Digital Preservation in Libraries: Preparing for a Sustainable Future
Doi
Abstract
A considerable amount of creative, cultural, and research output is expressed in digital form. It is imperative that the memory sector rapidly improve its capability and capacity for handling digital content in all forms, including complex data. It took gallery, library, archive, and museum (GLAM) sector institutions somewhere between decades and centuries to implement systems for managing physical collections. Those who work with digital content are acutely aware that the same time frames are not afforded when it comes to saving our digital cultural heritage. The “fragility” of content produced from computing environments — thanks to the rapid churn of technological innovation and obsolescence — means that even acquiring, preserving, and providing sustained access to a seemingly “simple” stand-alone file can take considerable effort. The interdependencies and limitations of the computing platforms, software, hardware, and other peripherals (whether mass-manufactured or custom-developed) bring a level of complexity that is typically not experienced with physical collections
