News Stories By

External hard drives and write blocker

8 TB and 7 Hard Drives: Balancing Storage Concerns and Original Order

September 9, 2025

Authored by syblack

This blog post was contributed by Kate Phillips, a graduate student in the School of Information and Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill.

The John M. Hall Photographs are a very…

Illustration of an open box with 0s and 1s coming out

Counting Bytes, Not Boxes: Born-Digital Collection Extents with Python

May 5, 2025

Authored by syblack

“How many linear feet do you have?” In special collections and archives, we often hear this question. A linear foot is a unit of measurement used to gauge the size of a collection…

Kate Phillips

Student Spotlight: Kate Phillips, Digital Archives Graduate Assistant

December 12, 2024

Authored by syblack

The Special Collections Research Center blog series "Student Spotlight" features student employees who contribute to the work of the SCRC. Guest author Kate Phillips, class of 2026,…

File format icons

File formats count: results of a survey

August 8, 2024

Authored by syblack

The Special Collections Research Center has collected and preserves more than 10 TB of  born-digital materials. We maintain intellectual control through the collections…

DAEV 2 on computer monitor, floppy disks, two red balloons

Born-Digital Reboot: DAEV 2 Launches

April 4, 2024

Authored by syblack

While all that could be heard was the humming of some computer fans and disks spinning, DAEV version 2 made its quiet launch at the end of 2023. 

DAEV (Digital…

William Boyer in suit in front of trees

Student Spotlight: William Boyer, Digital Archives Graduate Assistant

December 12, 2023

Authored by syblack

The Special Collections Research Center blog series "Student Spotlight" features student employees who contribute to the work of the SCRC. Guest author William Boyer is a graduate student in…

Alex Daniels in archive

Student Spotlight: Alex Daniels, Digital Archives Graduate Assistant

November 11, 2023

Authored by syblack

The Special Collections Research Center blog series "Student Spotlight" features student employees who contribute to the work of the SCRC. Guest author Alex Daniels is a graduate student in…

bulk_extractor command and output in the terminal

Detecting and Protecting Sensitive Information in Born Digital Collections

July 7, 2023

Authored by syblack

Social security numbers. Medical records. Academic transcripts. Email addresses. GPS coordinates. These may be left behind as traces of an individual’s or organization’s digital life. In the…

Virtual reading room folder icon

Introducing the Virtual Reading Room

March 3, 2022

Authored by syblack

Imagine using digital materials in the reading room, without ever having to leave your home.

Onsite reading rooms have been the traditional destination for researchers to view manuscripts…