5.1 Digital preservation frameworks
11 min read•august 19, 2024
frameworks provide essential guidance for implementing effective preservation programs in cultural heritage institutions. These frameworks help organizations assess their practices, identify gaps, and develop improvement plans to ensure long-term access to digital materials.
Key frameworks include the reference model, data dictionary, audit checklist, and levels of digital preservation. Each offers unique tools and approaches for managing digital content, from standards to assessment criteria, supporting institutions in their preservation efforts.
Digital preservation fundamentals
- Digital preservation is the active management of digital content over time to ensure ongoing access and usability
- Encompasses a wide range of activities, including selection, appraisal, metadata creation, storage, and maintenance
- Fundamental to the long-term accessibility and integrity of digital cultural heritage materials
Defining digital preservation
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- Process of maintaining digital objects in a usable state for as long as necessary, despite changes in technology and user needs
- Involves a combination of policies, strategies, and actions to ensure the authenticity, reliability, and accessibility of digital content over time
- Requires ongoing commitment and resources from cultural heritage institutions and other stakeholders
Digital vs physical preservation
- Digital preservation differs from physical preservation in several key ways, including the need for active management, technological dependencies, and the risk of
- Physical preservation focuses on maintaining the physical integrity of tangible objects (paper documents, photographs), while digital preservation addresses the challenges of maintaining access to intangible digital objects
- Digital preservation requires a proactive approach and ongoing investment, as opposed to the more passive approach often taken with physical preservation
Importance of digital preservation
- Ensures long-term access to digital cultural heritage materials for future generations
- Protects against the loss of valuable digital content due to technological obsolescence, hardware failure, or other risks
- Enables the continued use and reuse of digital resources for research, education, and cultural enrichment
- Supports the mission of cultural heritage institutions to collect, preserve, and provide access to the historical record
Key principles of digital preservation
- Authenticity: Ensuring that digital objects are what they purport to be and have not been altered in an unauthorized way
- Reliability: Maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of digital objects over time
- Sustainability: Developing long-term strategies for the ongoing management and maintenance of digital content
- Accessibility: Providing appropriate access to digital objects for authorized users, while protecting sensitive or restricted content
Digital preservation frameworks
- Frameworks provide guidance and best practices for implementing digital preservation programs
- Help organizations assess their current practices, identify gaps, and develop improvement plans
- Promote consistency and interoperability across different institutions and domains
OAIS reference model
- Open Archival Information System (OAIS) is a conceptual framework for understanding the key functions and responsibilities of a digital preservation system
- Defines six functional entities: Ingest, Archival Storage, Data Management, Administration, Preservation Planning, and Access
- Provides a common vocabulary and set of concepts for discussing digital preservation activities and systems
- Widely adopted as a foundation for digital preservation programs and tools
PREMIS data dictionary
- PREservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies (PREMIS) is a standard for representing and managing preservation metadata
- Defines a set of core metadata elements for describing digital objects, events, agents, and rights
- Supports the documentation and exchange of preservation metadata across different systems and institutions
- Enables the automated management and tracking of digital preservation activities
TRAC audit checklist
- Trustworthy Repositories Audit and Certification (TRAC) is a framework for assessing the trustworthiness of digital repositories
- Provides a set of criteria and benchmarks for evaluating the organizational, technological, and procedural aspects of a repository
- Helps repositories demonstrate their commitment to long-term preservation and access
- Can be used as a tool for self-assessment, peer review, or formal certification
NDSA levels of digital preservation
- (NDSA) Levels of Digital Preservation is a tiered set of recommendations for improving digital preservation practices
- Defines four levels of preservation, from basic to advanced, across five functional areas: storage, file fixity, information security, metadata, and file formats
- Provides a roadmap for organizations to assess and improve their digital preservation capabilities over time
- Encourages a pragmatic, incremental approach to digital preservation based on available resources and priorities
Implementing digital preservation
- Successful implementation of digital preservation requires a holistic approach that addresses organizational, technical, and procedural aspects
