The DPC and Charles Beagrie Ltd are delighted to announce the release two important documents which will form the foundations of the new edition of the DPC Digital Preservation Handbook: the results of a major survey into audience needs, and the first full outline of content.
'We are very keen to make sure that the new edition of the handbook fits with people's actual needs so we were very encouraged by the substantial response to the consultation document which we sent out before summer' explained Neil Beagrie who is editor of the new edition of the handbook. 'We estimate that the digital preservation community numbers around 1500 people in total: and there were 285 response to the survey.'
'It a very large sample of the community but it's also reassuringly diverse. There's a strong representation from higher education and public sector agencies but there's also a sizeable group from industry, from charities as well as museums and community interest groups. When asked if they would use the handbook, not a single respondent said no.'
'The survey has directly informed the contents of the new handbook', explained William Kilbride, Executive Director of the DPC. 'We started with an idea of the gaps and the many parts that had become outdated since the original handbook was published. So we invited users to tell us what they wanted and how they wanted it - both in terms of content and presentation. The project team has responded thoughtfully to these requests so I am confident that the resulting content outline is tailored to people's needs. Even so, we remain open to suggestions and comments'
'This will help ensure that the handbook remains relevant for many years to come.'