resources
preservation toolkits
Surveying Digital Preservation Readiness:Toolkit for Cultural Organizations
A project supported by IMLS
Technology is rapidly changing the way cultural organizations make collections available, engage audiences, and serve researchers. Museums, libraries, and archives, both large and small, are moving forward in digitizing objects from their collections. But as digital resources grow, cultural organizations are becoming aware that managing and preserving their expanding digital resources is a challenging problem.
In 2004, the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) recognized this issue and partnered with Heritage Preservation, the American Institute for Conservation, the Museum Computer Network, and the Center for Research Libraries to develop a methodology for assessing the preservation needs of digital collections in cultural organizations. With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, they gathered data on current practices, convened a colloquium of experts to explore the issues, and developed practical planning tools to assist the survey process.
In May 2005, NEDCC conducted an online survey to gather data about the state of digital preservation readiness in cultural organizations. This initial survey showed that many cultural organizations are digitizing without policies in place to deal with long-term preservation of those digital resources. The article NEDCC Survey and Colloquium Explore Digital Preservation Policies and Practices outlines the findings from the online survey and explains the colloquium process and results. The experts at the colloquium determined that although self-evaluation is important, surveying by consultants will better serve small and medium-sized institutions.
Using the colloquium findings and the survey data, NEDCC worked with consultants Tom Clareson of PALINET and Liz Bishoff of The Bishoff Group to develop a handbook for surveyors to conduct an on-site assessment of digital collections at cultural organizations. They surveyed eleven institutions across the country. The pilot sites included libraries, museums, and archives, both large and medium-sized. During these field visits Clareson and Bishoff observed trends in how institutions are approaching digital preservation. These trends are outlined in Surveying Digital Collections: A “Trends” Report.
Throughout the project, consultants and NEDCC staff have reported on the findings at national conferences and workshops. Two of these presentations, Digital Preservation Assessment: Readying Cultural Heritage Institutions for Digital Preservation by Liz Bishoff and Surveying the Digital Readiness of Institutions by NEDCC Executive Director Ann Russell, are offered here.
The Digital Preservation Readiness Assessment is a survey process that NEDCC and its consultants have developed to help cultural institutions plan for digital preservation. Although the Digital Preservation Readiness Assessment needs to be conducted by consultants, there is much an organization can do to ready itself for digital preservation. The Digital Preservation Readiness Webliography provides online resources that will be useful for anyone interested in learning more about digital preservation. The two Planning for Digital Preservation tools offer questions to ask as you plan for digital preservation and twenty questions to ask potential providers of digital storage. Finally, Digital Preservation Readiness Assessment: Guide for Clients explains the assessment process for anyone who might be interested in having a survey conducted at their institution. NEDCC is proud to offer these tools in the hope that cultural organizations will begin planning for long-term preservation of their important digital resources.
Background
NEDCC Survey and Colloquium Explore Digital Preservation Policies and Practices
A 2005 article about the initial survey of digital readiness and the colloquium of digital experts.
Surveying Digital Collections: A “Trends” Report
A report by consultants Tom Clareson and Liz Bishoff explaining the project and their findings relating to digital preservation in the field. (October 2007)
Digital Preservation Assessment:
Readying Cultural Heritage Institutions for Digital Preservation
This presentation was given by Liz Bishoff, who along with Tom Clareson, conducted the initial digital surveys for NEDCC. It was presented at DigCCurr 2007: An International Symposium in Digital Curation at The School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in April 2007.
Surveying the Digital Readiness of Institutions
This article was originally published in First Monday and was read by author and NEDCC Executive Director Ann Russell at WebWise: Stewardship in the Digital Age in Washington, D.C., in March 2007.
Surveying Digital Assets in Museums: A Six-month Report
The six-month project activity report to IMLS, dated January 1 to June 30, 2007.
Tools
Digital Preservation Readiness Webliography
An NEDCC preservation leaflet, this bibliography of Web resources provides links on various topics including metadata and digital preservation. (April 2008)
A list of questions to help staff of cultural institutions think through preservation of their digital collections. It complements NEDCC’s Digital Preservation Readiness Assessment, which would be conducted by a consultant. (November 2007)
Planning for Digital Preservation:
20 Questions for Providers of Digital Storage Services
Most institutions outsource storage of their digital collections. This document provides questions to think about before contracting with a digital storage service provider. (September 2007)
Digital Preservation Readiness Assessment: Guide for Clients
A guide for anyone interested in having a Digital Preservation Readiness Assessment conducted at their institution. (November 2007)
If you are ready for a Digital Preservation Readiness Assessment or would be interested in becoming a surveyor, please contact Lori Foley, Director of Field Service at NEDCC, lfoley@nedcc.org.