Preservation of Digital Collections
This webinar series is based upon the Library of Congress Digital Preservation Outreach and Education (DPOE) program which aims to foster national outreach and education to encourage individuals and organizations to actively preserve their digital content. The multi-part webinar series will focus on how to collect, preserve, and make available significant at-risk digital contents.
Definitions of Digital Preservation
Prepared by the ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section, Working Group on Defining Digital Preservation
ALA Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., June 24, 2007
http://www.ala.org/alcts/resources/preserv/defdigpres0408
Short Definition
Digital preservation combines policies, strategies and actions that ensure access to digital content over time.
Medium Definition
Digital preservation combines policies, strategies and actions to ensure access to reformatted and born digital content regardless of the challenges of media failure and technological change. The goal of digital preservation is the accurate rendering of authenticated content over time.
Long Definition
Digital preservation combines policies, strategies and actions to ensure the accurate rendering of authenticated content over time, regardless of the challenges of media failure and technological change. Digital preservation applies to both born digital and reformatted content. Digital preservation policies document an organization’s commitment to preserve digital content for future use; specify file formats to be preserved and the level of preservation to be provided; and ensure compliance with standards and best practices for responsible stewardship of digital information.
Digital preservation strategies and actions address content creation, integrity and maintenance.
Content creation includes:
Clear and complete technical specifications
Production of reliable master files
Sufficient descriptive, administrative and structural metadata to ensure future access
Detailed quality control of processes
Content integrity includes:
Documentation of all policies, strategies and procedures
Use of persistent identifiers
Recorded provenance and change history for all objects
Verification mechanisms
Attention to security requirements
Routine audits
Content maintenance includes:
A robust computing and networking infrastructure
Storage and synchronization of files at multiple sites
Continuous monitoring and management of files
Programs for refreshing, migration and emulation
Creation and testing of disaster prevention and recovery plans
Periodic review and updating of policies and procedures
Resources:
Webinar 4A - Identifying and Selecting Digital Content
Webinar 4B - Storing and Protecting Digital Content
Webinar 4C- Managing and Providing Access to Digital Content
Prepared by the ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section, Working Group on Defining Digital Preservation
ALA Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., June 24, 2007
http://www.ala.org/alcts/resources/preserv/defdigpres0408
Short Definition
Digital preservation combines policies, strategies and actions that ensure access to digital content over time.
Medium Definition
Digital preservation combines policies, strategies and actions to ensure access to reformatted and born digital content regardless of the challenges of media failure and technological change. The goal of digital preservation is the accurate rendering of authenticated content over time.
Long Definition
Digital preservation combines policies, strategies and actions to ensure the accurate rendering of authenticated content over time, regardless of the challenges of media failure and technological change. Digital preservation applies to both born digital and reformatted content. Digital preservation policies document an organization’s commitment to preserve digital content for future use; specify file formats to be preserved and the level of preservation to be provided; and ensure compliance with standards and best practices for responsible stewardship of digital information.
Digital preservation strategies and actions address content creation, integrity and maintenance.
Content creation includes:
Clear and complete technical specifications
Production of reliable master files
Sufficient descriptive, administrative and structural metadata to ensure future access
Detailed quality control of processes
Content integrity includes:
Documentation of all policies, strategies and procedures
Use of persistent identifiers
Recorded provenance and change history for all objects
Verification mechanisms
Attention to security requirements
Routine audits
Content maintenance includes:
A robust computing and networking infrastructure
Storage and synchronization of files at multiple sites
Continuous monitoring and management of files
Programs for refreshing, migration and emulation
Creation and testing of disaster prevention and recovery plans
Periodic review and updating of policies and procedures
Resources:
Webinar 4A - Identifying and Selecting Digital Content
Webinar 4B - Storing and Protecting Digital Content
Webinar 4C- Managing and Providing Access to Digital Content