The Information Professional

"Open source tools, CERP, JHOVE, DROID, Heritrix, for electronic records archivists to use in preserving digital files like WAV, PST, websites, and email.

When it comes to electronic records there is no magic button that makes them readable or usable on a computer. Electronic records archivists rely on all types of hardware, software, and operating systems. Many pieces of software, which function as an archivist’s toolbox, can help files remain available or become usable again. Here is a small list of some open-source and/or freely available software we use at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. Keep in mind that tools are not perfect and should be used with caution. Don’t forget to have backups of your files. Before we incorporate a piece of software into our processes at the Archives, we research it by making sure it is from a reputable group and thoroughly test it on copy sample sets.

This post is not an endorsement of any products listed by the Smithsonian Institution."