Executive Guide on Digital Preservation for Libraries

Libraries have a core mandate to collect, preserve and provide public access to published works. This means that libraries are likely to understand digital preservation and the reasons for doing it. Not doing digital preservation would undermine their core remit, which is why many of the Risks here are associated with ‘Operations.’

You may also want to check Archives, Higher Education and Research and Museums and Galleries specific Risks.

What is Digital Preservation?

Part of an ongoing stewardship mission to ensure to the future of libraries and archives as memory organizations,
Necessary for libraries and archives to tell the unbroken story of our communities and societies.

What are the Risks of not preserving digital materials?

Risks	Possible Consequences	Key Motivators
Storage conditions are inadequate for preservation	Data loss/corruption Disruption of organisation’s functions Confidence loss Damage to reputation	Corporate/Cultural Memory Business Continuity Enabling Research Reputation Technology
Preservation not carried out in a timely manner	Data loss/corruption Unable to provide access to digital objects Loss of context/documentation Costly interventions require to restore access	Corporate/Cultural Memory Enabling Research Costs
No active programme/processes aimed at acquiring digital objects/collections	Data generated by the cultural and creative industries will be lost or inaccessible Failure to protect the living national record Primary sources for future research cannot be found, interpreted or re-used Failure to meet organisational goals Loss of reputation Loss of funding	Business Continuity Corporate/Cultural Memory Compliance Enabling Research Reputation Revenue
Organisation does not move important digital/digitized objects into a preservation system	Data loss/corruption Unable to provide access to digital objects Loss of context/documentation Loss of reputation Loss of funding	Accountability Corporate/Cultural Memory Enabling Research Reputation Revenue
Do not adequately consider the preservation needs of complex digital objects, including new publication formats	Data generated by the cultural and creative industries will be lost or inaccessible Loss of context/documentation Loss of reputation Loss of funding	Corporate/Cultural Memory Reputation Revenue Technology

What Opportunities do preserved digital materials create?

Digital Preservation can…	Key Motivators
help retain the archival and historical value of rich and diverse collections, ensuring they continue to be accessible for the long-term	Corporate/Cultural Memory
earn the trust of the public through sustained access to documentary heritage which guarantees the integrity of digital holdings	Accountability Reputation
demonstrate a commitment to delivering on a public mandate, for present and future generations	Accountability Corporate/Cultural Memory
maintain access to strategically important assets	Corporate/Cultural Memory
demonstrate that the organization is meeting its obligations and mandate through documentary evidence of compliance to legislation	Accountability Compliance
help ensure that cultural and creative data, including the outputs of industry remains accessible, reusable and understandable	Corporate/Cultural Memory Enabling Research
create greater scope for innovation and reuse by using cultural and creative data at scale	Corporate/Cultural Memory Enabling Research Revenue
maintain access to digital outputs of cultural and creative industries which are essential for innovation, research, development	Corporate/Cultural Memory Enabling Research Revenue
transmit opportunities to future generations by ensuring the right cultural and creative data is available to the right people at the right time in the right format, for as long as necessary	Business Continuity Corporate/Cultural Memory Revenue
instil trust in cultural and creative data by demonstrating a complete cultural record	Accountability Authenticity

What do Libraries need to enable Digital Preservation?

All organisations require the same things to enable effective digital preservation.

Go to Digital Preservation Needs