- Involves a range of stakeholders, including administrators, archivists, librarians, IT staff, and users
- Requires ongoing planning, monitoring, and adaptation to changing needs and technologies
Organizational roles and responsibilities
- Defining clear roles and responsibilities for digital preservation activities across different departments and staff positions
- Establishing a governance structure and decision-making process for digital preservation priorities and investments
- Providing training and professional development opportunities for staff to acquire necessary skills and knowledge
- Fostering a culture of collaboration and communication around digital preservation goals and challenges
Policies and procedures
- Developing and documenting policies and procedures for digital preservation activities, such as selection, appraisal, ingest, storage, and access
- Ensuring that policies and procedures are aligned with organizational mission, legal requirements, and professional standards
- Regularly reviewing and updating policies and procedures to reflect changes in technology, user needs, and best practices
- Communicating policies and procedures to staff, users, and other stakeholders to ensure consistent application and understanding
Metadata standards for preservation
- Adopting and implementing appropriate metadata standards for describing, managing, and preserving digital objects
- Using descriptive metadata () to support discovery and access, administrative metadata to manage internal processes, and structural metadata to document relationships between objects
- Capturing and maintaining preservation metadata (PREMIS) to document the provenance, authenticity, and preservation actions associated with digital objects
- Ensuring that metadata is created, stored, and maintained in a consistent, interoperable, and sustainable manner
Preservation file formats
- Selecting and using file formats that are well-documented, widely supported, and suitable for long-term preservation
- Considering factors such as openness, stability, and adoption when choosing preservation file formats
- Using non-proprietary, uncompressed formats (, WAV) for master copies and converted versions (, MP3) for access copies
- Monitoring and migrating file formats as needed to ensure ongoing accessibility and usability of digital content
Digital preservation infrastructure
- Infrastructure encompasses the technical components and systems needed to support digital preservation activities
- Includes hardware, software, networks, and storage media, as well as the policies, procedures, and staff that manage them
- Requires ongoing maintenance, upgrades, and investments to ensure reliability, security, and scalability
Preservation repositories
- Dedicated systems for storing, managing, and providing access to digital objects over the long term
- Can be in-house or hosted by third-party providers, using open-source (Archivematica, DSpace) or commercial (Preservica, Rosetta) software
- Should adhere to standards and best practices for digital preservation, such as the OAIS reference model and TRAC criteria
- May include features such as ingest workflows, metadata management, versioning, and access controls
Storage and backup strategies
- Implementing a multi-tiered storage architecture that balances accessibility, cost, and long-term preservation needs
- Using a combination of online (disk), nearline (tape), and offline (optical media) storage for different stages of the
- Ensuring geographic redundancy and diversity of storage locations to protect against localized disasters or failures
- Regularly testing and verifying the integrity of stored data through fixity checks and other monitoring tools
Fixity checking and data integrity
- Process of verifying that a digital object has not been altered or corrupted over time, using cryptographic checksums or hash values
- Comparing the current checksum of an object to a previously recorded value to detect any changes or errors
- Performing fixity checks at regular intervals (ingest, migration) and storing the results as preservation metadata
- Using write-once, read-many (WORM) media or other tamper-evident technologies to ensure the authenticity and integrity of stored data
Preservation tools and software
- Using specialized software tools and systems to automate and streamline digital preservation workflows and processes
- Examples include tools for file format identification and validation (, ), metadata extraction and creation (, ), and fixity checking and repair (, )
- Integrating preservation tools into repository systems or using them as standalone utilities, depending on organizational needs and resources
- Keeping up with new developments and updates in preservation software and tools through professional networks and training opportunities
Preservation planning and strategies
- Proactive approach to identifying and addressing the long-term preservation needs of digital collections
- Involves assessing risks, defining priorities, and implementing appropriate strategies and actions
- Requires ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation to changing circumstances and technologies
Preservation needs assessment
- Systematic process of identifying and evaluating the preservation requirements of a digital collection or repository
- Considers factors such as file formats, metadata, storage, access, and legal and organizational constraints
