Under the LSTA program, The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) is undertaking an audit and analysis of the Illinois State Library’s Electronic Documents of Illinois (EDI) archive. We are using the auditing methodology for assessing the “trustworthiness” of digital repositories developed by CRL and RLG under an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant which ran from 2005-2006.

Our work will be based on the Criteria for Measuring Trustworthiness of Digital Repositories and Archives: an Audit and Certification Checklist (TRAC). The TRAC Checklist can be found on CRL’s website at: http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=13&l2=58&l3=162&l4=92. Other information about auditing and certification of digital archives and repositories is also available on our website.

CRL’s assessment of the EDI archive will look at its activities, infrastructure and practices from an economic, organizational and technological point of view. The evaluation we provide will identify ways EDI can mitigate major threats to its repository activities. CRL will then work with the Illinois State Library to identify measures that can be taken to strengthen its archiving program with existing or available resources, and frame a rationale for funding to improve the trustworthiness of its program.