Libraries have a core mandate to collect, preserve and provide public access to published works. This means that libraries are likely to understand digital preservation and the reasons for doing it. Not doing digital preservation would undermine their core remit, which is why many of the Risks here are associated with ‘Operations.’

You may also want to check Archives, Higher Education and Research and Museums and Galleries specific Risks.

What is Digital Preservation?

  • Part of an ongoing stewardship mission to ensure to the future of libraries and archives as memory organizations,
  • Necessary for libraries and archives to tell the unbroken story of our communities and societies.

What are the Risks of not preserving digital materials?

Risks 

Possible Consequences

Key Motivators

Storage conditions are inadequate for preservation

  • Data loss/corruption
  • Disruption of organisation’s functions
  • Confidence loss
  • Damage to reputation

Corporate/Cultural Memory

Business Continuity

Enabling Research

Reputation

Technology

Preservation not carried out in a timely manner

  • Data loss/corruption
  • Unable to provide access to digital objects
  • Loss of context/documentation
  • Costly interventions require to restore access

Corporate/Cultural Memory

Enabling Research

Costs

No active programme/processes aimed at acquiring digital objects/collections

  • Data generated by the cultural and creative industries will be lost or inaccessible
  • Failure to protect the living national record
  • Primary sources for future research cannot be found, interpreted or re-used
  • Failure to meet organisational goals
  • Loss of reputation
  • Loss of funding

Business Continuity

Corporate/Cultural Memory

Compliance

Enabling Research

Reputation

Revenue

Organisation does not move important digital/digitized objects into a preservation system

  • Data loss/corruption
  • Unable to provide access to digital objects
  • Loss of context/documentation
  • Loss of reputation
  • Loss of funding

Accountability

Corporate/Cultural Memory

Enabling Research

Reputation

Revenue

Do not adequately consider the preservation needs of complex digital objects, including new publication formats

  • Data generated by the cultural and creative industries will be lost or inaccessible
  • Loss of context/documentation
  • Loss of reputation
  • Loss of funding

Corporate/Cultural Memory

Reputation

Revenue

Technology

What Opportunities do preserved digital materials create? 

Digital Preservation can…

Key Motivators

help retain the archival and historical value of rich and diverse collections, ensuring they continue to be accessible for the long-term

Corporate/Cultural Memory

earn the trust of the public through sustained access to documentary heritage which guarantees the integrity of digital holdings

Accountability

Reputation

demonstrate a commitment to delivering on a public mandate, for present and future generations

Accountability

Corporate/Cultural Memory

maintain access to strategically important assets

Corporate/Cultural Memory

demonstrate that the organization is meeting its obligations and mandate through documentary evidence of compliance to legislation

Accountability

Compliance

help ensure that cultural and creative data, including the outputs of industry remains accessible, reusable and understandable

Corporate/Cultural Memory

Enabling Research

create greater scope for innovation and reuse by using cultural and creative data at scale

Corporate/Cultural Memory

Enabling Research

Revenue

maintain access to digital outputs of cultural and creative industries which are essential for innovation, research, development

Corporate/Cultural Memory

Enabling Research

Revenue

transmit opportunities to future generations by ensuring the right cultural and creative data is available to the right people at the right time in the right format, for as long as necessary

Business Continuity 

Corporate/Cultural Memory

Revenue

instil trust in cultural and creative data by demonstrating a complete cultural record

Accountability

Authenticity

What do Libraries need to enable Digital Preservation?

All organisations require the same things to enable effective digital preservation.

Go to Digital Preservation Needs

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