MXskrár

MXskrár is a term used in Icelandic-speaking digital archives and computing contexts to refer to collections of digital files that are managed under a common organizational scheme. The name combines MX, a label used in various software and institution names, with skrár, the Icelandic word for files or archives. There is no single official specification called MXskrár; rather, the term denotes a family of related practices and formats employed by different organizations.

Typically MXskrár implementations involve a hierarchical directory structure, descriptive metadata, and a machine-readable manifest or index that supports searching, retrieval, and provenance tracking. Metadata may be expressed in standards such as Dublin Core or PREMIS in practice, though implementations vary. Some projects include checksums, versioning, and integrity verification mechanisms to support long-term preservation.

MXskrár is used across cultural heritage institutions, libraries, universities, and digital repositories to organize digitized manuscripts, images, audio and video, and born-digital records. In Icelandic contexts, the term has appeared in technical guides and archives discussions as a way to refer to collections that share an interoperable approach without enforcing a single standard.

Because MXskrár is not a single standardized format, interoperability between different MXskrár implementations depends on mapping metadata, using common schemas, and adopting compatible ingest and access tools. The concept continues to evolve as institutions explore preservation requirements, access needs, and national or international metadata practices.