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To report on initial work carried out on a Metadata Options Appraisal undertaken for the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in the context of plans to create and manage complex digital objects called Interpretive Journeys, PDA‐based multimedia guides to Park tours. Design/methodology/approach – After some initial work, a phased approach was adopted. In Phase I (reported here), metadata schema for managing structurally complex digital objects were researched to provide a range of appropriate options. Their characteristics were then matched against the Park's general requirements as determined through discussions with staff and an examination of relevant documentation. Findings – It was determined that the METS metadata schema met Park requirements for managing Interpretive Journeys at a general level and could be used both, to inform the development of the planned Digital Asset Management System (an early priority), and to act as the main basis of a framework for determining a detailed metadata solution for the Park. Research limitations/implications – Further work is required in Phase II to determine the detailed metadata requirement for the Park. Practical implications – A useful guide to dealing with a range of management and metadata issues associated with managing complex digital objects, and to managing projects where guidance on metadata requirements is needed before the objects to be described are available. Originality/value – This paper offers an introduction to the management and metadata issues raised by Interpretive Journeys and digital composites of similar complexity, and an indication of how METS addresses these at a general level.

The aim of this paper is to rethink the concept of significant properties in relationship to video game emulation.

In this paper, video games are examined as complex digital objects, that is digital objects that are constituted by multiple layers that are interconnected with other objects. Starting from the assumption that metadata are fundamental to individuate the authenticity and accuracy of a complex digital object, the research is based on the analysis of the most recent frameworks that propose a substantial use of metadata to perform gaming emulation.

Technical metadata are being used within emulation frameworks to describe digital environments and objects. Although metadata cannot be considered a definitive solution for preserving significant properties of video games, they should be used in a more extensive way across frameworks.

This paper tries to provide insights on video game properties that can help to refine the debate on emulation.

This paper aims to inform library professionals on technical issues relating to implementing and using DigiTool, proprietary software by Ex Libris, to develop an institutional repository (IR).

This paper describes Colorado State University Libraries' experience to date in developing an IR using DigiTool. Topics discussed are based on the processes and workflows, and include local customization; metadata and object ingest; implementation of handles; incorporation with web discovery; and management of statistical data.

The DigiTool, a powerful, complex, and relatively mature out‐of‐box IR platform that fulfils one's needs to establish and maintain an IR, is considered.

The experiential information and technical details on implementing and using DigiTool will be valuable to institutions that are interested in adopting this product for a similar purpose.

This paper sets out to investigate the meaning, role and implications of contextual information associated with digital collections.

This paper is based on an extensive review and analysis of both the scholarly literature from many disciplines about the concept of context and the professional literature (including standards) related to the description of information artifacts. The paper provides an analysis of context, distinguishing three main ways in which that term has been used within the scholarly literature. It then discusses contextual information within digital collections, and presents a framework for contextual information. It goes on to discuss existing standards and guidance documents for encoding information related to the nine classes of contextual entities, concluding with a discussion of potential implications for descriptive practices through the lifecycle of digital objects.

The paper presents a framework for contextual information that is based on nine classes of contextual entities: object, agent, occurrence, purpose, time, place, form of expression, concept/abstraction, and relationship.

Research and development about and in support of digital collections will benefit from a clear articulation of the types, roles, importance and elements of contextual information.

Future users of digital objects will probably have numerous tools for discovering preserved digital objects relevant to their interests, but making meaningful use and sense of the digital objects will also require capture, collection and management of contextual information.

This paper synthesizes and extends a previously diffuse literature, in order to clarify and articulate core concepts in the management of digital collections.

The aim of this paper is to assist both the National Library of Australia and other institutions to think about digital objects in ways that will help to identify which preservation actions are most appropriate for a particular circumstance. It seeks to examine the basic nature of digital objects and how users interact with those objects.

This article brings together and clarifies a number of key digital preservation theories. It proposes the concept of preservation intent: a clear articulation of a commitment to preserve an object, the specific elements of the object the should be preserved, and a clear time line for the duration of preservation. It investigates these concepts through simple and practical examples.

The paper presents what the authors believe are some of the essential ideas and thinking about digital preservation.

The paper will prove useful in clarifying some of the terminology and concepts to those who are in or are yet to be initiated into the “order”.

The paper brings together and clarifies some of the core ideas and theories in digital preservation, in order to better facilitate the minimisation of change in the digital objects stored by the National Library of Australia.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the concepts of digital rights management (DRM) of archives of historical newspapers and the design of a DRM framework to render the content of historical news under the rights of authority.

The paper takes the form of a literature review and system analysis.

The rights management of digital objects involves various levels of application techniques and standards which are more complex than physical ones. This study combines the advantages of both tethered and untethered models to manage the digital rights of historical newspapers. It not only simplifies the management system, but also guarantees the rights when users use different platforms to present these digital objects.

This study designs a simplified DRM framework to protect the rights of digitized contents and to practise the rights scope of online grant for a historical newspaper.

This paper aims to investigate the requirements for automating aspects of the appraisal process for digital objects. It explores these requirements in the context of automating re‐appraisal and questions many of the assumptions commonly made about appraisal and about automating the processes needed for life‐cycle management of digital objects.

The literature of digital preservation and curation and the experience of one of the authors in planning to implement a digital archive at the Wellcome Library are the basis of an exploration of issues.

The development of automated appraisal systems and associated tools is a worthwhile endeavour, although the complexity and cost associated with designing, developing and implementing them may be prohibitive in some situations. An automated appraisal system may, however, have only limited benefits in some contexts. The re‐appraisal of technical attributes of digital materials, which is an essential part of their management, is a prime contender for some level of automation. The approach proposed has limitations which arise from such factors as metadata requirements and trustworthiness.

The paper articulates assumptions made about automation and applies these in order to gain a better understanding of the requirements of automating aspects of appraisal in a digital archive.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the preservation practices of new media artists, in particular those working outside of the scope of major collecting institutions, examining how these artists preserve new media artworks in their custody.

The paper builds case studies of seven new media artists of differing practices and artistic approaches. For each case study, semi-structured interviews with the artists were conducted in conjunction with visits to the artists’ studios.

The study finds that new media artists face a number of shared preservation challenges and employ a range of preservation strategies, and that these challenges and strategies differ markedly from that of art museums and cultural heritage institutions.

This study considers preservation practices for new media artists generally. Further research into specific communities of artistic practice could profitably build upon this overall framework.

The findings of this research pose a number of implications for art museums and cultural heritage institutions, suggesting new ways these institutions might consider supporting the preservation of new media artworks before works enter into institutional custody.

The literature on new media art preservation emphasizes the importance of working with artists early in the life cycle of digital artworks. This study advances this by investigating preservation from the perspective of new media artists, deepening the understanding of challenges and potential preservation strategies for these artworks prior to entering or outside of institutional custody.

This paper intends to describe activities of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (DNB, the German National Library) in digital preservation. Special attention is to be given to the long‐term preservation project kopal, but prior developments, strategic implications and future scenarios will be addressed as well.

The paper is a narrative of the findings, that also describes the technical specification of kopal.

The current status of kopal development is presented, added by some remarks on potentials for further activities with regard to a digital preservation infrastructure.

Kopal has been presented in other publications. This paper describes the “strategic” value and impact of the solution, added by insights for future development.