building a preservation policy

Digital Preservation

MetaArchive Cooperative, Digital Preservation Policy Planning WorkshopBoston College, Boston, MA October 26, 2010

Session 2

Libraries as Ideal CuratorsPolicies as Catalytic SolutionsWhat is a Digital Preservation Policy?Building on Successful Digital

Preservation PoliciesPreservation Policy Template

Schultz, Donovan, Howard, Skinner, 2010

The Goal:To get a glimpse into the higher level concerns that a digital preservation policy attempts to address and the statements used to reflect your Library’s strategic positions.


Libraries as Curators for the Public Good Only librarians understand and appreciate the needs of

their collections and their users Irreplaceable stewards of our collective cultural memory

Avoiding the Broker trap Constantly outsourcing preservation roles, services &

infrastructure may threaten institutional mission and societal role

Reversing the Trends Private LOCKSS Networks are enabling libraries to maintain

control of research data and digital collections IIPC is enabling libraries to preserve our shared Web

culture Can you think of some other examples?Schultz, Donovan, Howard, Skinner, 2010

Success of the MetaArchive Cooperative Reducing the cost for libraries to engage

preservation of their collections through shared resources and open source technology

Empowering libraries and other cultural memory institutions through growing expertise and embedding infrastructure in the libraries

Actively Addressing Trends in Digital Preservation


Policies can trigger collaboration and action!

Impacts of Institutional Policy Building Content Policy (MetaArchive Cooperative)▪ Solidified shared commitments while retaining

institutional flexibility ETD Preservation Policy (Boston College)▪ Defined institutional commitment and responsibility

and achieved administrative buy-in Other institutional policy examples▪ Promoting shared infrastructure (ISU)▪ Guaranteeing open access (FSU)▪ Pursuing reliable research (Georgia Tech)


“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.” From Long Definition of Digital Preservation,

prepared by the ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section, Working Group on Defining Digital Preservation, accessed at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/resources/preserv/defdigpres0408.cfm.Schultz, Donovan, Howard, Skinner,

2010

Digital Preservation Policy Template General Questions for Feedback

▪ Are there additional policy sections that would be helpful for your institution to define?▪ What are the policy areas that would require the

most effort at your institution to define?▪ How and where would such a policy be promoted and

publicized?▪ Who are the most important audiences for a policy of

this type?


building a preservation policy

Documents

level of preservation

digital content

digital preservationschultz

digital collectionsiipc

alcts preservation

policy areas

additional policy sections

institutional mission