ERIC Number: ED395602
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1996-May-1
Pages: 68
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: ISBN-1-887334-50-5
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Preserving Digital Information. Report of the Task Force on Archiving of Digital Information.
Waters, Donald; Garrett, John
The 21-member Task Force on Archiving of Digital Information was formed in December 1994 and spent a year studying what is needed to make digital libraries stable, accessible, and valid. Their final report is divided into the following sections: (1) "Introduction," which examines the fragility of cultural memory in a digital age and the limits of digital technology; (2) "The Challenge of Archiving Digital Information," a discussion of the obsolescence of certain digital media, migration of digital information to other hardware/software configurations or generations, legal and institutional issues, and the need for deep infrastructure; (3) "Information Objects in the Digital Landscape," which examines the issue of integrity of digital information, and stakeholder interests in that question; (4) "Archival Roles and Responsibilities," about the operating environment, migration strategies, and managing costs and finances; and (5) "Summary and Recommendations." One of the major findings of the study was that a process of certification was needed to create a climate of trust in this field of endeavor. The future needs a sufficient number of people who can be trusted to go to great lengths to store, migrate, and provide access to digital collections. A series of pilot projects and support structures are recommended. Appendices include copies of the charge of the task force and of a detailed analysis of a cost model. (Contains 75 references.) (BEW)
Descriptors: Access to Information, Archives, Certification, Cost Effectiveness, Cultural Relevance, Data Conversion, Electronic Libraries, Information Networks, Library Collections, Pilot Projects, Preservation, Quality Control
The Commission on Preservation and Access, 1400 16th St., N.W., Suite 740, Washington, DC 20036-2217 ($15); World Wide Web: http://www.rlg.org
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Commission on Preservation and Access, Washington, DC.; Research Libraries Group, Inc., Mountain View, CA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A