January 19-20, 2011, 9:00am - 5:00pm EST.
Although you may not think it, digital preservation touches all areas of library services. Incorporating this ever-expanding area of responsibility leads to challenges in resource management, as well as change management. But what is digital preservation and why do library staff from acquisitions to reference need to care? This e-forum will explore how digital preservation impacts each department, and will ask participants to discuss what policy and technology steps their library has taken to steward digital objects over time.
Questions:
- How do you define digital preservation? Does that definition differ in other units of your library, especially IT departments, administration, and public services? How can you bridge that gap between what you know to be true and what others think to be true?
- Digital preservation is a relative newcomer to library's responsibilities. Are your libraries addressing it? How? To what extent is their commitment? Think resources (people, funding, space, technology), buy-in (passing phase or programmatic change), administration (change is happening at the top or the bottom or somewhere in between)? Can you think of other areas where commitment is needed? If your institution is not committed to DP, any ideas for how to get commitment?
- Do you feel professionally prepared to deal with digital preservation? How so? If not, what do you think you need to better prepare for this challenge?
- Do you think digital preservation is something you, in your particular position, need to care about? If you say no, we think we can convince you otherwise. :)
- We're currently introducing video preservation and have found there is a steeper learning curve than expected. What types of digital files do you feel are the most challenging for preservation and why?
- How do you think cloud computing will impact digital preservation? Or will it?
- Are you employing preservation metadata? If so, how and what kind? Why do think this is an important aspect of long-term management of digital files?
- Cataloging vs. metadata? Digitization vs. Digital preservation? Storage vs. active management?
- When does preservation begin? End?
- Social networking preservation? Should we put resources toward capturing Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace? Why or why not?
- What is the biggest challenge you are facing related to DP? How are you approaching it? Is it working?
- Any DP success stories? Any DP failure stories?
What is an e-forum?
An ALCTS e-forum provides an opportunity for librarians to discuss matters of interest, led by a moderator, through the e-forum discussion list. The e-forum discussion list works like an email listserv: register your email address with the list, and then you will receive messages and communicate with other participants through an email discussion. Most e-forums last two to three days. Registration is necessary to participate, but it's free.
1 comment:
Interesting topic, Brad, and you have asked many questions that must be considered. I am surprised that you have not mentioned the increasing realisation of Digital Libraries, as they are, of course, intimately related to all of these topics.
It seems to me that all librarians must now be aware of the seeming oxymoron of 'digital preservation', which, in its final analysis, means continuously copying and backing up materials, as well as migrating them from one version or format to another, as technologies change. It means too that all librarians must use their innate skills of knowledge of content, ability to judge potential future use, suitability of materials to purpose - especially over the longer term, costs, staffing (for continual upgrading) as well as more technical skills such as metadata.
Above all, I believe we have a lot of work to do in understanding the digital information environment, and particularly how it is understood and used by non-librarians - all those other knowledge users and creators.
All the best
Sue
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