Collections Management

Beyond Paper: Five Tips for Digital Preservation

Liz Bloodworth, University Archivist & Special Collections Librarian, Illinois Wesleyan University

Many patrons and students view digitization as a means for preserving film and physical documents. Yet, digital files present their own challenges for those tasked with preservation. While paper has proven itself as a medium with the potential to last for hundreds of years, the digital medium is far less certain. Archivists, librarians, and other cultural heritage professionals tasked with the care of digital collections work to ensure the extended lifespan of these materials. The tips listed below serve as recommendations to support this unique area of preservation.

Tip #1: Lots of Copies Keeps Stuff Safe

Abbreviated and commonly known as LOCKSS, this principle encourages institutions to maintain multiple copies of digital materials that they want to preserve. Store archival files on multiple drives across different physical locations in order to protect the records from potential threats, including hard drive failures, natural disasters, data corruption, and more.

Tip #2: Long-term Storage with Limited Access

Ideally, preservation copies of digital files should be stored in dark archives, storage locations only accessible to the necessary archival/digital preservation staff members. A preservation copy of a file may differ from the access copy in file type, size, or resolution. Access copies are meant to be shared with patrons or online and often may be more web-friendly, or smaller in size and a web-preferred file type. The preservation copy is set aside as the highest quality, archived original, and additional access copies can be derived from the preservation copy if needed.

Dark archives should serve as safe storage and should not be accessed except when necessary. Digital files can degrade over time, so they should be regularly assessed for possible issues, such as bit rot, through fixity checking. Fixity checks ensure that the files have remained unchanged since originally added to the dark archives. If a check reveals any changes in a file, that file should be replaced with another preservation copy to guard against loss. A limited number of staff should have access to the dark archives to limit any chance of altered files or potential data corruption.

Tip #3: Select Stable File Formats

Similar to how we store materials in acid-free enclosures, we also must consider the most stable and well-supported file formats for maintaining access to the stored information. A file format that requires outdated software to open poses a risk to long-term access. When that software is no longer functional, the files are useless. Accordingly, some formats lend themselves better to preservation because of their wide use and support. The Library of Congress issues an annual Recommended Formats Statement, which can be referenced when selecting preferred formats for long-term preservation storage.

Tip #4: Document, Document, Document

With preferred file formats, multiple storage locations, and ever-expanding born-digital materials, documentation is essential to managing a successful digital preservation program. Documentation may include decision trees for appraisal, inventories of content, standards for metadata and naming conventions, and, of course, digital preservation policies. Committing your practices and policies to paper promotes continuity and clarity. Furthermore, these documents prove useful when appraising donations of digital files and processing these collections. Without clear documentation, time will be wasted researching what is already in place and what needs to be done. Save yourself that time.

Tip #5: Regular Assessment Ensures Progress

Digital preservation entails an array of moving parts. In fact, the National Digital Stewardship Alliance identifies five functional areas in its Levels of Digital Preservation resource. Use this resource to tangibly assess what your institution does well and where it can improve. Based on these assessments, your program can set goals to move to higher levels of preservation. Thus, assessment tools, such as this one, allow for reflection while encouraging growth.