Digital Preservation

Digital information is a constant in our society.  Almost all new information is “born digital” and archives and libraries increasingly are converting analog collections to digital form.  Digital preservation is an increasingly central activity in both libraries and archives.  It is also an issue for corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and individuals.  Consequently, digital preservation is a growing area of concern and a growth area for careers in preservation. This course will cover the core components, functions, and activities of an archival information system capable of acquiring content created outside of the system, managing the information for the long-term, and delivering meaningful content to end users.  The course is organized around the Open Archival Information Systems Reference Model (OAIS), which is an international standard for digital preservation systems.   The OAIS reference model is the basis for numerous standards and tools, which I will present throughout the course.  The goal of the course is to familiarize you with digital preservation tools and methods that work effectively in many different types organizations and for many different types of data. It is designed as an introductory overview to digital preservation.  Students wishing to gain more experience should enroll in additional PI courses (such as Digitization for Preservation, Preservation of Sound and Motion, Data Curation, Web Archiving); seek out DFEs, internships, apprenticeships, workshops, and other practical engagement activities; and pursue particular problems or types of materials of interest in individual assignments.