Calgary University

The EMI project, one of the most demanding, involved preserving complex digital assets. The EMI archives contained not only final music tracks but also production materials, such as individual instrumentals, vocals, effects, and multiple versions of each track. In addition, related items like album covers (which varied by region), production notes, and other documents needed to be logically structured and clearly linked. The archives were stored in a wide range of formats, many of which were obsolete, presenting challenges for both access and preservation. Furthermore, the project had to handle large volumes of data within tight deadlines, requiring efficient workflows and tools.

Another significant challenge was the university’s institutional repository, managed on DSpace, which lacked the long-term digital preservation capabilities needed for sustainable storage. To address these challenges, Libnova implemented a series of solutions, starting with data modeling and content structuring tailored to the complexity of the EMI archives. Advanced integration with Cortex, the university’s Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, ensured seamless synchronization of metadata, enabling better management and long-term preservation. Additionally, data migration was essential to move large volumes of academic content to a platform capable of ensuring future accessibility and integrity, overcoming the technical limitations of the previous system, which could not support derivative copies or manage the necessary formats for digital preservation.