News

The DNA Data Storage Alliance, an organization of more than 25 leading companies formed by Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ: TWST), Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) and Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) together with Microsoft Research, today announced its first white paper titled “Preserving our Digital Legacy: An Introduction to DNA Data Storage.”

The white paper, which can be found on the newly launched DNA Data Storage Alliance website, www.dnastoragealliance.org, presents DNA data storage fundamentals in an accessible way for both technically curious readers and for IT business, computer science or electrical engineering readers interested in the benefits, a technical overview, and the cost of ownership of this potential new storage medium. It discusses why DNA data storage is needed and expected to address the exponential growth of digital data.

A recent Gartner report (1)  estimates that “In 2020, humans likely generated in excess of 400 ZB of digital “stuff” – equivalent to 400 million petabytes or 400 billion terabytes (or 40 “shoeboxes” of DNA data storage)”. Further, “Gartner considers a 35% per-year growth scenario – closely reflecting the actual growth we saw beginning in 2010, a year that might be considered the birth of the cloud storage area – to be most likely.” According to the report, “new breeds of storage technologies must be created in response to the emerging need for immense available capacity at minimal cost in enterprise data centers.”

The DPC is pleased to announce two Career Development Fund grants for members to attend the hybrid 17th International Conference on Digital Preservation (iPRES2021), taking place from 19-22 October. These grants, detailed below, are open to all DPC members.

The DPC is pleased to announce two Career Development Fund grants for members to attend the 2021 Australian Society of Archivists Archives Amplified Conference, taking place 14 - 17 September. These grants, detailed below, are open to all DPC members.

The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) has released a Member preview of the next in its series of Technology Watch Guidance Notes entitled Born digital archive cataloguing and description, by Jenny Bunn, today.

Born digital archive cataloguing and description seeks to provide guidance to support organisations and individuals in making sense of the technological developments relating to the presentation and accessibility of their collection information.

The deadline for contributions to iPRES 2021 is almost upon us, on Monday 31^st May.  This was a long extension from what was originally planned and the Programme Committee cannot extend it further.

Nonetheless, our hosts are keen to encourage all the very best contributions, understanding also the pressures of working to a deadline against the disruption of the pandemic.  So, although the 31^st May deadline will not be extended, they can offer a few days grace for anyone in the process of submission.

• If you are ready to submit, please follow the instructions here 

• If you are close to submission but need a short extension, register your intention to submit here 

• Fore more details, please check the iPRES2021 website here

The DPC is pleased to offer a Career Development Fund grant for the Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Curation online course at the University of Salford, starting in September 2021 or January 2022. This grant, detailed below, is open to all DPC members and the application deadline is 25th June 2021.

Ever wondered how to get started with preserving digital materials? Ever wondered who to ask for help and support? What would you ask a panel of digital preservation collaborators given the chance? 

On 9^th June, 1400 – 1530 CEST, as part of International Archives Week, the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) and ICA are reprising the successful webinar ‘What I wish I knew about Digital Preservation’, this year with a focus on collaboration and networking.

The webinar will be a roundtable discussion bringing together experts from around the world to discuss what they (now) know about digital preservation, in particular about their experiences  of collaboration and networking in achieving digital preservation goals.