Overview

This is a new lesson built with The Carpentries Workbench.

Digital Forensics for Libraries and Archives: Introduction to Using BitCurator

May 16th 9am-12pm EST

BitCurator (BC) is a digital curation environment geared toward librarians and archivists that combines a set of digital forensics tools in the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system. The BC environment includes a suite of open source digital forensics and data analysis tools to help collecting institutions process born-digital materials. It can be run as a main operating system on a single workstation, or it can be run in a virtualized environment (that is, the entire system is running by itself inside another program on your computer).

Assuming no prior knowledge, this workshop will first provide an overview of the environment. We will then focus on an exercise to create disk images of and transfer data from legacy media, including Zip disks and 3.5” floppy disks before walking through some of the tools available on the BC environment for analyzing them, including capture of basic system characteristics and metadata, as well as scanning for potentially sensitive information. Through a combination of hands-on work and demos, participants will gain experience with tools such as Brunnhilde (a reporting tool for directories and disk images), bulk_extractor (scan for credit card numbers, emails, etc.), and fiwalk (print filesystem statistics). The workshop will then turn to a discussion of how to build workflows that fit your institution’s needs, open discussion of digital preservation practices, and continued work on your own using sample removable media.

Instructors

  • Jesse Johnston – jajohnst at umich dot edu
  • Elena Colón-Marrero – emcolonm at umich dot edu
  • Max Eckard – eckardm at umich dot edu

Location

Bentley Historical Library 1150 Beal Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2113 U.S.A.

734-764-3482

Bentley location
Bentley location

Directions

From US-23:

  • Exit at Geddes Avenue; proceed west on Geddes Avenue.
  • Go straight through the light at the intersection of Geddes and Huron Parkway.
  • Geddes Avenue becomes Fuller Road at this intersection. Continue on Fuller Road.
  • Immediately after the third light, which is at Glazier Way and the V.A. Medical Center parking structure, turn right onto Beal Avenue.
  • The Bentley Historical Library is the second building on the right, after the Gerald Ford Presidential Library.

Parking and Bus Service

The library is located on the University of Michigan’s North Campus. Free parking is available on the south side of the building in Lot NC42, with a permit provided at the time of your visit.

U-M Bus Routes and Schedules

See all U-M bus route information

U-M Buses

  • Bursley-Baits
  • Commuter North
  • Commuter South
  • Diag-to-Diag Express
  • North-East Shuttle
  • Northwood
  • Northwood Express

Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) Bus Routes and Schedules

See all TheRide route information

TheRide Routes nearby

  • Route #3: Huron River
  • Route #22: Pontiac-Dhu Varren
  • Route #66: Carpenter-Huron Parkway (Green Road Park & Ride is a stop on this route)

Access to Services

Please inform us about specific accommodations you may need by calling 734-764-3482 or emailing .

  • The front entrance is wheelchair accessible and equipped with an automatic door opener, as is the entrance from the lobby into the public area.
  • Our hallways, meeting rooms, and reading room are wheelchair accessible.
  • An adjustable-height table is available in the reading room.
  • A wheelchair accessible drinking fountain is located near the front entrance.
  • A gender-inclusive and wheelchair accessible restroom is available. Please request information at the front desk.
  • A lactation room is located in the Lurie Biomedical Engineering Building (LBME) across the street. Please contact Bentley staff to request its use as soon you can because we must arrange key access.
  • For information about additional resources for the U-M community, please see U-M Library’s accessibility page.