2. SHPT School of Library Science
What is Digital document
preservation
Digital document preservation is a
process by which digital data is
preserved in digital form in order to
ensure the
usability,
durability and
intellectual integrity of the information
contained therein
3. SHPT School of Library Science
Need for digital preservation
Vast amount of ‘born-digital’ data,
especially in science and engineering
Physical deterioration: medium is vulnerable
to deterioration and catastrophic loss.
Digital obsolescence: Digital technology is on
a fast track
4. SHPT School of Library Science
Digital preservation: issues
data is maintained in the repository without
being damaged, lost or maliciously altered;
data can be found, extracted and served to a
user;
data can be interpreted and understood by
the user; and
the above can be achieved in the long term.
5. SHPT School of Library Science
Digital preservation process
Organisational
Managerial and
Technical
6. SHPT School of Library Science
Organisational issues:
digital preservation policy
Justification for preservation
Organisational and financial
commitment
Preservation of authentic resources and
quality control
Metadata creation
High-level identification of roles and
responsibilities
Training and education
7. SHPT School of Library Science
Managerial issues
preservation planning
developing strategy
taking sole responsibility for
preservation
dealing with IT staff or external
preservation service providers
8. SHPT School of Library Science
Methods of digital preservation
Bitstream Copying
Durable, Persistent Media
Standards
Migration
Emulation
Encapsulation
Preservation Metadata
9. SHPT School of Library Science
Bitstream Copying
– or backing up
data, where you
make a duplicate
of the digital object.
Durable, Persistent
Media – where you
preserve the
physical media,
or CD, on which the
object is stored.
Migration – where you
copy data from one
technology to another to
avoid obsolescence of
both the physical media
and the data format.
Standards – relies
on recognized, long-
term standards over
proprietary formats.
Emulation – process of
reproducing software and
hardware
environments to translate
code from one computing
environment to run
on another.
Encapsulation – as part
of an emulation strategy,
where objects and
metadata are grouped
together to help decode
and render object later.
Preservation Metadata
– describes the
software, hardware and
requirements of the
digital object to use in
preserving the object.
Preservation
Strategies
10. SHPT School of Library Science
challenges of digital
preservation
Technology obsolescence
Absence of established standards,
protocols, and proven methods for
preserving digital information
technological or economic feasibility of
operating on a mass scale
11. SHPT School of Library Science
Learning more about digital preservation
Preserving Access to Digital Information (PADI) site published by the
Australian National University
http://www.nla.gov.au/padi/topics/18.html.
Directory of Digital Repositories and Services in the UK
http://www.dpconline.org/docs/guides/directory.pdf
Contracting Out for Digital Preservation Services: Information Leaflet
and Checklist, by Duncan Simpson
http://www.dpconline.org/docs/guides/outsourcing.pdf