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The Library of Congress is engaged in an effort to ensure the health and sustainability of its preservation program.
Abstract
Purpose
The Library of Congress is engaged in an effort to ensure the health and sustainability of its preservation program.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is an expanded version of a presentation Jacob Nadal and Erin Engle gave at the 7th Kuopio Conference. That presentation explained how the preservation management team re-evaluated and re-imagined its work through a series of workshops, cost studies and planning exercises. This led to a new way to respond to immediate operational requirements and adapt to agency focus across strategic planning cycles while still making progress on large-scale preservation needs.
Findings
This work led to new plans for the workforce and fiscal resources needed to maintain a rich array of options for use of the collections over the long term. This paper details the philosophy and strategy behind this approach to address financial and organizational sustainability of a large-scale preservation program.
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This article reviews recent preservationactivity in Britain, considers the place ofpreservation in library management andlooks to its future development. The manyand broad aspects…
Abstract
This article reviews recent preservation activity in Britain, considers the place of preservation in library management and looks to its future development. The many and broad aspects of preservation which impinge on library management are indicated. Much progress has been made in recent years, but there remain those who need persuading to reassess their attitude towards it. If the current preservation impetus is to be maintained and extended, then the question of funding, in particular, must be successfully addressed. Co‐operative programmes and integration of preservation into overall library management and policy will be significant in achieving this.
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Ria Groenewald and Amelia Breytenbach
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the awareness about digital preservation and what must be done towards preserving valuable original digital material. The paper also…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the awareness about digital preservation and what must be done towards preserving valuable original digital material. The paper also aims to discuss the use of metadata principles and the implementation of tools for the preservation of documents stored on personal computers.
Design/methodology/approach
Data loss prevention starts with the creation of a digital object. However, methods to minimize the loss of digital data are often ignored, the use of metadata structures embedded in digital objects from the outset thereof are recommended as a starting point towards good preservation principles. The need to create awareness on the issue of digital preservation was promoted by the authors at various occasions during 2008, as the number of incidents of data loss and costs involved continue to be of concern to all involved. Whether the loss occurs by a malicious attempt, or an inadvertent mistake, it can be diminishing either personally or to the institute/company where it occurs. Data were collected through a digital questionnaire and literature studies were done on several strategies, policies and best practices. Personal visits to libraries actively working on digital preservation and curation formed a basis for conducting the study. The implementation of tools that can be used to preserve and retrieve digital content by individuals was also investigated.
Findings
Digital objects should be archived with metadata about the object and the creation thereof. Metadata need not necessarily be structured and controlled when used by individuals or small groups for preservation of self owned data. The metadata content, however, should describe the object, the method of creation and technologies used in the creation. All changes to the document should be captured in the preservation metadata. Future access to digital content does not only depend on one preservation method but on a sequence of strategies and methods applied to the digital content.
Originality/value
The paper provides a broad overview of certain aspects that must be considered when implementing digital preservation strategies. The value of metadata needs to be widely accepted and implemented and the use thereof promoted to creators of personal digital objects.
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This paper aims to clarify a mechanism for determining the robustness of digital preservation options given that the field has matured and contains a number of alternatives.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to clarify a mechanism for determining the robustness of digital preservation options given that the field has matured and contains a number of alternatives.
Design/methodology/approach
By examining the component activities of digital preservation, the open archival information system (OAIS) reference model and the trustworthy repository certification process, this paper outlines a possible new model for evaluating the caliber of any particular digital preservation mechanism.
Findings
This paper offers a more ordered and prescriptive model for evaluating digital preservation efforts.
Research limitations/implications
As a review of the OAIS reference model is underway, this paper seeks to contribute to that ongoing discussion to address several issues lacking in the current model and its effect on the certification process.
Originality/value
This paper identifies weaknesses in current practices and offers a model for addressing them.
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Paul Eden, John Feather and Graham Matthews
Discusses the results of a questionnaire survey into preservationpolicies and practice in British libraries, focusing on responsibilityfor preservation, preservation policies…
Abstract
Discusses the results of a questionnaire survey into preservation policies and practice in British libraries, focusing on responsibility for preservation, preservation policies, disaster control planning, staff training and user education, co‐operative initiatives, factors inhibiting preservation activity and spending on preservation. Findings indicate that preservation is considered most applicable to special collections and to rare or valuable items, and that funding is a major problem even in libraries with a strong commitment to preservation. Increased activity in areas such as disaster control planning indicate a greater awareness of preservation issues than in the past. Highlights the advantages of written preservation policies and the success of co‐operative initiatives such as Newsplan, suggesting that a national preservation policy would enable libraries to take a more rational approach to problems such as what to preserve and funding allocation, while helping to clarify their national heritage responsibilities.
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The long‐term access to and preservation of research collections in digital form is an issue of increasing concern to research libraries around the world. This article provides an…
Abstract
The long‐term access to and preservation of research collections in digital form is an issue of increasing concern to research libraries around the world. This article provides an overview of selected issues, projects and initiatives in digital preservation in the UK. These include the Joint Information Systems Committee/National Preservation Office research studies, the CEDARS project, the National Electronic Site Licensing Initiative (NESLI), legal deposit of electronic publications, the preservation management of digital materials handbook, and the Arts and Humanities Data Service. It concludes with details of the proposed Digital Preservation Coalition, which aims to develop a UK digital preservation agenda within an international context.
