Issues

·        Preserving the medium

·        Preserving the technology

·        Preserving the intellectual content - and access to it!

GOAL

·        get the data from the past to come into the future

Current Authors & Organizations

·        Peter Graham

·        RLG/Commission on Preservation & Access - Digital Library Federation

·        Jeff Rothenberg

·        National Archives

·        Society of American Archivists

Digital Libraries - Leading the present into the future

·        JSTOR – Scholarly Journal Archive http://www.jstor.org/ (your institution must be a subscriber to access the journals)

·        Project Gutenberg  http://promo.net/pg/

·        Berkeley Digital Library SunSite http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/

·        Other Digital Collections

·        Library of Virginia Digital Collections http://www.lva.lib.va.us/

·        Making of America http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/

·        American Memory Project http://memory.loc.gov/

·        USGS maps www.usgs.gov

·        David Rumsey and his digital map library –www.davidrumsey.com

Terminology

·        copy

·        reformat

·        convert

·        Migrate

Structure of Information for Long Term Storage and Preservation

·        Data 

·        Information

·        Knowledge

Strategies for Implementation of Digital Preservation*

·        do nothing - digital Darwinism

·        copy to paper

·        computer output microform

·        create policies for compliance

·        create standards - buy into a commercial package

·        become a warehouse

·        leave it for the future

·        backward compatibility

·        migrate software to new hardware

·        work with the future in mind

·        create emulation software

(*adapted from Greg Hunter's lectures and publications)

Projected outcomes

·        loss due to deterioration or obsolescence

·        similar to books, audio and video formats

·        dependence on a few commercial vendors

·        unique software that no one else can read

·        a wealth of info from carefully preserved and migrated programs

Factors to consider

·        cost benefits

·        end purpose of preservation effort

·        user needs today and tomorrow

·        accuracy of object vs. preservation of content

Hindrances

·        Digital millennium copyright act

·        Costs

·        Staffing and technical capabilities

·        Slaves to commercial enterprise?

Challenges

·        constant change

·        physical degradation

·        obsolescence and incompatibility

·        dependence

·        storage space

Reality

·        match your needs present and future

·        with your resources

PART II

Preventing Loss of Data

        Backing up data regularly

        Keeping track of hardware and software changes, upgrades improvements

        Appropriate storage media and locations

Planning for loss of Data

        Who is responsible for routine back up of data?

        Who knows how to restore data from backups?

        Testing how long it takes

•                 To restore a few files

•                 To restore software and associated files

•                 To reinstall the whole system