The Library defines the primary objective of digital preservation activities as maintaining the ability to meaningfully access digital collection content over time. As well as collecting digital materials and managing them for current access, the Library has a mandate and commitment to preservation and has been active in developing infrastructure to collect, manage, preserve and keep our digital collections available into the future. This is recognised as core business for the Library and is critical to its future relevance. To this end, the Library:
- Has developed a Digital Preservation Policy which sets out the principles that guide its digital preservation activities;
- Aims to know certain key management information about its digital collections:
- Understands what it is required to preserve its digital collections:
- Broad directions for preserving the Library’s digital collections;
- Implementation principles;
- Identification and monitoring for risks;
- Knowledgebases on Formats, Software, Physical Media and access dependencies;
- Statements of Preservation Intent for each collection.
- Has a long-standing program of projects to develop tools, procedures and infrastructure to manage the preservation of its digital collections. Currently this development has focused on the DLIR (Digital Library Infrastructure Replacement) Project;
- Has a long-standing commitment to working with others in developing ways to address its own digital preservation responsibilities and to share information about digital preservation (see Collaboration & information sharing);
- Makes available staff papers which include published and unpublished papers and conference presentations.
NLA Digital Preservation Crest
Totus, Omnibus, in Perpetua
(Everything, for everybody, in perpetuity!)