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Ezra Shiloba Gbaje and Zakari Mohammed
The study aims to examine availability, coverage of digital preservation policy and the structures put in place by National Information Centres in Nigeria to preserve digital…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to examine availability, coverage of digital preservation policy and the structures put in place by National Information Centres in Nigeria to preserve digital information.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research methodology using a case study approach was adopted. Documentary sources, a semi‐structured questionnaire for the focus group, and interviews were the instruments used to collect data. While a homogeneous sampling of five staff in the digitisation/digital preservation unit was adopted for the focus group interview, only one top management staff member from the rank of Assistant Director of each of the selected three National Information Centres was interviewed.
Findings
The National Bureau of Statistics and the National Library of Nigeria have digital preservation policies. However, the area of coverage of the available policies is not adequate enough to ensure the long‐term preservation of digital information. Similarly, the study revealed that the lack of institutional support from the National Information Centres studied is one of the challenges in the implementation of the digital preservation policy.
Practical implications
For any National Information Centre to ensure the accessibility and reuse of its digital information, it must have a digital preservation policy, without which the active management of digital information will be very challenging and can result in the loss of vital digital information of significant importance.
Originality/value
There is currently no research work addressing issues on digital preservation policy with a particular focus on Nigeria. This paper therefore highlights shortcomings of the available digital preservation policy and proposes a national digital preservation policy that will chart a road map for effective digital preservation activities in any National Information Centre.
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Reflects on the initiatives being taken by OCLC to educatelibrarians about preservation of library collections. Describes thetechniques whereby libraries can create bibliographic…
Abstract
Reflects on the initiatives being taken by OCLC to educate librarians about preservation of library collections. Describes the techniques whereby libraries can create bibliographic records containing preservation data. Reviews the research being carried out in the field by OCLC. Examines the issues of co‐operation and training.
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Xiaohu Deng, Mengyao Fu, Shasha Deng, Chee-Wee Tan and Zhibin Jiang
Contemporary focus on infections and deaths in the event of pandemics may distract health institutions and medical practitioners from the psychosocial consequences of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Contemporary focus on infections and deaths in the event of pandemics may distract health institutions and medical practitioners from the psychosocial consequences of the outbreak in individuals. In light of the devastation, persistency and scarcity of pandemics, it is imperative to delve into individuals' psychological state and self-preservation instincts when confronted with the environmental danger arising from pandemic conditions and the environmental restrictions being imposed.
Design/methodology/approach
Guided by the self-preservation theory, the authors advance a research model to elucidate the moderated mediation effect of secondary traumatic stress on an individual's reactions when faced with environmental danger and restriction. The authors also consider the moderating influence of environmental restriction and media use diversity. The authors subsequently validated the research model via a survey with 2,016 respondents in China. The authors employed PLS-SEM to analyze the data and assess the hypothesized paths.
Findings
Analytical results revealed that secondary traumatic stress fully mediated the impact of environmental danger on external reliance but suppresses the mediating effects on internal reliance. The authors further confirmed that environmental restriction moderated the relationship between environmental danger and reliance. Furthermore, the authors attest to the moderating influence of media use diversity on the relationship between secondary traumatic stress and external reliance.
Originality/value
This study not only extends the theoretical lens of self-preservation to public health emergencies but also yields practical guidelines for coping with pandemics. Insights from this study can be harnessed to aid populations worldwide in coping and recovering from pandemics.
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Science policy and practice for open access (OA) books is a rapidly evolving area in the scholarly domain. However, there is much that remains unknown, including how many OA books…
Abstract
Purpose
Science policy and practice for open access (OA) books is a rapidly evolving area in the scholarly domain. However, there is much that remains unknown, including how many OA books there are and to what degree they are included in preservation coverage. The purpose of this study is to contribute towards filling this knowledge gap in order to advance both research and practice in the domain of OA books.
Design/methodology/approach
This study utilized open bibliometric data sources to aggregate a harmonized dataset of metadata records for OA books (data sources: the Directory of Open Access Books, OpenAIRE, OpenAlex, Scielo Books, The Lens, and WorldCat). This dataset was then cross-matched based on unique identifiers and book titles to openly available content listings of trusted preservation services (data sources: Cariniana Network, CLOCKSS, Global LOCKSS Network, and Portico). The web domains of the OA books were determined by querying the web addresses or digital object identifiers provided in the metadata of the bibliometric database entries.
Findings
In total, 396,995 unique records were identified from the OA book bibliometric sources, of which 19% were found to be included in at least one of the preservation services. The results suggest reason for concern for the long tail of OA books distributed at thousands of different web domains as these include volatile cloud storage or sometimes no longer contained the files at all.
Research limitations/implications
Data quality issues, varying definitions of OA across services and inconsistent implementation of unique identifiers were discovered as key challenges. The study includes recommendations for publishers, libraries, data providers and preservation services for improving monitoring and practices for OA book preservation.
Originality/value
This study provides methodological and empirical findings for advancing the practices of OA book publishing, preservation and research.
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