Dedicated Support for Full Members
Full DPC members can use this page to learn about and discover how to access the 5 days per year of dedicated support time to which they are entitled
What kind of work can we help you with?
That depends on exactly what it is you're after, and we're more than happy to discuss the possibilities with you. We have worked on a really broad cross section of activities with our members, from in depth technical challenges to advising on the most appropriate training courses available, through to building the case for digital preservation within a department or organisation. With newer members, who are only just embarking on establishing a digital preservation capability, we often focus on activities such as: reviewing and honing business cases, developing and reviewing preservation policies, and developing and reviewing requirements for preservation system procurement exercises. Small injections of DPC expertise can often be invaluable as organisations take their first steps in digital preservation. With our more established members, we may tackle more organisation specific, and often subject specific challenges.
Note that our support can be one to one with the full member organisation, or we can work collaboratively (for example via a cross member working group), which can sometimes be an excellent use of limited resources, and one that exploits the vast wealth of knowledge across the Coalition. If a challenge is raised that is likely to have a broader interest, it may be worth exploring it further with a DPC Briefing Day, or writing it up as a Technology Watch Guidance Note.
Our expertise
Dedicated support for our members is faciliated by the DPC Team who have combined experience of many decades of working in digital preservation and advising organisations in solving digital preservation challenges. This experience is invaluable in supporting members, but is backed by an unrivalled depth of knowledge and expertise across the Coalition, which we can tap into to help you get the job done well.
Where do I start?
Every DPC Member is allocated a DPC Champion when they join the DPC. Your Champion is a member of the DPC staff who acts as a first point of contact with the DPC. If you're interested in arranging some dedicated support time, begin by contacting your champion with a short summary of the challenge you are facing. Your Champion will be able to consult with the wider DPC Team and then plan in the support you need. Contact details for the DPC Team can be found here. It should be noted that with a small core staff, our time is limited. Any dedicated support is subject to DPC staff availability. We would appreciate as much warning as possible for requests for dedicated support but will do our very best to meet your needs.
For more on the other sources of assistance available, see our Looking for Advice page.
DPC Technology Watch Publications
DPC Technology Watch publications provide authoritative guidance on a variety of digital preservation topics chosen by Coalition members. They are designed to inform our membership, and those in the wider community, in an accessible and easily digestible manner.
Most Recent |
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by Paul Wheatley 2022 (updated 2025) Guidance Note |
by Patrícia Falcão 2024 Guidance Note |
by Eira Tansey 2024 Guidance Note |
A risk driven approach to Bitstream Preservation (v1.3)
ReportsTechnology Watch Reports provide in depth reference guides to specific content or data types. They are peer reviewed and are typically around 40 pages in length.
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Guidance NotesGuidance Notes provide bite-sized overviews of specific digital preservation challenges and solutions. They combine accessibility with practical guidance and are between 2 and 5 pages in length.
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Topical Notes Series
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Older or superseded Technology Watch Publications can be found here.
DPC Style Guide
The DPC Style Guide provides an overview of the preferred grammar and usage for Technology Watch Reports. It provides basic guidelines relevant to ensuring DPC publications remain clear and consistent as possible, acknowledging that digital preservation encompasses a broad range of disciplines with different grammar and usage conventions.
Special Interest Groups and Task Forces
The DPC provide regular fora to exchange good practice, discuss challenges faced and raise gaps in capability for future development. DPC Special Interest Groups (previously called Working Groups) are ongoing meetings for the discussion of sectoral, content focused or functional themes. DPC Task Forces are established with a specific goal in mind and will close when that goal has been addressed.
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Title |
Membership |
Frequency |
Terms of reference (please log in to view) |
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Audio Visual Special Interest Group |
DPC Members only. Show up on the day to attend event advertised on DPC Events web page |
Every 2 months |
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DPC Members only. Closed group - email sarah.middleton@dpconline.org for more information. |
Meeting 1-2 times annually, over the course of the two-year review period |
TBC |
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Carbon Footprint Task Force |
DPC Members only. Closed group until December 2025. Outputs will be shared with the wider community. |
Monthly. |
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Databases Special Interest Group |
DPC Members only. Closed group - email eleanor.oleary@dpconline.org to join the email list. |
Monthly |
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Digital Forensics Special Interest Group |
DPC Members only. Closed group - email eleanor.oleary@dpconline.org to join the email list. |
Monthly |
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Managing Indigenous Cultural Material Task Force |
DPC Members only. Closed group - email eleanor.oleary@dpconline.org to join the email list. |
Monthly |
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Museums and Galleries Special Interest Group |
DPC Members only. Closed group - email eleanor.oleary@dpconline.org to join the email list. |
Every 2 months |
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National Libraries and Archives Special Interest Group (NatLA) |
Institutions whose main role is the National Library and/or Archive of a particular nation. Closed group - email eleanor.oleary@dpconline.org to join the email list. |
Every 2 months |
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Open to anyone who uses or maintains digital preservation registries. No formal membership list or requirements. Run as a regular series of videoconference meetings for open discussion, coordinated via a mailing list. If you need help, email: andrew.jackson@dpconline.org |
At 9am and 9pm (UK time) on the first Thursday of every month |
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Working Web Archiving and Preservation Special Interest Group (WAPSIG) |
No formal membership list - open to any DPC Member (Some events open more widely). Show up on the day to attend event advertised on DPC Events web page. |
3-4 webinars per year |
View this page for details of completed, inactive or superseded groups.