Digital Preservation for Media Art Conservation: the same but different

A Training Action from Digital Preservation Coalition under the auspices of the EMBARK Network.

Introduction

Digital preservation has emerged in recent years as a community of practice and body of expertise to address the challenge of long term access to ‘born vulnerable’ digital materials. It provides a framework to deliver the series of actions necessary to ensure continued access to digital materials beyond the limits of media degradation, technical obsolescence and organizational change. With roots in research data management, the digital preservation community has grown rapidly, with standards and acknowledged models of good practice. These have been adopted across a wide and diverse range of contexts including museums, records offices, libraries, archives and in all manner or contexts where content creation or digital asset management interact with digital materials of lasting value. However this diversity creates risks of miscommunication and misunderstanding, where similar but subtly different requirements create confusion or tension.

This training event is designed to provide a practical overview and key skills for digital preservation for the preservation of media art. At the end of the course practitioners will:

• Have a shared understanding of core skills in digital preservation

• Have a shared insight into the emerging challenges in digital preservation

• Develop their own digital preservation capability through exercise and self-directed study

• Recognize the differences and similarities between generic digital preservation skills and the preservation needs of media art

• Convene and network with colleagues and practitioners across the EMBARK network

Where and When?

It will be delivered in three parts:

• Online presentation, group discussion and orientation (June 18^th 1200-1500 UTC) (click for your local time)

• Self-directed online curriculum with the DPC’s ‘Novice to Know How’ learning pathway (June 18^th- July 2^nd)

• Reconvene, Recap and Review (July 2^nd, 1200-1500 UTC) (click for your local time)

Who should come?

The course will appeal to:

• Established practitioners in media art preservation seeking to update digital preservation skills

• Specialists in related preservation fields seeking to understand media art and digital preservation

• Recently qualified archivists and curators seeking to develop practical digital preservation skills

• Managers in cultural heritage agencies seeking to understand and staff digital preservation role

• Creators of digital content seeking to understand requirements and methods of preservation

• Content managers seeking to add preservation capabilities to existing services and tools

It is offered free of charge. Members of the EMBARK network and members of the DPC will be given priority access on a first come-first served basis, and remaining spaces will be available on general release on the 28th of May. Registration is required and places are capped. DPC Members, please log in to register during the priority access period. EMBARK members, please use the EMBARK platform to register or email eleanor.oleary@dpconline.org

A detailed program of times and speakers will be confirmed. A certificate of completion will be available.