CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
ED FAYEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPEN PRESERVATION FOUNDATION
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF
MANAGING DIGITAL ‘STUFF’
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Everything is impermanent.
Source: The Buddha
“
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Everything is impermanent.
Attachment causes suffering.
Source: The Buddha
“
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Everything is impermanent.
Attachment causes suffering.
Source: The Buddha
Change is also the cause of
suffering in the digital world!
“
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Digital preservation efforts don't
get the attention they should
because of perceived high total
cost of ownership (TCO) and a
lack of monetary return on
investment (ROI)
“
Source: University of Minnesota, Hype Cycle for Education (https://hypecycle.umn.edu/)
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Ok, digital preservation…
Preserve all the things!
The trough of complexity
Let’s do this!
Humans can preserve after all
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
National newspaper collection
1762 Thomason collectionCivil war and other 17C newsbooks and papers
1818 Burney collectionBound volumes covering 1603-1817
1822 Stamp OfficeCollected for tax purposes and transferred
1869 Legal deposit legislationDirect deposit to the British Museum
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
A person who publishes in the
United Kingdom a work to which
this Act applies must at his own
expense deliver a copy of it to …
any deposit library entitled to
delivery.
“
Source: UK Legal Deposit Legislation 2003 (updated in 2013 to include born-digital)
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Why preserve
Legal obligation
Regulatory requirement
Funder mandate
Risk management
Opportunity
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Digital collection types (from a survey of 139 institutions worldwide)
Source: http://openpreservation.org/knowledge/surveys
What to preserve
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Threat Digital Risk Physical
Disasters Operator error
Natural disaster
Similar
Attack External attack
Internal attack
Similar
Management Economic failure
Organisational failure
Similar
Digital vs physical threats
Based on Rosenthal et al. (http://www.dlib.org/dlib/november05/rosenthal/11rosenthal.html)
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Threat Digital Risk Physical
Process Software failure
Software obsolescence
Self-rendering
Data Media failure
Media obsolescence
Acid paper
Cave painting
Infrastructure Hardware failure
Hardware obsolescence
Furniture
Buildings
Communication error
Network failure
Not network
reliant
Digital vs physical threats
Based on Rosenthal et al. (http://www.dlib.org/dlib/november05/rosenthal/11rosenthal.html)
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Carrier Lifetime (years)
Stone tablet 10,000
Paper 1,000
Film 100
Disk 10
Source: Richard Wright (http://dx.doi.org/10.7207/twr12-01)
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Carrier Lifetime (years)
Stone tablet 10,000
Paper 1,000
Film 100
Disk 10
Source: Richard Wright (http://dx.doi.org/10.7207/twr12-01)
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
File systemStructures data for retrieval
Provides data as files
Hardware
interaction
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
NetworkDistributed environment or data
SoftwareProvides interactions with files
Off-the-shelf or bespoke
File formatsEncode data in meaningful ways
Proprietary or open standards
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Suffering can be overcome.
Source: The Buddha
“
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Suffering can be overcome.
There is a path to nirvana.
Source: The Buddha
“
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Digital preservation is best
understood as the active
management of digital
information to ensure its
continued accessibility over
time.
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Physical preservation
Is keeping the bits safe
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Physical preservation
Is keeping the bits safe
ReplicationMultiple copies
Multiple storage media
Multiple locations
FixityEnsure identity over time: authenticity (using ‘checksums’)
Prevent natural, accidental, or malicious alteration
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Logical preservation
Is understanding dependencies
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Logical preservation
Is understanding dependencies
Dependencies are social because
environments are social.
Creators and depositors.
Archive and repository.
User community.
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Logical preservation
Is understanding dependencies
Characterise collectionsIdentify formats
Identify features
Characterise environmentsTechnical environments
Social environments
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Logical preservation
Is understanding dependencies
Metadata is a love note
to the future
Source: Jason Scott (@textfiles)
“
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Digital preservation
Is mitigating risk
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Digital preservation
Is mitigating risk
PolicyCollection/deposit guidelines
Preservation intent
PlanningPreservation approaches
Process and skills development
Technology watchMonitoring the environment and your collections
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Digital preservation
Is mitigating risk
Open standards and softwareConformance to standards and control of features
Transparent processing and quality assurance
InterventionMigration of file formats
Emulation of legacy environments
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Digital repository
Digital Object
Repository
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Digital repository++ preservation
Component Management
Technology Watch
Execution Platform
Digital Object
Repository
Preservation Planning
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Community
Digital repository++ preservation
Component Management
Technology Watch
Execution Platform
Digital Object
Repository
Preservation Planning
Institution
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
DPN (US)
JISC (UK)
…
National EU International
Technical
Business
Political DCC/DPC (UK)
NCDD (NL)
NESTOR (DE)
NDIPP (US)
NSLA (AU/NZ)
…
EC
OPF/IMPACT/PRESTO/…
APA/DLM/RDA/…
UNESCO
Based on H. Balk (Centres of Competence and Virtual Centres of Excellence)
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfaySource: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/telearn-digicult/digicult-projects_en.html
2006-10 (FP6)€19m (€80m)
2011-14 (FP7)€68m (€120m)
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Memory
Institutions
Research and
Development
Service Providers(repository systems)
Visibility/Adoption
Sustainability
Requirements
Testing
Software
Theory
Sustainable software
Market opportunity
New communities
(tool adoption/testing)
Sustainable software
Knowledge exchange
Development efficiency
Agile/risk tolerance
Experience
Requirements
Testing
Data
Global benefits
- sustainability
- data broker
- multiple communities
- TRUST/CONFIDENCE
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfaySource: Mariana Mazzucato
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
CARDIFF, JASNA, MICHIGAN | APRIL 2015@digitalfay
Final thoughts
The system is not the solution.
(People are!)
Continuous improvement is
better than over-engineering.
Diversify by collaboration*
(* Shaun Hendy at iPres 2014)
!
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