- Uses tools such as the (DPCMM) or the (DPNAT) to guide the assessment process
- Results in a prioritized list of preservation needs and recommendations for action
Selection and appraisal criteria
- Defining and applying criteria for determining which digital objects should be preserved, based on their value, significance, and feasibility
- Considering factors such as uniqueness, authenticity, reliability, usability, and cost when selecting digital objects for preservation
- Using tools such as the Digital Content Review Tool (DigCRT) or the Digital Preservation Decision Tree to support selection and appraisal decisions
- Documenting selection and appraisal decisions as part of the preservation metadata for each object
Preservation action plans
- Developing and implementing specific plans for preserving digital objects over time, based on the results of the needs assessment and selection process
- Identifying and prioritizing the actions needed to maintain the accessibility, usability, and authenticity of digital objects, such as migration, , or replication
- Assigning roles and responsibilities for carrying out preservation actions, and allocating necessary resources and timelines
- Monitoring and updating preservation action plans as needed to reflect changes in technology, organizational priorities, or user needs
Migration vs emulation strategies
- Two common approaches to preserving the functionality and usability of digital objects over time
- Migration involves converting digital objects from obsolete or at-risk formats to newer, more stable formats that can be accessed using current technologies
- Emulation involves recreating the original hardware and software environment needed to access and use digital objects, using specialized software or virtual machines
- Choice between migration and emulation depends on factors such as the complexity of the digital objects, the availability of suitable target formats or emulation tools, and the intended use and access scenarios
- May involve a combination of both approaches, such as migrating the underlying data while emulating the original user interface or functionality
Challenges in digital preservation
- Range of technical, organizational, legal, and financial barriers that can hinder the effective preservation of digital content over time
- Require ongoing attention, collaboration, and innovation to address and overcome
Technological obsolescence
- Rapid pace of technological change and the resulting obsolescence of hardware, software, and file formats
- Difficulty in maintaining access to digital objects that depend on specific technologies or environments that are no longer supported or available
- Need for ongoing monitoring, migration, and emulation strategies to ensure the continued usability and functionality of digital objects
- Challenges in preserving complex digital objects (websites, databases) that involve multiple interdependent components and technologies
Intellectual property rights
- Legal and ethical issues surrounding the ownership, use, and preservation of digital content, particularly for orphan works or materials with unclear or conflicting rights statuses
- Difficulty in obtaining permissions or licenses for preserving and providing access to copyrighted digital materials
- Need for clear policies and procedures for managing intellectual property rights in the context of digital preservation, and for educating stakeholders about their rights and responsibilities
- Potential for copyright law to hinder digital preservation activities, such as the creation of preservation copies or the use of emulation or migration strategies
Funding and sustainability
- High costs associated with implementing and maintaining digital preservation infrastructure, staffing, and expertise over the long term
- Difficulty in securing adequate and reliable funding for digital preservation activities, particularly in an era of budget constraints and competing priorities
- Need for sustainable business models and cost-recovery strategies that can support the ongoing costs of digital preservation without compromising access or integrity
- Importance of collaboration and partnerships in pooling resources and expertise to support digital preservation initiatives
Organizational commitment and expertise
- Lack of awareness, understanding, or prioritization of digital preservation among senior administrators, funders, and other stakeholders
- Difficulty in recruiting, training, and retaining staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out digital preservation activities effectively
- Need for ongoing professional development and knowledge-sharing opportunities to keep up with evolving best practices and technologies
- Challenges in fostering a culture of stewardship and collaboration around digital preservation goals and responsibilities across different departments and levels of the organization
Evaluating digital preservation programs
- Ongoing assessment and improvement of digital preservation policies, practices, and infrastructure
- Use of benchmarks, standards, and best practices to measure progress and identify areas for improvement
- Engagement with the wider digital preservation community to share knowledge, collaborate on solutions, and advance the field
Auditing and certification
- Formal process of evaluating a digital preservation program or repository against established criteria or standards, such as or
