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?
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Risks |
Possible Consequences |
Key Motivators |
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Storage conditions are inadequate for preservation |
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Preservation not carried out in a timely manner |
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No active programme/processes aimed at acquiring digital objects/collections |
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Organisation does not move important digital/digitized objects into a preservation system |
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Do not adequately consider the preservation needs of complex digital objects, including new publication formats |
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What Opportunities do preserved digital materials create?
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Digital Preservation can… |
Key Motivators |
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help retain the archival and historical value of rich and diverse collections, ensuring they continue to be accessible for the long-term |
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earn the trust of the public through sustained access to documentary heritage which guarantees the integrity of digital holdings |
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demonstrate a commitment to delivering on a public mandate, for present and future generations |
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maintain access to strategically important assets |
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demonstrate that the organization is meeting its obligations and mandate through documentary evidence of compliance to legislation |
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help ensure that cultural and creative data, including the outputs of industry remains accessible, reusable and understandable |
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create greater scope for innovation and reuse by using cultural and creative data at scale |
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maintain access to digital outputs of cultural and creative industries which are essential for innovation, research, development |
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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 |
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instil trust in cultural and creative data by demonstrating a complete cultural record |
What do Libraries need to enable Digital Preservation?
All organisations require the same things to enable effective digital preservation.
Planning ahead for DVD-Video migration research
Starting with complexity: Archiving digital-born music compositions from Mac systems of the 80s/90s