DROID for Beginners Webinar with The National Archives 🧾

Today I attended a webinar hosted by The National Archives explaining the DROID systems for archiving, and it was a fascinating introduction to a tool I’d never heard of before—let alone used! For anyone working in museums, archives, or heritage sectors, especially those new to digital preservation, this workshop offers valuable insights into managing digital collections responsibly.

If, like me, you’re curious about digital archiving and want to understand how to identify and care for digital files over the long term, this webinar is a great place to start.

📄 What Is DROID? (Digital Record Object Identification)

DROID is a free software tool developed by The National Archives (UK) to help organisations identify, manage, and preserve digital files. It’s especially useful for understanding what digital material you have before deciding how to care for it.

Built using JavaScript, DROID is self-contained and runs on Windows without needing installation, making it accessible for many users. It’s designed for batch archiving of digital files, identifying file formats by inspecting the actual file contents rather than just relying on extensions.

🧩 What DROID Does

Here’s a quick overview of what DROID can do:

• Identifies File Formats: DROID recognises a wide range of digital file types, such as PDFs (including different versions like PDF 1.4 and PDF/A), TIFF images, MS Office documents (both older .doc and newer .docx), audio files, and more.

• Matches Files to PRONOM Identifiers (PUIDs): PRONOM is the UK’s authoritative, community-edited registry of file formats. DROID matches files to PUIDs to standardise identification and management.

• Assess Preservation Risks: DROID flags files that may be obsolete or at risk, helping archivists prioritise preservation actions. For example, older versions of PPT might not open on newer devices, highlighting potential accessibility issues.

• Generate Detailed Reports: These can be exported to Excel, supporting documentation, appraisal, and long-term preservation planning. Reports include file size, format versions, checksums (digital fingerprints), and other metadata.

• Detects Duplicates and Errors: Using hash checksums, DROID can identify duplicate files and flag potential malicious or corrupted data.

• Supports Format Migration and Validation: The tool integrates with other systems, such as the Validator, to verify copyright, metadata schemas, and file integrity.

This functionality is particularly important for managing born-digital collections, digitised archives, and digital museum records, which are increasingly common in heritage institutions.

🏛️ Why DROID Matters in Museums

Museums today are responsible for a growing variety of digital materials, including:

• Digital photographs

• Scanned documentation

• Audio and video files

• Databases and spreadsheets

• Emails and born-digital records

DROID helps organisations:

• Make informed decisions about long-term digital storage.

• Plan format migration or normalisation to prevent data loss.

• Support standards-based documentation and accountability.

• Align with digital preservation best practices, complementing frameworks like Spectrum, ISAD(G), and Records in Contexts (RiC-CM).

By using DROID, museums can better safeguard their digital heritage and ensure it remains accessible for future generations.

🧠 How DROID Is Used in Practice

In practical terms, DROID is applied:

• At accession or appraisal to understand incoming digital materials

• Before ingesting files into digital repositories, ensure proper format identification.

• During audits of existing digital collections to assess preservation needs

DROID itself does not preserve files but provides the technical knowledge needed to make responsible preservation decisions.

📊 Working with DROID Reports

One of the most powerful features is exporting DROID data to Excel for deeper analysis:

• Pivot tables summarise large datasets, showing counts and breakdowns of file types.

• Conditional formatting highlights duplicate files based on checksums, helping clean up collections.

• Filtering and sorting by file format, size, and metadata enable targeted preservation planning.

• Export templates allow customising columns and data order to fit organisational needs.

These reports are essential for preparing catalogues, managing confidential materials, and supporting legal compliance.

✨ Final Thoughts

For anyone working with digital archives or museum collections, understanding tools like DROID is becoming increasingly essential. This webinar provided me with a solid foundation in digital preservation practices and introduced me to the language and systems used by professionals in the field.

If you’re interested in digital archiving or looking to improve how your organisation manages digital files, I highly recommend checking out future sessions like this one hosted by The National Archives.

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🗃️ Check out The National Archive's Website

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