Abstract

Digital preservation is an issue of huge importance to the library and information profession right now. With the widescale adoption of the internet and the rise of the world wide web, the world has been overwhelmed by digital information. Digital data is being produced on a massive scale by individuals and institutions: some of it is born, lives and dies only in digital form, and it is the potential death of this data, with its impact on the preservation of culture, that is the concern of this book. So how can information professionals try to remedy this? Digital preservation is a complex issue involving many different aspects and views, and each chapter of this edited collection is written by an international expert on the topic. Many case studies and examples are used to ground the ideas and theories in real concerns and practice. The book will arm the information professional with the knowledge they need about these important and pressing issues, and give examples of best practice to help find solutions. Its chapters cover: key issues in digital preservation; strategies for digital preservation; the status of preservation metadata in the digital library community; web archiving; the costs of digital preservation; it's money that matters in long-term preservation; European approaches to digital preservation; and, digital preservation projects: case studies. This is an indispensable guide for information managers, librarians and archivists worldwide. Others in the information and culture world, such as museum curators, media professionals and web content providers, will also find it essential reading, as will students of digital culture on library and information studies courses and within other disciplines.
"The book remains valuable as a reflection of the state-of-the-art in digital preservation knowledge at a given period and is to be recommended for information professions who are not experts in the area but wish to develop their knowledge of the issues further. This book will certainly enable them to do that." - Ariadne
"The editors can be praised for bringing together essays highlighting the economic decisions on which preservation is based….The book provides ample guidance to choosing a strategic approach to technology and metadata, and offers more than 60 case studies for reference." - Information World Review
Marilyn Deegan PhD is Director of Research Development, Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London. Simon Tanner BA(Hons) MCLIP is Director of King’s Digital Consultancy Services, King's College London.