"Digitization is Different than Digital Preservation: Help Prevent Digital Orphans!"

Source: The Signal (Published by National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program)
Author: A guest post by Kristin Snawder, a 2011 Junior Fellow working with NDIIPP.

From the Blog Post:

While scanning can be a prelude to digital preservation, the two are distinct. It is quite possible to launch a scanning project, perhaps with temporary funds, and stop when everything is digitized. So now what about those poor digital files sitting on a hard drive somewhere? Do we forget about them? The answer, sadly, may be yes. As a colleague put it, these files are now orphans with no one to watch over them and ensure their future.

Many institutions see the immediate value of having materials available electronically. This is valid reasoning. Many researchers no longer want to come and see the materials. They want access from the comfort of their own couch and fuzzy slippers. But, in the hurry to meet user expectations, institutions may scan large quantities of materials without having a solid plan for preserving the digital images into the future.

Digital Preservation is an active, long-term commitment; scanning is a time-limited process.

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Filed under: Digital Preservation, News, Preservation