The Digital Preservation Awards celebrate the excellence and innovation that will help to ensure our digital memory is available tomorrow.
The first Digital Preservation Award was created in 2004 to raise awareness about digital preservation. It provided a rare opportunity to engage in some high profile advocacy, articulating nuanced messages about how and why one might engage in digital preservation. Today, the Awards continue to enable the DPC to endorse and celebrate outstanding work which may go unrecognised by other communities and which may be little known among the senior managers of the agencies undertaking this work.
In its early iterations (2004, 2005, 2007 and 2010) the DPC sponsored a single award under the auspices of the Conservation Awards. In 2012, partly because of the 10th anniversary of the Coalition, the DPC organised the Digital Preservation Awards under its own auspices, offering 3 awards – an award for teaching and communications, an award for research and innovation, and a special tenth anniversary award for outstanding contribution to digital preservation. In 2014 a further 2 categories were offered – and in 2016 the DPC has added another new award; this time offering six awards in total:
- The Software Sustainability Institute Award for Research and Innovation recognises excellence in practical research and innovation activities. The award includes a cash prize of £1000, a trophy and certificates.
- The NCDD Award for Teaching and Communications, recognising excellence in outreach, training and advocacy. The award includes a cash prize of £1000, a trophy and certificates.
- The Award for the Most Distinguished Student Work in Digital Preservation, encourages and recognises student work in digital preservation. The prize includes attendance at an international conference, a trophy and a certificate.
- The Award for the Most Outstanding Digital Preservation Initiative in Industry, encourages and recognises the adoption of digital preservation tools and approaches in a commercial environment. The award includes a cash prize of £1000, a trophy and certificates.
- The National Archives Award for Safeguarding the Digital Legacy, celebrates the practical application of preservation tools to protect at-risk digital objects. The award includes a cash prize of £1000, a trophy and certificates.
- The Digital Preservation Coalition Fellowship, this new category will be awarded to an individual, recognising a sustained and impactful contribution to the digital preservation community, for which a trophy, certificate and honorary personal membership of the DPC is offered.
In addition, winners and finalists will receive a print quality logo for reproduction on websites or stationery. All applicants will receive practical commentary on their nomination including comments from the ‘public vote’. Informal feedback suggests that this feedback has been widely re-used by applicants in grant applications and curricula vitae.
The ceremony for the Digital Preservation Awards will take place on the evening of Wednesday 30th November, at the Wellcome Trust in London, with timings as follows:
- 1830 – Doors open for the Digital Preservation Awards 2016
- 1900 – Digital Preservation Awards 2016 ceremony
- 2000 – Drinks reception