- Involves a self-assessment followed by an external review by qualified auditors or peers
- Results in a certification or seal of approval that demonstrates the trustworthiness and sustainability of the digital preservation program
- Provides a framework for continuous improvement and accountability, and helps to build trust and credibility with stakeholders and users
Monitoring and reporting
- Regular monitoring and reporting on the status and performance of digital preservation activities, using quantitative and qualitative metrics and indicators
- Tracking key measures such as data integrity, storage utilization, access and use statistics, and preservation actions and outcomes
- Using tools such as preservation watch services () or repository analytics () to automate and streamline monitoring and reporting processes
- Communicating the results of monitoring and reporting to stakeholders and decision-makers, and using them to inform planning and resource allocation
Continuous improvement and adaptation
- Ongoing process of reviewing and updating digital preservation policies, procedures, and technologies based on changing needs, priorities, and best practices
- Using feedback from audits, monitoring, and user assessments to identify areas for improvement and innovation
- Engaging in pilot projects, research, and development activities to test and evaluate new approaches and tools for digital preservation
- Participating in professional development and training opportunities to stay current with evolving standards and practices in the field
Collaboration and community engagement
- Actively participating in and contributing to the wider digital preservation community through conferences, workshops, and online forums
- Collaborating with other institutions and organizations on shared challenges and solutions, such as developing common tools, standards, or best practices
- Engaging with users and stakeholders to understand their needs and perspectives on digital preservation, and to build support and advocacy for preservation initiatives
- Sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources with the community through publications, presentations, and open-source software or data contributions
Key Terms to Review (33)
Ace: In the context of digital preservation frameworks, 'ace' refers to an assessment and certification process that evaluates the effectiveness and reliability of preservation activities and technologies. This concept is integral for ensuring that digital assets remain accessible and usable over time, providing a systematic approach to identifying strengths and weaknesses in preservation efforts.
Bagger: A bagger is a tool or software application designed to facilitate the process of digital preservation by aggregating and packaging digital content for long-term storage and accessibility. This term often relates to the systematic approach used in managing digital collections, ensuring that all necessary metadata, files, and contextual information are included in the preservation process.
Bit rot: Bit rot refers to the gradual degradation of digital information due to a variety of factors, leading to data loss or corruption over time. This phenomenon occurs as bits of data become less readable due to hardware failures, software changes, or the obsolescence of file formats. To effectively manage and prevent bit rot, strategies such as digital preservation frameworks and data migration techniques are essential for ensuring long-term access and usability of digital assets.
Bitstream preservation: Bitstream preservation refers to the practice of maintaining the exact digital representation of a file or data object in its original form, ensuring that no alterations occur during storage or transfer. This method is crucial for safeguarding digital assets over time, allowing for future access and use without risking loss of information or quality. By focusing on retaining the integrity of the original bitstream, institutions can protect their digital collections from obsolescence and degradation.
CoreTrustSeal: CoreTrustSeal is a certification framework that provides guidelines for trustworthy data repositories, ensuring they meet international standards for data preservation and access. This certification helps organizations demonstrate their commitment to good practices in managing and preserving digital content, thus enhancing the reliability of their repositories within digital preservation frameworks.
Digital archivist: A digital archivist is a professional responsible for the management, preservation, and accessibility of digital assets and records within an organization. This role involves curating and maintaining digital collections, ensuring that valuable information is preserved over time while also making it accessible for future use. Digital archivists utilize various digital preservation frameworks to safeguard these assets against technological obsolescence and data degradation.
Digital object lifecycle: The digital object lifecycle refers to the series of stages that a digital object undergoes from its creation through to its preservation and eventual disposal or obsolescence. This lifecycle encompasses key phases such as creation, storage, access, preservation, and transformation, highlighting the ongoing processes necessary to maintain the usability and integrity of digital objects over time.
