Statement of Principles for the Preservation of and Long-Term Access to Australian Digital Objects


At a workshop on the preservation of digital objects hosted by the former National Preservation Office (NPO) on 6 December 1995, 35 invited representatives discussed and revised a 'Draft Statement of Principles on the Preservation of and Long-Term Access to Australian Digital Objects'. These principles underwent several revisions following consultation with organisatioins represented on the PADI Working Group, Preservation Services at the National Library of Australia and comments received after wide distribution of the draft statement.


Vision

By the year 2001 the information and cultural heritage sectors will be implementing strategies which will enable Australians to have appropriate, timely and equitable continuing access to significant Australian digital objects.

Introduction

As the twentieth century draws to a close, an ever-increasing quantity of information is created, stored, disseminated and accessed in digital form. Digital objects include data stored in digital form and accessed using electronic equipment. For example, databases, images, sound, video, text-based documents and recordkeeping systems may be digital objects. Access is often dependent on a specific combination of equipment and electronic methods of manipulation or display (software). Some digital objects are accessible only by acquiring a physical item such as a tape or CD-ROM while others are accessible through electronic networks.

The organisations charged with the responsibility of preserving and making available Australia's cultural and intellectual heritage will need to develop a range of strategies to ensure the preservation of and access to various categories of digital objects. Custodial and non-custodial arrangements will need to be considered both from a preservation and an access perspective. Preserving access to digital objects will need to be planned prior to creation if possible and considered throughout the life of the object. Points at which preserving access needs to be considered include:

Notwithstanding the different strategies that will be necessary for different categories of digital objects at different stages in their lifespan, seven principles have been identified that underpin all strategies. Please note that all seven of these principles are interdependent and that no one principle is more important than any other principle. Individual principles should not be considered in isolation from the other six principles. They apply to all categories of digital objects, both in single item form and in aggregations. The principles are a logical consequence of the policy statements endorsed by the Australian Cultural Ministers Council in its National Conservation and Preservation Policy for Movable Cultural Heritage (1995). Policy statements numbers 4 and 5 are particularly relevant. They are quoted below for reference.

National Policy Statement 4

The Commonwealth, State, Territory and Local Governments recognise the need to conserve and preserve Australia's movable cultural heritage.

The explanatory note under this statement makes it clear that movable cultural heritage includes digital objects.

National Policy Statement 5

The Commonwealth, State, Territory and Local Governments recognise the important right of the Australian people to have a reasonable and an equitable opportunity of access to their movable cultural heritage, subject to cultural restrictions or sensitivities.

These principles for Preservation of and Long-Term Access to Australian Digital Objects do not attempt to describe strategies. Their purpose is to provide a basis upon which all preservation strategies for significant digital objects will be founded.

No attempt is made to indicate how decisions regarding 'significance' will be determined.

For the purposes of this document, an Australian digital object is defined as one which has been created by a person of Australian birth or residing within Australia or which has a significant proportion dealing with a subject of social, political, cultural, scientific or economic significance and relevance to Australia.

Additional information on preserving access to information in digital form can be found on Preserving Access to Digital Information (PADI) site.

Principles

Overriding Statement

In an electronic environment the following principles must be applied to ensure continuing access to all categories of significant digital objects:

Principle 1: Cooperation

The cooperation of all with a role in the generation, use, management, distribution and preservation of digital objects is essential.

Continuing access to digital objects will be dependent on the cooperation of information creators, information system designers, manufacturers, publishers/distributors and information custodians and providers.

Principle 2: Role of Creator

Creators of digital objects have the initial and in some cases a continuing role in preserving access to them.

Unless creators take initial steps to facilitate ongoing access to their material, access may be lost or the ability of another body to take responsibility for preserving access may be severely inhibited.

Principle 3: Distributed Responsibility

The location, selection, identification/cataloguing and retention of digital objects will be best achieved through the coordinated distribution of responsibilities.

A national network of archives, collecting organisations and other information providers operating through formal agreements in which responsibilities are well-defined will best serve to preserve access to significant digital objects.

Principle 4: Appraisal

Access to digital objects should be preserved only for as long as they are judged to have continuing value and significance.

It is neither practical nor desirable to maintain access to all digital objects indefinitely. In applying professional judgement to appraising items, consideration should be given to balancing costs and benefits, including the likely needs and interests of future generations.

Principle 5: Rights

Rights of creators, owners, providers, users and subjects of digital objects must be balanced and protected.

The preservation of significant digital objects should not be jeopardised by censorship of form or content. Rights of access and the right to receive benefits arising from the digital object need to be carefully balanced and protected.

Principle 6: Strategies

The adoption of best practices and standards is essential.

Strategies to preserve access to digital objects must consider the integrity and functionality of these digital objects. Standard metadata elements should be used to ensure access to the information. Continuing research and dissemination of findings is essential. Strategies to preserve access to digital objects will need to be periodically reviewed and modified to reflect current best practice.

Principle 7: Role of Government

Appropriate Commonwealth and State government regulatory, legislative and policy regimes are essential.

The continuing and equitable access to digital objects must be supported by appropriate regimes, including legal deposit legislation.

Acknowledgement

The National Library wishes to acknowledge the US Task Force on Archiving of Digital Information, whose Draft Report, commissioned by the Commission on Preservation and Access and the Research Libraries Group, was of great assistance in the development of a set of principles relating to the preservation of digital information in Australia.

We request that the Principles be tested in the development of strategies to preserve digital objects and that comments be forwarded to:

National Initiatives and Collaboration (NIAC)
National Library of Australia
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Telephone: +61 (0)2 62621137
Facsimile: +61 (0)2 62621257
E-mail: niac@nla.gov.au
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