Digital Preservation for Libraries, Archives, and Museums

by Edward M. Corrado, Heather Moulaison Sandy

This new edition of Digital Preservation in Libraries, Archives, and Museums is the most current, complete guide to digital preservation available today. For administrators and practitioners alike, the information in this book is presented readably, focusing on management issues and best practices. Although this book addresses technology, it is not solely focused on technology. After all, technology changes and digital preservation is aimed for the long term. This is not a how-to book giving step-by-step processes for certain materials in a given kind of system. Instead, it addresses a broad group of resources that could be housed in any number of digital preservation systems. Finally, this book is about "things (not technology; not how-to; not theory) I wish I knew before I got started." Digital preservation is concerned with the life cycle of the digital object in a robust and all-inclusive way. Many Europeans and some North Americans may refer to digital curation to mean the same thing, taking digital preservation to be the very limited steps and processes needed to insure access over the long term. The authors take digital preservation in the broadest sense of the term: looking at all aspects of curating and preserving digital content for long term access. The book is divided into four part: 1.Situating Digital Preservation, 2.Management Aspects, 3.Technology Aspects, and 4.Content-Related Aspects. Digital Preservation will answer questions that you might not have even known you had, leading to more successful digital preservation initiatives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Library Science, Museums, Textbooks, Reference, Professional Development

402 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Katelyn Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of information that’s fairly inaccessible because the authors didn’t have a scrap of ingenuity and thought boring the reader to tears meant they were learning.

[Kirsten Bedford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is slightly better. But still pretty boring….

[Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing.

I remember my professor picked out some chapters from here to read but I never got the book in grad school. As soon as I got my first real archiving job, though, I got a copy and keep it in my office. It's a great tool for any working professional in the field of IS, whether or not you remember all the things from grad school (or some who haven't been and have been working in the field for years), it's a great reference tool for standards and best practices of file formats, and weird formats when considering digital preservation (and anything under that large umbrella).

In fact, I kinda wish there were a few more books like this too :) I like how its modern and has a TON of lists of MORE reserouces (goes by chapter, an amazing bibliography with succinct definitions I definitely used in my reports for management outside of the field. Definitely a plus if you're like me and can't describe 'respect des fonds' in 2 sentences to IT (ok a bit of an elaboration on the two sentences, but I really did have to explain that its a thing).

Get it, read it, borrow it, and thank me later ;)

[S Sattizahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for anyone doing or interested in a digital preservation project. Managerial insights that include using the time, talent, and resources of staff that includes technology, budgets, copyright concerns, file formats, and builds on the Digital Preservation Triad. Examines the creation, processing, preservation, analyzing, accessibility, and reusability of a digital collection. I recommend this book as the go to book for not only the start to finish organization of material covered, but also for the valuable resources given in the content for the reader to research ideas and topics further.

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed look at digital preservation in the titular settings. Well-written and informative, but dense in spots due to the depth of the topic. Well worth reading for those interested in digital preservation and seeking an overview on the state of the field.

[Emily Purcell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kept trying to read this book for months and month because I wanted to give it the same amount of time I would a course on this subject. When I finally set down to read it I realized that it wasn't quite what I thought it was. I am at the stage of digitizing material -- this book covers the stage in which the digital files must be preserved. Very useful but not quite what I was hoping for. I still plan to purchase it for my museum's library.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required text for LIS 645: Digital Preservation.
This book was incredibly helpful for coursework and practical work. I keep it in my office at work and refer to it regularly for resources and to refresh my memory.

[Bill Sleeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very useful introduction to an important topic for librarians and information professionals of all stripes. A good investment of your time and efforts if metadata is not your primary task area.