Digital Preservation Coalition

Why you should join ... digital preservation for all

Our generation has invested as never before in digital resources and we've done so because of the opportunity they bring. They have grown in volume, complexity and importance to the point that our children are baffled by the inefficiencies of the analogue age. Pervasive, fluid and fragile: digital data is a defining feature of our age. Industry, commerce, government, law, research, health, social care, education, the creative industries, the heritage sector and private life depend on digital materials to satisfy ubiquitous information needs and expectations. Digital preservation is an issue which all organisations, particularly in the knowledge sector, will need to address sooner or later. Digital preservation means long term access, and long term access means long term opportunity

There are also external drivers which contribute to the increasing relevance and importance of digital preservation. In the research area, for example, grant funding bodies are beginning to impose conditions which require ongoing access to, and sustainability of, digital assets created through their funding programmes. There are also legal drivers which impact on the management of digital material e.g. Freedom of Information, Data Protection Act.

How to make it happen:

• Read the current prospectus [PDF]
• Informal discussion. Organisations interested in participating in the Coalition in the first instance should discuss membership criteria or alliances informally with Carol Jackson, Administration and Events Manager (see contact details).
• Print off a copy of the Membership Application Form (rtf 546KB)
  - Fill in the blanks with information required.
  - Have the Application Form signed and dated by an appropriate individual with fiduciary authority.
• Submit your completed application form to Carol Jackson, Administration and Events Manager, for discussion by the Board
• Arrange Payment. Once your application for membership is accepted by the Board you will receive notification and details of membership fees and payment method. Payment, in GB pounds of the agreed fee, must arrive within 30 days of acceptance of an application by the Board. While not required, prepayment of multiple years is accepted.