Submission Information Package (SIP) specifications
Overview
The goal of SIP creation is to standardize the content deposited into the digital archive and to be used in the construction of Archival Information Packages (AIPs) so that they are as complete and self-contained as possible. SIPs can be created by collection managers or by Digital Stewardship staff (for instance for digitally reformatted content).
Each information package must be assigned a unique SIP number, which consists of the year the materials were received or processed as well as a four-digit number, separated by an underscore (example: 2024_0001).
If an information package is submitted to Digital Stewardship without a SIP number, one will be assigned by our unit and thus the folder will be renamed. Any prior folder naming convention assigned to the information package (apart from the SIP number) cannot be guaranteed to remain part of the folder structure.
Material that is typically cataloged at UTL must at least have a minimal catalog record before the SIP is submitted. Archival material should have at least a minimal finding aid at the time the SIP is submitted. We also ask you to use OCLC numbers for cataloged material or stable identifiers found within finding aids or inventories to name files within the SIP, as this will increase the ease of identifying material within the digital archive.
SIP size and file amount limitations
When preparing information packages, please comply with the following system limitations:
file type | Package size limit | File amount limit |
Image files (TIF, JPG, etc) | ~50 GigaBytes | ~2,000 files |
Audiovisual files (WAV, MPEG, etc) | ~1 TeraByte | ~1,000 files |
Page-layout files (PDF, PDF/A) | ~50 GigaBytes | ~1,500 files |
Text-based files (DOC, TXT, XML, etc) | ~50 GigaBytes | ~2,000 files |
Disk image files (E01, ISO, etc) | ~2 TeraBytes | ~1,000 files |
Other files | ~50 GigaBytes | ~1,000 files |
Please note that if an information package has difficulty ingesting into the system due to its package size or file amount, it will be split into smaller packages by the Digital Preservation Coordinator resulting in multiple bags for a submitted information package.
Contents of a SIP
The folder structure of a SIP will contain four main subfolders: files, derivatives, metadata, and submission documentation.
For the files subfolder, create a folder and name it using the SIP number and append “_files”, for example “2024_0001_files”. Copy or move the archival assets to be preserved (i.e. TIFFs, MOVs, CR2s, etc.) into this folder. This folder can contain subfolders and files with any filename template; there is no need to change subfolders or file names to include the SIP number, though having useful filenames is always a good idea. This folder is required.
For the derivatives subfolder, create a folder and name it using the SIP number and append “_derivatives”, for example “2024_0001_derivatives”. Move or copy derivative files into the folder. Depending on the type of content and the way it is produced, this would include production masters (for images and AV, where applicable) and service files (for AV). If you don’t have any derivatives, don’t create this folder.
For the metadata subfolder, create a folder and name it “metadata”. This specific folder name will be automatically recognized by Archivematica. In this folder, place the metadata.csv file. See the minimum metadata requirements (link) for a template and specifications. In addition, copy or move any metadata files associated with the contents of the SIP or the collection, such as file specific metadata for born digital material, catalog record XML files, TSW submission spreadsheets, etc. This folder is required.
If you have documents related to the ownership, rights, file transfer, media photographs, or provenance information of the collection, create a “submissionDocumentation” folder and place it within the “metadata” folder. Copy or move any associated records into this folder, preferably in .pdf format. If you don’t have any submission documents, don’t create this folder.
