ISSN ISSN 1443-0568 | no. 66 | December 2003
National Library Signs Memorandum of Understanding with ERPANET
![]() |
If you wanted to know anything about digital preservation, where would you look? On the National Library’s PADI <www.nla.gov.au/padi/> website, of course. The National Library wants to make PADI as useful as it can, so it has been looking for partnerships that will extend its coverage and share the load of providing up-to-date information on digital preservation resources.
![]() |
| Staff member Gerard Clifton, searching the PADI database |
In July 2003, the National Library of Australia and ERPANET (Electronic Resource Preservation and Access Network) <http://www.erpanet.org/> signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaboratively promote information on digital preservation. The National Library, through PADI, a subject gateway to digital preservation resources, and ERPANET, are both active in the area of digital preservation, and share a common interest in promoting and supporting their respective organisations in dealing with the issue of preserving digital information. Cooperation has been the cornerstone of the PADI initiative since its inception and this has been enhanced by the addition of this new partnership.
ERPANET is funded by the European Commission and works to enhance the preservation of cultural and scientific digital objects through raising awareness, providing access to experience, sharing policies and strategies and improving practices. Its directors are Seamus Ross, Niklaus Butikofer, Hans Hofman and Maria Guercio. ERPANET’s products and services include workshops and training seminars to promote and develop new approaches to digital preservation, case studies in the cultural, scientific and public administration domains, an advisory service for digital preservation questions, an open archive eprint service and a newsletter.
The MoU, as a source of support and partnership, will encourage the sharing of information resources, and the improvement of both sites, contributing to the long-term viability of PADI. This MoU, in tandem with a similar agreement negotiated with the UK Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) <www.dpconline.org/graphics/>, offers PADI a broader coverage of materials, access to resources in European languages other than English, and more research-based materials.
The increasing proportion of cultural heritage being created in digital form
makes it important that PADI offers a comprehensive coverage of issues, projects,
policies, conferences and other resources associated with digital preservation.
The MoU will improve access to digital preservation information through PADI
and will increase international contributions to PADI.
—Marian Hanley, PADI Administrator
|
More
information on PADI and its partners can be found at <www.nla.gov.au/padi/partners.html>
|
| Contents list for this issue of Gateways |
Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: mbrooks@nla.gov.au