Digital preservation: Digital preservation refers to the processes and strategies used to ensure the long-term access and usability of digital materials over time. It involves maintaining, storing, and protecting digital content from obsolescence and deterioration, ensuring that it remains accessible for future generations.
Digital preservation capability maturity model: The digital preservation capability maturity model is a framework that helps organizations assess and improve their digital preservation practices. It provides a structured approach to evaluate current capabilities, identify gaps, and develop strategies for enhancement over time. This model is essential for ensuring that digital assets are maintained in a way that guarantees their accessibility and usability for future generations.
Digital preservation needs assessment template: A digital preservation needs assessment template is a structured tool designed to evaluate an organization's capabilities and requirements for preserving digital materials over time. It serves as a guideline to identify gaps in current practices, resources, and policies that are essential for effective digital preservation. This template helps organizations create strategic plans and frameworks for managing digital assets, ensuring their long-term accessibility and integrity.
Dpc digital preservation framework: The DPC Digital Preservation Framework is a structured approach designed to guide organizations in developing and implementing effective digital preservation strategies. It provides a comprehensive set of principles, policies, and best practices that assist institutions in ensuring the long-term accessibility and usability of digital materials amidst evolving technology and formats.
Droid: A droid is a type of robotic entity commonly depicted in science fiction, particularly in the Star Wars universe, designed to assist or perform various tasks, often exhibiting programmed intelligence and autonomy. These machines serve diverse functions, ranging from protocol and astromech roles to combat and medical assistance, illustrating the evolving relationship between technology and society.
Dublin Core: Dublin Core is a set of vocabulary terms used to describe web resources, such as documents, images, and videos, in a simple and standardized way. It plays a crucial role in facilitating resource discovery and interoperability across various digital platforms, making it essential for managing digital assets, content management, and metadata schemas.
Emulation: Emulation is the process of replicating the behavior of one system on a different system, allowing software and applications to run as if they were on their original platform. This technique is essential in digital preservation as it helps maintain access to digital content despite technological changes, ensuring that historical data remains usable and relevant over time.
Exiftool: ExifTool is a powerful software application for reading, writing, and manipulating metadata in various file formats, primarily image files. It supports a wide range of metadata standards and allows users to extract, edit, and manage metadata embedded in digital assets, making it an essential tool for digital preservation efforts.
Fits: In the context of digital preservation frameworks, 'fits' refers to the compatibility and alignment of digital objects with specific preservation standards and practices. This concept emphasizes the importance of ensuring that digital assets not only meet technical specifications but also adhere to best practices for long-term accessibility, sustainability, and usability.
Format migration: Format migration is the process of transferring digital content from one file format to another to ensure continued access and usability over time. This practice is essential in the realm of digital preservation, as it addresses the risks posed by obsolete or unsupported formats. By migrating formats, institutions can safeguard against data loss while also maintaining the integrity and functionality of digital assets.
ISO 14721: ISO 14721, also known as the OAIS (Open Archival Information System) Reference Model, is an international standard that provides a framework for the long-term preservation of digital information. This standard outlines the necessary functions and responsibilities for preserving and accessing digital content over time, ensuring that it remains understandable and usable, even as technology evolves. It connects with various aspects of digital preservation, such as the creation of preservation strategies, the selection of appropriate file formats, data migration processes, and the implementation of quality control measures.
ISO 16363: ISO 16363 is an international standard that provides a framework for the certification of trustworthy digital repositories. This standard ensures that digital repositories are capable of preserving digital information in a way that is reliable, authentic, and accessible over time, addressing critical aspects of digital preservation frameworks. It outlines the criteria and requirements that these repositories must meet to be recognized as trustworthy and serves as a guideline for institutions aiming to manage their digital collections effectively.
Jhove: Jhove is a tool designed to evaluate and characterize digital objects in the context of digital preservation. It plays a critical role in ensuring that digital content remains accessible and usable over time by analyzing file formats and providing metadata about them. Jhove helps organizations understand the nature of their digital assets, assess their preservation needs, and make informed decisions about long-term storage strategies.
