Digital Preservation of Scholarly Journals: A Publisher’s Perspective Adam Chesler Hawai’i Library Association October 24, 2008

Why Preserve This Content? Ensure long-term availability of scholarly record Fulfill obligation to contributors Secure publisher’s patrimony Contribution to scholarly record Bigger than any organization itself: content is more important than business models and subscriptions

Ensure long-term availability of scholarly record

Fulfill obligation to contributors

Secure publisher’s patrimony

Contribution to scholarly record

Bigger than any organization itself: content is more important than business models and subscriptions

Who’s Responsible? Publishers Digital content hosted by providers Distribution from central host makes sense: interactivity, upgrades to display/search/etc capabilities, linking Librarians Traditional stewards of published content Experience dealing with over-arching issues Third Parties – new players Independence from old business concerns Global reach In other words, the entire community

Publishers

Digital content hosted by providers

Distribution from central host makes sense: interactivity, upgrades to display/search/etc capabilities, linking

Librarians

Traditional stewards of published content

Experience dealing with over-arching issues

Third Parties – new players

Independence from old business concerns

Global reach

In other words, the entire community

What is being preserved? By Publishers (third parties) Journals Full text Supplementary information As available/practical Books (if/as available) By Libraries (institutional repositories) Theses Lab reports Technical papers Local research

By Publishers (third parties)

Journals

Full text

Supplementary information

As available/practical

Books (if/as available)

By Libraries (institutional repositories)

Theses

Lab reports

Technical papers

Local research

Is Digital Easier to Preserve? Conversion from print to digital enables new and broader means of preservation Can’t reproduce a Gutenberg Bible, but can easily save copies of the digital version But… More gateways means more potential failure points More versions (official and unofficial) means potential for more confusion Multiple authorized hosts important Replicates successful print archiving apparatus, while accounting for digital technology/realities Local loading suits only local users International network with preservation mission Reliable sources in absence of publisher availability

Conversion from print to digital enables new and broader means of preservation

Can’t reproduce a Gutenberg Bible, but can easily save copies of the digital version

But…

More gateways means more potential failure points

More versions (official and unofficial) means potential for more confusion

Multiple authorized hosts important

Replicates successful print archiving apparatus, while accounting for digital technology/realities

Local loading suits only local users

International network with preservation mission

Reliable sources in absence of publisher availability

Some Major Initiatives Royal Dutch Library LOCKSS Portico CLOCKSS PubMedCentral Institutional repositories

Royal Dutch Library

LOCKSS

Portico

CLOCKSS

PubMedCentral

Institutional repositories

Open Questions How do we preserve “organic” or interactive content? Which one is the version of record? What happens when format changes ? Rendering software – will content be readable? Searchable? Findable? Connectable? Costs Viability of different/multiple initiatives Sharing of expenses – how? Should we preserve everything? Who’s responsible for out-of-copyright materials? Which version should be saved (author’s, publisher’s)? Who gets access? And when?

How do we preserve “organic” or interactive content?

Which one is the version of record?

What happens when format changes ?

Rendering software – will content be readable? Searchable? Findable? Connectable?

Costs

Viability of different/multiple initiatives

Sharing of expenses – how?

Should we preserve everything?

Who’s responsible for out-of-copyright materials?

Which version should be saved (author’s, publisher’s)?

Who gets access? And when?

Contact Information Adam Chesler Telephone: (571) 243-7537 E-Mail: [email_address]

Adam Chesler

Telephone: (571) 243-7537

E-Mail: [email_address]