Preservation of Software Barbara Sierman (digital preservation manager)E-Humanities Software and Tools Sustainability, 10-4-2013

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

Mission of the KBMission of the KB• The KB is the national library of the Netherlands: we

bring people and information together.

• We offer everyone access to everything published in and about the Netherlands (strategic priority #1)

• “We guarantee long-term storage of digital information” (strategic priority #3)

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

E-Humanities and Digital E-Humanities and Digital PreservationPreservation

• Relationship e-humanities & digital preservation• Recent study “Sustaining our digital future”

http://www.sr.ithaka.org/research-publications/sustaining-our-digital-future

• Digitization projects & related tools, services

• Keeping digital collections accessible• Permanent activity

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

Digital preservation at the KB-NLDigital preservation at the KB-NL

• E-depot since 2002• Main digital collections:

• Born digital material: • E-journals• E-Books

• Digitized material • Web Archive

• Fast growing amount of digital objects: 2PB in 2020

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

Preservation Strategy: MigrationPreservation Strategy: Migration• Strictly speaking “transformation” (OAIS)

• Expected Risk : Obsolescence of file format• Measure : standards, limited set of file

formats• In practice

• Position of National Library• Other reasons for migration• Only for “straight forward” digital objects

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

Preservation Strategy: Emulation

• Risk: unable to render material faithfully Loss of “original look and feel”

• Especially “complex” digital objects• Several potential collections

- interactive material (CD-ROMs)- supplemental files added to e-journals and e-books- webarchives

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

Emulation researchEmulation research• Research with IBM, resulting in LTP Studies

2002• Emulation, Universal Virtual Computerhttp://www.kb.nl/expertise/e-depot-en-digitale-duurzaamheid/publicaties-en-links/kbibm-long-term-preservation-study

• The Preservation Layer Model (PLM)• Emulating the hardware

• Development of Dioscuri (with NA)

• But how to get the software?• Software archive: licenses, manuals,

metadata descriptions etc.

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

Planets project 2006-2010Planets project 2006-2010• Emulation becomes more complex

• The complexity of modern computer environments• Complex and often interacting applications

• Legal Issues• Digital rights management• Copy protection measures

• Knowledge: How is software working? • Issues with setting up a Software Archive

• Variety in sw releases, different languages, geographical areas, parameters

• Preservation of software requires OAIS archive conditions (like other digital objects)

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

EU project KEEP 2009-2012EU project KEEP 2009-2012• Focus on multimedia works• TOTEM Trustworthy Online Technical Environment Metadata

Registry

• Description of hardware and related software

• Emulation Framework• Project to implement it in KB “research

environment” with samples of the collection

• To work properly: Software Archive needed!

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

EU project KEEP legal studyEU project KEEP legal study• National, European & International legislation

are not consistent• Libraries and Archives have special rights, but in

EU not all have the same rights• EC law does not provide the full legal

permissions required for KEEP (the emulation framework)

• For example : “Reproduction of computer programs and databases even when carried out by memory organisations and authorized under national laws, is in conflict with EC Law”

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

Open Planets FoundationOriginally founded to safeguard the “products” of EU projects

Now: A vivid Digital Preservation Platform for a large communityblogs, hackatons, webinars etc.

Collaboration with software suppliers, like Microsoft Research (OPF member)

Software/emulation as a service (SaaS/EaaS)

http://www.openplanetsfoundation.org/

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

NCDD: a place to act?

• A national challenge• In NCDD various collections represented

• AV material• Digital Art• Interactives etc.

• Platform for collaboration

Preservation of Software

© 2010 Koninklijke Bibliotheek – National Library of the Netherlands

Conclusions

• There is a need for a software archive for emulation• We have a pretty good idea what is should look like• Some individual initiatives (Australia, New Zealand)• Even better: a collaborative initiative

Thank you!

Preservation of Software