Simple DOS Commands for Digital Records Arrangement and Description (In-person)
Instructor | Kent D. Randell, Assistant Archivist for Digital Collections, Dartmouth College
THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2025 (REGISTRATION CLOSES ON FEBRUARY 28TH)
Please join New England Archivists for Simple DOS Commands for Digital Records Arrangement and Description. Archive like its 1989! Learn how to use five simple DOS commands, in conjunction with Excel and Notepad, to create and run your own Batch scripts and make processing electronic records easier. The aim of this workshop is to let archivists become more self-sufficient with digital records and operate in an environment where electronic records resources may be scarce.
Attendees will learn five commands in the command-line version of DOS, a text-based file operating system that comes packaged with Windows. The commands are: Delete (del), directory (dir), make directory (md), rename, and move. Participants will learn how to get file data out of DOS and into Excel and how to write a simple batch (.bat) script that can delete, rename, and move files. The instructor will also demonstrate creating checksums in DOS and using DOS tools like exif to mine metadata.
NO PRIOR PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCE OR DOS EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!
Participants should bring a Windows-based laptop to the session. The workshop instructor will be able to provide attendees with a temporary laptop (maximum number of laptops: 10). If participants wish to reserve one of the loaner laptops provided by the instructor, participants must email the Education Committee (education@newenglandarchivists.org).
Attendees will be provided a pre-packaged set of files with which to practice sorting, deleting, and renaming. Attendees will then run exif on some files to mine their metadata and output the data to a text file.
Questions about this workshop? Please contact the Education Committee at education@newenglandarchivists.org.
Questions about registration? Please contact NEA's Registrar, Becky White, at registrar@newenglandarchivists.org. Or, see our FAQ.
Please be advised that workshop registration is separate from meeting registration and that onsite registration will NOT be available for workshops; attendees must register in advance.
Don't have a Member Profile password yet? Contact the NEA Membership Committee to receive one.
If you want to register online, but still need to pay by check, the system will generate an invoice that you can print out and mail to the attention of:
Margaret Dalton
NEA Treasurer-Elect
Harvard Law School Library
1545 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Please make all checks payable to New England Archivists.
For questions or concerns about accessibility and/or disability accommodations that you would like addressed before registration, please contact NEA’s Inclusion and Diversity Committee at diversity@newenglandarchivists.org for assistance.
CANCELLATION POLICY: NEA will issue a refund minus a $10 cancellation fee for up to 10 days prior to the meeting. Exceptions to the cancellation policy will be made at the discretion of the Registrar.
