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Beginners Trail


About this trail | Beginners Trail FAQs | Other trails


About this trail

The beginners trail is designed for those practitioners and students who are new to the area of digital preservation and would like to familiarise themselves with the major issues. It contains a collection of resources that have been selected to provide a broad description of general problems in digital preservation, as well as guidelines and tutorials on digital preservation and archiving. This trail is a subset of the full PADI database.


Beginners' FAQs


I find the terminology confusing - is there a glossary of basic terms?

UNESCO.
Guidelines for the Preservation of Digital Heritage. Chapter 19 - Glossary..
This short glossary defines some of the basic technical and descriptive terms used in digital preservation.

NEDLIB Glossary.
A comprehensive glossary of digital preservation terms, many of which are defined using multiple examples. Definitions begin on page 15.


Is there a bibliography available to introductory resources?

Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography
This bibliography, updated regularly, presents a broad range of resources chiefly relating to many aspects electronic publishing, including digital preservation, intellectual property rights and digital repositories.

Web Archiving - a Bibliography
A regularly updated bibliography which features links to sites on international and national initiatives, articles, workshops, meetings and subject gateways.


Can you recommend some good general introductions to the major issues?

Timeline
This timeline is a graphical representation of the major developments in digital preservation over the last 50 years.

ERPANET. Digital Preservation Charter.
This seven page document outlines the basic principles of digital preservation.

Preservation Management of Digital Materials : a Handbook.
Section 2. Digital Preservation.

Provides an informative introduction to digital preservation issues and a synthesis of current thinking on the topic.

UNESCO Charter and UNESCO Guidelines for the Preservation of Digital Heritage.
An extensive document, the Guidelines provide comprehensive information on all aspects of digital preservation. It is intended as a companion sourcebook to the Charter, which presents those policy issues that are outside the technical and practical scope of the larger volume.


Are there any online tutorials for beginners in digital preservation?

Cornell University. Digital Preservation Management - Implementing Short Term Strategies for Long Term Solutions.
After you have worked your way through this extensive online tutorial you will have a good grounding in the issues and problems of digital preservation.

Preserving Digital Information : Challenges and Solutions Workbook.
This detailed workbook by Alan Howell focuses on digital preservation in archives, libraries and museums.


Where can I find more information?

PADI has developed other trails to help you get started. The trails provide general background information on specific topics as a foundation for further research and include links to resources on the PADI database. The trails include -


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