News

The server platform which hosts the DPC website will be undergoing maintenance from 1600 on Monday 11th July, expected to last two hours. 

The DPC is delighted to announce its new Editorial Board for its popular Technology Watch Reports series.  The Editorial Board, which  provides strategic direction to the series and makes sure that each report is focussed on the needs of DPC members,  consists of Neil Beagrie (Series Editor), Janet Delve (University of Portsmouth), Sarah Higgins (Archives and Records Association), Tim Keefe (Trinity College Dublin Library), Andrew McHugh (DCC), Dave Thompson (Wellcome Library) and will be chaired by William Kilbride (DPC)

The DPC established a Technology Watch Report series in 2002 and since then it has been one of the Coalition’s most enduring contributions to the wider digital preservation community. They exist to provide authoritative support and foresight to those engaged with digital preservation or having to tackle digital preservation problems for the first time. These publications support members work forces, they identify disseminate and discuss best practice and they lower the barriers to participation in digital preservation.

Each report analyses a particular topic pertinent to digital preservation and presents an evaluation of workable solutions, a review of potential or emerging solutions and posits solutions that might be appropriate for different contexts. The reports are written by leaders-in-the-field and are peer-reviewed prior to publication. Each report includes a ‘key message’ précis of not more than 50 words and explicitly identifies its target audience.

• For more details of the Editorial Board including it's draft terms of reference, see: http://www.dpconline.org/about/working-groups-and-task-forces/736-technology-watch-editorial-board
• For more details of the Technology Watch Reports Series see: http://www.dpconline.org/advice/technology-watch-reports

The DPC is seeking comments from members on the Draft Oultine of a proposed technology watch report on the Subject of Digital Forensics for Preservation to be written by Jeremy Leighton John of the British Library.  A key requirement of these reports is that they meet the needs of DPC members so all comments are welcome, preferably by 1200 on Friday 1st July 2011.  Updated and finalised outines of our reports on Preserving Email by Chris Prom at the University of Illinois and Preserving Digital Sound and Vision by Richard Wright of the BBC have now been uploaded after earlier consultations

Registration has just opened for the DPC Members' Briefing day on Preserving Email: Directions and Perspectives in London on 29th July.

Email is arguably the most ubiquitous, inexorable and voluminous manifestation of information technology. It is a defining characteristic of our age and a critical element in all manner of communications and transactions. Industry and commerce depend upon email; families and friendships are sustained by email; government and economies rely upon email; communities are created and strengthened by email.  It is sometimes hard to remember how we functioned before the widespread adoption of email in public and private life. But for all the importance of email and the transactions it supports, it is surprisingly absent from much of the digital preservation literature.  Institutions, organizations and individuals have a considerable investment and in many cases statutory requirements to safeguard large collections of email, so there ought to be a strong body of experience and clear workflows to follow.  So why is there so little detailed advice available? 

As part of its Professional Development Training Series PrestoCentre will be organising a course in "Long-Term Audiovisual Digital Preservation: Strategy, Planning & Tools". To be held in Paris and Bry-sur-Marne, France from 12-16 September 2011. Participants on the course include large audiovisual archives, service providers and technology providers.

Vilnius University Library is carrying out a survey of training opportunities in digital curation and long-term preservation within Europe and internationally as part of the DigCurV (Digital Curator Vocational Education Europe) project. Vilnius University Library would like to find out about the training opportunities available for digital curators in libraries, archives, museums and cultural heritage sector and would appreciate your help. By completing an online questionnaire:

Members' Registration has just opened for the DPC Members' Briefing day on Preserving Email: Directions and Perspectives in London on 29th July.

The Digital Preservation Coalition is delighted to announce that Angela Dappert and Sharon McMeekin will be joining the DPC as Special Project Officers.

‘People are often surprised to discover that the DPC achieves so much with such a small staff complement,’ explained Richard Ovenden, Chair of the DPC.  ‘Appointing two new staff means a 100% increase in staff and a radical expansion in the benefits we can deliver to members. It’s a really exciting development for the Coalition.’

Members' Registration has just opened for the DPC Members' Briefing day on Digital Forensics for Preservation in Oxford on 28th June.

The DPC is seeking comments from members on the Draft Oultine of a proposed technology watch report on the Subject of Preserving Deigital Sound and Vision to be written by Richard Wright of the BBC.  A key requirement of these reports is that they meet the needs of DPC members so all comments are welcome, preferably by 1200 on Thursday 2nd June 2011.  The outline draft of the report on preserving email is also still available online and we thank members who have already commented on it.