Preservation Strategies

David Holdsworth, University of Leeds

Published: October 2007

Ensuring that digital data remain accessible and reusable over time requires the implementation of proactive, scalable and sustainable preservation strategies. To be of greatest effect, preservation issues must be considered from the point of creation and throughout the entire life-cycle of the digital resource.

This instalment will examine some of the technical issues surrounding digital preservation and also explore some of the philosophical issues that may hinder effective uptake and implementation of digital preservation strategies.

Download the Preservation Strategies chapter (pdf)

Key Points

• The threat of technical obsolescence
• The need for open and standard formats
• Representation information
• The role of selection and appraisal
• The importance of defining what is acceptable risk/loss
• Understand the range of preservation strategies (emulation, migration, encapsulation, Universal Virtual Computer, digital archaeology)
• How preservation can enable long-term access and re-use
• Workflow and the OAIS model
• Preservation metadata
• Roles and responsibilities
• Costs and business models
• Policy considerations
• Training
• International and collaborative efforts to tackle preservation challenges