University. His current research activities include have developed three different approaches for getting hold it might very well be social networking among Buddhist gentry of the late Ming dynasty, of relevant resources. First of all we try to single out certain closed down one day. as well as aspects of modern library infrastructure development. broad, long-term developments such as China’s relationship The DACHS project [email protected] with the WTO and the like. On these topics, we are actively can help to make

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realm of respon- of realm mailing lists. when that day y public discourse public y A second important focus are historical events that cause comes. heated discussions on the internet, of which the debates con- [advertisement] cerning the 11 September terrorist attack are an obvious example. To capture as much of such outbreaks of public dis- st cussion as possible, we are setting up a list of relevant dis- The 1 Asian Space Conference cussion boards, newspapers, and websites. These are checked < whenever an important event occurs, so as to compile a set 22-26 November 2004 of snapshots, covering a time-span of a few weeks before and Chiang Mai, Thailand after this event. Third, certain fragments of public discourse The 1st Asian Space conference may neither pertain to event related discussions nor to one Organized back to back with the Asian Association on Remote of our special collection topics yet be considered of some rel- Sensing (AARS) 25th Annual Conference entitled the Asian evance for current or later research. Essentially, the process Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS). of collecting this miscellaneous material, is slightly random. Organizers: The International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC, the Netherlands) and A shared technical effort the IIAS, in close cooperation with the ACRS organizers the In order to provide the best possible access to the materi- Asian Remote Sensing Conference and the Geo-Informatics al it is necessary to create metadata. This process ranks and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA , among the most crucial and most time consuming parts of Thailand). our working routine. For one these metadata offer an impor- tant means for access as they provide standardized informa- Deadline for Abstract Submission: 30 June 2004 tion on author, title, subject, and so forth. Moreover, in view Abstracts (in English) are limited to 300 words on an A4 sided page and must include: • Suggested topics Websites > • Paper title • Author Name(s) DACHS • Proposed presenter(s) www.sino.uni-heidelberg.de/dachs • Affiliation(s) Institute of Chinese Studies, University of Heidelberg, • Mailing address follows this approach in capturing articulations on the Chinese internet. Chinese the on articulations capturing in approach this follows Germany • Phone, fax, and email for all authors and presenters www.sino.uni-heidelberg.de Sinological Institute, Leiden University, the Netherlands For registration and information, www.tcc.leidenuniv.nl please visit Internet Archive www.iias.nl/iias/research/space www.archive.org http://acrs2004.gistda.or.th Open Archival Information System or contact: http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/nost/isoas/overview.html [email protected] for Chinese Studies (DACHS) Studies Chinese for some file types being ignored altogether; (2) scans are performed at irregular intervals, without considering possible importan possible considering without intervals, irregular at performed are scans (2) altogether; ignored being types file some their within publications online all preserve to aim and character holistic more a of are Libraries National various by started criter selection appropriate to attention much paying and topics, special on focusing scale, smaller a on work Others sibility. provides up-to-date information on recent developments, and it is a field to be studied in its own right as it reflects a livel a reflects it as right own its in studied be to field a is it and developments, recent on information up-to-date provides state. the by uncensored even sometimes and processes publishing traditional by unfiltered kalei changing ever an is internet The nature. elusive very a of are internet the on discourse public of articulations However, o articulations well, very discourse social of diversity and development representing of capable thus is it although and tents, future. the for these preserve to ways find not do we if lost are past the in made been have that i global the of parts large 1996 October Since Archive. Internet the is problem this address to tries that project important An (1 unresolved: remain problems important be may this as Useful purposes. research later for stored and months few every scanned inc being pages many available, not tree the down further located parts with superficially, very captured only are websites the between. in appeared have that articulations projects, these of Some years. few past the over up come have approaches different using initiatives other many reason this For the partner, new a as Leiden in Institute Sinological the with and Heidelberg in Studies Chinese of Institute the at maintained Preserving Endangered Sites Endangered Preserving least at in resource scholarly important an become has internet the years few past the over proliferation worldwide its to Due

IIAS Newsletter | #33 | March 2003 11