SCOLR allows the upload of any discrete file formats including audio, video, text and image files. Additionally, media can be streamed from third-party services like YouTube or Vimeo.
PDF-A format is preferred for text documents. Other text formats will be converted to PDF-A prior to uploading to the public site.
Files should not be larger than 2 GB. If a submission is larger than this, the depositor should consult with library staff before submission.
Preservation of File Formats
As per section XI of the SCOLR Guidelines, the Selkirk College Library will use standard data management practices to protect the items stored in SCOLR. The database will be backed up regularly and will be kept secure against unauthorized deletion or modification.
The Selkirk College Library will take all possible steps to assure continuing access to items deposited in SCOLR. Every item deposited will remain retrievable from the repository. However, computer files depend on the availability of the appropriate software to render the functions and appearance intended by the file’s creator; over time older software applications may no longer function on new computer platforms, leaving the files created with those applications inoperable. The level of access that the Library can assure to items stored in SCOLR may therefore range from preservation of the full functionality an appearance of the original file to preservation of the mere bit stream with no assurance that the file’s original functionality or appearance can be recreated.
In general, files created with open or non-proprietary software offer the greatest likelihood that their functionality and appearance can continue to be rendered as computer environments change. Faculty and other creators of digital content are urged to carefully consider the implications of choosing one or another file format or software application, and to balance the importance of the functions provided by a software application against the importance of being able to preserve those functions over a period of years or decades.
The Library identifies three level of support for the various digital file types in SCOLR
- Preferred: This is the preferred file type used by SCOLR
- Supported: We support this file type. There is a high likelihood that its content, appearance, and functions will be preserved over time.
- Known: We recognize this format but cannot guarantee its support over time.
Text formats
| File Type |
Extension |
Support Level |
|---|
| Adobe PDF/A Portable Document Format |
.pdf |
Preferred |
| Open Document Text |
.odt, .ott |
Known |
| Open Office Writer |
.sxw |
Known |
| Rich Text Format |
.rtf |
Supported |
| Plain Text |
.txt |
Supported |
| eXtensible Mark-up language |
.xml |
Supported |
Spreadsheet Formats
| File Type |
Extension |
Support Level |
|---|
| Comma Separated Values |
.csv |
Supported |
| Microsoft Excel |
.xls, .xlsx |
Supported |
| Open Document Spreadsheet |
.ods, .ots |
Known |
| Open Office Calc |
.sxc |
Known |
Presentation Formats
| File Type |
Extension |
Support Level |
|---|
| Microsoft PowerPoint |
.ppt, .pptx |
Supported |
| Open Document Presentation |
.odp, .otp |
Known |
| Open Office Impress |
.sxi |
Known |
Graphic Formats
| File Type |
Extension |
Support Level |
|---|
| JPEG File Interchange Format |
.jpeg, .jpg |
Supported |
| JPEG 2000 |
.jp2 |
Supported |
| Tagged image file format |
.tif, .tiff |
Preferred |
| Open Office Draw |
.sxd |
Known |
| Open Document Graphics |
.odg, .otg |
Known |
| Portable Network Graphics |
.png |
Supported |
| Graphics Interchange Format |
.gif |
Supported |
| Windows Bitmap |
.bmp |
Supported |
Audio Formats
| File Type |
Extension |
Support Level |
|---|
| Waveform Audio Format |
.wav, .wave |
Supported |
| MGEG ½ Audio Layer 3 |
.mp3 |
Supported |
| MPEG-4 |
.mp4 |
Supported |
| MIDI Audio |
.mid |
Supported |
Video Formats
| File Type |
Extension |
Support Level |
|---|
| Quicktime |
.mov, .qt |
Supported |
| MPEG-4 |
.mp4 |
Supported |
| Ogg Vorbis Codec Compressed Multimedia File |
.ogg |
Known |
| iTunes video |
.m4v |
Known |
| Audio Video Interleaved |
.avi |
Supported |
| Matroska |
.mkv |
Known |
If a file type is not listed here please contact SCOLR Administration.