LOCKSS: LOCKSS, which stands for 'Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe,' is a digital preservation system designed to help libraries and institutions preserve access to electronic journals and other digital content. The primary concept behind LOCKSS is that by maintaining multiple copies of digital materials across various locations, the risk of data loss due to technological failure, obsolescence, or other threats can be significantly reduced. This decentralized approach also emphasizes community involvement and collaboration among libraries.
Metadata: Metadata is structured information that describes, explains, or otherwise gives context to data, making it easier to find, use, and manage digital resources. It serves as a crucial component in organizing and retrieving information across various systems and frameworks, ensuring that users can access the right data efficiently.
National Digital Stewardship Alliance: The National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) is a coalition of organizations dedicated to the preservation of digital information. It aims to foster collaboration among members to improve the state of digital stewardship through best practices, standards, and resources. The NDSA plays a vital role in developing frameworks that help institutions manage and preserve their digital assets effectively.
NDSA: The National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) is a collaborative organization that aims to advance the preservation of digital content in the United States. It brings together various stakeholders, including libraries, archives, and museums, to establish best practices and frameworks for digital stewardship. NDSA provides a platform for sharing knowledge, tools, and resources that support long-term digital preservation efforts.
OAIS: OAIS stands for Open Archival Information System, which is a framework that provides a comprehensive model for the long-term preservation of digital information. It emphasizes the importance of managing and preserving data in a way that ensures future access and usability. OAIS outlines the roles and responsibilities of various actors in the digital preservation process, including producers, consumers, and the archive itself.
Obsolescence: Obsolescence refers to the process by which a product, technology, or method becomes outdated or no longer useful due to advancements in technology, changes in consumer preferences, or the introduction of newer alternatives. This concept is crucial in understanding the challenges faced in preserving digital content, especially as formats, software, and hardware continue to evolve rapidly.
Pdf/a: PDF/A is an ISO-standardized version of the Portable Document Format (PDF) designed for the long-term preservation of electronic documents. It ensures that documents can be reproduced exactly the same way regardless of the software used to create or view them, by embedding all necessary information, including fonts and images, within the file itself. This feature makes PDF/A an essential component of digital preservation frameworks.
Premis: Premis, or the PREMIS (Preservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies), is a standard for preserving metadata that supports digital preservation activities. It focuses on maintaining the integrity, authenticity, and usability of digital objects over time, ensuring that crucial information about the objects is accessible and understandable in the future. This standard is vital for managing the lifecycle of digital assets and enhances the effectiveness of preservation strategies.
Preservation librarian: A preservation librarian is a professional responsible for the care and protection of library materials, ensuring their longevity and accessibility for future generations. This role involves developing and implementing strategies for the preservation of both physical and digital collections, which is essential within the framework of digital preservation practices.
Rmap: RMap is a framework designed for the management and preservation of digital resources by providing a means to create and maintain relationships among those resources. It focuses on mapping digital objects to their provenance, ensuring that all relevant metadata is captured and preserved, which is crucial for long-term accessibility and usability.
Scout: In the context of digital preservation frameworks, a scout refers to a tool or method used to identify, assess, and prioritize digital assets for preservation. This process involves evaluating the significance, condition, and potential risks associated with digital materials to ensure that valuable resources are preserved for future access and use.
TIFF: TIFF, or Tagged Image File Format, is a versatile file format widely used for storing high-quality raster graphics and images. It supports multiple layers and channels, allowing for extensive image manipulation and preservation of detail, which makes it essential in digital photography and digital preservation. TIFF's ability to handle large file sizes and various color spaces enables it to maintain image integrity over time, making it a preferred choice in cultural heritage applications.
Trac: Trac is a web-based project management and bug-tracking system that is designed to help organize and manage software development projects. It combines issue tracking with wiki functionalities, allowing teams to document their work and track progress efficiently. This tool plays a critical role in the digital preservation frameworks by managing and maintaining digital assets throughout their lifecycle.