Preservation at the Network Level: Challenges, Opportunities Constance Malpas Program Officer PAIG ALA Midwinter, Denver CO 24 January 2009

Context Institutional value of print collections is being reassessed as scholarly workflows move to the Web Uncertainties about accessibility and utility of digitized books (in copyright) have increased concerns about disposition of print collections Digital preservation infrastructure addresses ontological objective (the content will ‘exist’) but doesn’t fundamentally alter value of print as distribution medium Duplicative investments in print/electronic acquisitions and management are not sustainable; difficult choices must be made

Institutional value of print collections is being reassessed as scholarly workflows move to the Web

Uncertainties about accessibility and utility of digitized books (in copyright) have increased concerns about disposition of print collections

Digital preservation infrastructure addresses ontological objective (the content will ‘exist’) but doesn’t fundamentally alter value of print as distribution medium

Duplicative investments in print/electronic acquisitions and management are not sustainable; difficult choices must be made

Challenges Limited aggregate preservation capacity A handful of fully-staffed preservation centers Diminishing print preservation mandate As value of print to scholarly workflows declines, so does institutional commitment to retention and conservation Imbalance in collective investments Large institutions shifting resources to digital preservation, while smaller institutions continue to rely on tacit agreements for print preservation Limited infrastructure to support collaboration Difficult to pool expertise and data; incentives are few Organizational obstacles to integrating preservation within larger operational workflows

Limited aggregate preservation capacity

A handful of fully-staffed preservation centers

Diminishing print preservation mandate

As value of print to scholarly workflows declines, so does institutional commitment to retention and conservation

Imbalance in collective investments

Large institutions shifting resources to digital preservation, while smaller institutions continue to rely on tacit agreements for print preservation

Limited infrastructure to support collaboration

Difficult to pool expertise and data; incentives are few

Organizational obstacles to integrating preservation within larger operational workflows

Opportunities Cross-domain partnerships Academic / IRLA collaboration Rich information environment, new sources of data Disparate, dissipated, but still expanding evidence base Evolving risk management models Opportunities to target investment strategically based on changing perceptions of need and value Increasing awareness that condition assessment of physical conditions is an information asset Value of local collections in larger system-wide economy is determined (in part) by the quality of its condition

Cross-domain partnerships

Academic / IRLA collaboration

Rich information environment, new sources of data

Disparate, dissipated, but still expanding evidence base

Evolving risk management models

Opportunities to target investment strategically based on changing perceptions of need and value

Increasing awareness that condition assessment of physical conditions is an information asset

Value of local collections in larger system-wide economy is determined (in part) by the quality of its condition

Case Study: Cooperative Preservation of At-Risk Journals Goal Develop shared methodology for identifying and managing at-risk serial holdings Support research libraries in making strategic investments in print collection-building Demonstrate value of cooperative effort as cost-efficient strategy for managing acquisitions Approach Evidence-based risk assessment: Yano report System-wide vantage point: aggregate holdings, peer review Network-aware model: ISSN, OCLC numbers

Goal

Develop shared methodology for identifying and managing at-risk serial holdings

Support research libraries in making strategic investments in print collection-building

Demonstrate value of cooperative effort as cost-efficient strategy for managing acquisitions

Approach

Evidence-based risk assessment: Yano report

System-wide vantage point: aggregate holdings, peer review

Network-aware model: ISSN, OCLC numbers

Case Study: Cooperative Preservation of At-Risk Journals Scope Active, scholarly journals in the humanities with print-only distribution channels A distinctive class of risk: specialized publications with limited audience; low visibility in online environment Method Leverage existing collection strengths to secure prospective commitment to ongoing acquisition Assign at-risk titles to participating libraries based on holdings and collection profile Assess condition, coverage and willingness to retain

Scope

Active, scholarly journals in the humanities with print-only distribution channels

A distinctive class of risk: specialized publications with limited audience; low visibility in online environment

Method

Leverage existing collection strengths to secure prospective commitment to ongoing acquisition

Assign at-risk titles to participating libraries based on holdings and collection profile

Assess condition, coverage and willingness to retain

Preliminary Findings: Implications for Network Level Preservation 40% of titles reviewed are held in their entirety by at least one institution; condition is good; institutions are prepared to retain and acquire in perpetuity  feasible to make assignments based on collection strengths and obtain significant impact; opportunities for re-formatting 30% of titles are held in part (>50% of content); uncertainties about cost-effectiveness of retrospective commitment  value of these titles to scholarly workflows should be assessed before investments in gap-filling are made 30% of titles will require re-assignment based on scant local holdings (<50% complete)  cooperative archiving efforts are essential if comprehensive back files are to be preserved Lightweight validation is not overly burdensome; 15 min. per title  Approach is scalable

40% of titles reviewed are held in their entirety by at least one institution; condition is good; institutions are prepared to retain and acquire in perpetuity

 feasible to make assignments based on collection strengths and obtain significant impact; opportunities for re-formatting

30% of titles are held in part (>50% of content); uncertainties about cost-effectiveness of retrospective commitment

 value of these titles to scholarly workflows should be assessed before investments in gap-filling are made

30% of titles will require re-assignment based on scant local holdings (<50% complete)

 cooperative archiving efforts are essential if comprehensive back files are to be preserved

Lightweight validation is not overly burdensome; 15 min. per title

 Approach is scalable

What’s Missing: Social & Technical Infrastructure Institutional retention commitments remain ‘latent’ and produce no beneficial network effects MARC 583 tag (Preservation Action Note) under consideration as disclosure mechanism Untapped potential as source of ‘business intelligence’ for preservation administrators 400,000 MARC 583 tags in WorldCat, representing 1 million library holdings Titles for which a microfilming, digitization, Web archiving, condition assessment, repair, re-housing, mass de-acidification action is scheduled or has already been performed Greatest challenge may be workflow integration between preservation and technical services

Institutional retention commitments remain ‘latent’ and produce no beneficial network effects

MARC 583 tag (Preservation Action Note) under consideration as disclosure mechanism

Untapped potential as source of ‘business intelligence’ for preservation administrators

400,000 MARC 583 tags in WorldCat, representing 1 million library holdings

Titles for which a microfilming, digitization, Web archiving, condition assessment, repair, re-housing, mass de-acidification action is scheduled or has already been performed

Greatest challenge may be workflow integration between preservation and technical services

For Discussion Are you disclosing local conservation / preservation actions to network partners? Are you making use of existing 583 data in local decision-making? How might local preservation workflows be integrated into metadata creation and collection management operations? Which preservation action data are most critical to local operations? Has been, will be, will not be?

Are you disclosing local conservation / preservation actions to network partners?

Are you making use of existing 583 data in local decision-making?

How might local preservation workflows be integrated into metadata creation and collection management operations?

Which preservation action data are most critical to local operations? Has been, will be, will not be?

More Information RLG Shared Print program description: www.oclc.org/programs/ourwork/collectivecoll/sharedprint Journals Preservation Project title list: www.worldcat.org/profiles/cmalpas/lists/346407 Preservation & Digitization Actions: MARC 583 www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/pda.pdf Constance Malpas [email_address] Tel: +1-650-287-2131

RLG Shared Print program description:

www.oclc.org/programs/ourwork/collectivecoll/sharedprint

Journals Preservation Project title list:

www.worldcat.org/profiles/cmalpas/lists/346407

Preservation & Digitization Actions: MARC 583

www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/pda.pdf

Constance Malpas

[email_address]

Tel: +1-650-287-2131