Digital preservation: policies

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	Practical challenges Preservation policies Preservation Management of Digital Materials Jones, M. and Beagrie, N. British Library, 2001
	The first principle of digital preservation is: Decide at the time when it is created how long the material is to last. This will affect the standards used, the software technology (for example, a more expensive but standard database management system might be necessary), the upgrade path, the staff and technological resources necessary to manage the digital asset for the future. We don't have to plan to keep everything for ever. Distinguish between assets for: Short-term preservation – such as visitor information or 'brochure ware' Medium-term preservation – access for a period of time but not indefinitely - such as web exhibits Long-term preservation – continued access to digital materials, or at least to the information contained in them, indefinitely - such as database content What to do? Set a policy: to designate digital assets for short term, medium term, or long term preservation. Short term assets need little action. Medium term assets require day-to-day management and backup to make sure they remain accessible for as long as required. Long-term assets require careful attention to standards, metadata, their technological basis, to maintaining off-site copies, and to strategic planning for their future technological path.
	Practical challenges Preservation policies Retrieval and identification Technical obsolescence Physical deterioration Authenticity	Long term realities Intrinsic value Ownership factors Social / political factors Environment factors	Any answers? International actions ********* About the author