‘Preserving Digital Archives Step-by-step solutions’ Najla Semple Digital Preservation Coalition

1. ‘Preserving Digital Archives Step-by-step solutions’ Najla Semple Digital Preservation Coalition

2. Overview • Digital Preservation Coalition & activities • UK Needs Assessment • Collaboration & examples • Solutions • Where to go next

3. Fuzzy end of the lollipop...

4. Digital Preservation Coalition • Promoting Digital Preservation • Efforts aimed at ensuring digital preservation is on the agenda of key stakeholders. This involves an advocacy and PR campaign, press articles, conference papers, the UK Needs Assessment, etc. • Acting to increase funding • Ensuring the nation’s investment in preservation • Fostering collaboration and forging strategic alliances • With relevant agencies nationally and internationally e.g. National Library of Australia, Library of Congress.

5. Six Work Packages 4. Producing, providing, and disseminating information • Building expertise in digital preservation e.g. commissioning Technology Watch Reports and holding DPC forums. Developing the DPC website and producing quarterly reports of ‘What’s New in Digital Preservation’, monthly reports to members via Discussion lists 5. Promoting and developing services, technology, standards andtraining • E.g. Initiating training workshops, so far held in Edinburgh, London and Belfast, and producing Technology Watch Reports, developing intensive digital preservation training programme • Continuing to develop the Coalition’s activities • Recruiting membership and attracting resources to support DPC’s goals

6. DPC Board 12 Full members DPC Associates KJN KJN 16 Associate members Digital Preservation Coalition:Internal Structure DPC Work plan Consultancies Website Public Relations Tech ? Surveys DPC Office

7. Members of the DPC Archives Museums & Records Libraries Cross-Sectoral Membership Publishing & Media Data services Government Research & Policy

8. Activities – Regular events ‘What’s New in Digital Preservation?’ • A quarterly report prepared by the National Library of Australia’s PADI and the DPC (UKOLN compiles this for the DPC) • PADI, set up in 1996, is a comprehensive subject gateway to international digital preservation resources • The reports list a summary of international preservation activities • Information compiled from the PADI gateway and mailing lists

9. Activities – UK Initiatives Preservation management of Digital Material Handbook Developed by Neil Beagrie and Maggie Jones in 2000. Online version to be developed further Available free at: www.dpconline.org Used as a basis for workshops and tutorials, and may be used for more intensive training programmes Offers a practical step-by-step guide for those involved in all stages of digital preservation

10. Activities – Initiatives Technology Watch Reports: These are user-friendly reports the DPC has commissioned experts to write. Authors avoid complicated jargon-filled language so that reports are accessible to all Reports focus on emerging preservation standards, technical formats, and developments in tools which are critical in assisting digital preservation activities Reports available on the DPC website: ‘Introduction to OAIS’ – Brian Lavoie/OCLC ‘Institutional Repositories’ – Paul Wheatley ‘Large-Scale Archival Storage’ – Jim Linden, Sean Martin, Richard Masters and Roderic Parker (British Library) ‘Preservation Metadata’ Brian Lavoie OCLC

11. How big is the problem? • Challenge of quantifying the problem • Challenge of articulating the danger • Between hysteria (Digital Dark Ages) and • Complacency (the problem is exaggerated) • We need some more detail • More facts and figures on which to base sustainable forward plans • Information which will engage funders and decision makers

12. UKNA Activities – Initiatives UK Needs Assessment Exercise: MLA FundedRegional Survey (2005) DPC Members Survey (2003) Map of DPC Members Scenarios of Data Loss Surveys: • Interviews • Other Data

13. UK Needs Assessment • Building up a picture of what is (and isn’t) happening in the UK • Gathering data on volumes and formats • Identifying priorities • Quantifying the problem • Building sufficient knowledge base to be able to plan effectively

14. Influence over formats Limited influence over formats 6% Able to influence formats 25% Not aware of any influence over formats 22% No data acquired from outside organisation 16% No influence over formats 31%

15. Some Recent Developments & Trends • Emphasis on learning by doing • More practical projects and ongoing research to inform longer-term programmes • Development of services and tools • Emphasis on good practice in creating digital resources. • Greater collaboration • With wider range of partners

16. UK Web Archiving Consortium

17. Digital Curation Centre www.dcc.ac.uk

18. Digital Preservation Training Programme www.ulcc.ac.uk/dptp

19. Open-source Open source initiative Open source watch Free software foundation

20. Audit & Certification • Collaboration on Certification for repositories – DCC • E.g. certifiable emulation strategies • Out-sourcing agencies – DPC information leaflet

21. Life-cycle responsibilities Preservation specialists Information Specialists All Organisations

22. Lessons learned to date • We can’t rely on chance survival. • Recovery of data will always be more costly than lifecycle management. • It is much more cost-effective to manage data from creation. • No single organisation will be able to manage the vast amounts of digital resources – need very high degree of cooperation and collaboration. • There won’t be a single definitive solution.

23. UNESCO Guidelines 5.2.3 Responsibility • Everyone does not have to do everything; everything does not have to be done all at once. • …it is usually better for non-comprehensive and non-reliable action to be taken than for no action at all. Small steps are usually better than no steps. 5.2.10 Management 33. Waiting for comprehensive, reliable solutions to appear before taking responsible action will probably mean material is lost.

24. Strategies • Raise awareness for courses to contain digital preservation element • There is knowledge in county councils • Harnessing it • Creating partnerships • Shared tools and expertise

25. Cornell’s 5 Organizational Stages • Acknowledge:understanding that digital preservation is a local concern • Act:initiating digital preservation projects • Consolidate:moving from projects to programs • Institutionalize:incorporating the larger environment and rationalizing programs • Externalize:embracing inter-institutional collaboration and dependency

26. Where do we go from here? • Determine whether your institution has a need and sufficient interest to develop a digital preservation program. • Determine if digital preservation could be added to or derived from your institutional mission statement or some other mandate. • Seek support from senior management to make digital preservation commitment explicit and ongoing. • Have senior management formally review and adopt a formal policy.

27. Where do you go from here? • Promulgate and publicize policy. • Maintain and update policy as living document. • Develop 3-year preservation plan. • Establish a digital preservation task force which includes key stakeholders within the institution.

28. Resources • DPC, DCC • PADI • Training programme • DPC Contracting out leaflet • DPC List of preservation services • TNA - PRONOM

29. Funding • DTI • Commercial sector ? • Consortia approach • Useful case-studies • Network of contacts

30. Solutions • There are no clear-cut or definitive solutions • Progress depends on a mix of individual institutional responsibility combined with improved coordination at national, regional, and local level as well as internationally • Good practice is evolving and support mechanisms (e.g. DCC) are being developed • Good planning and documentation offer the best prospects in the interim

31. ‘Does it make sense to spend too much for perfection?’ - Clifford Lynch

32. Thank You! www.dpconline.org