Most of the conversations I end up in about digital preservation are about the digital versions of analog things. Discussions of documents, still and moving images and audio recordings are important, but as difficult as the problems surrounding these kinds of digital objects are, there is a harder problem: preserving executable content, aka software. Software isn’t …
So, how far along are we with cloning? Because I could have really used a clone or two in order to cover the many (sometimes concurrent) interesting sessions at this year’s Museum Computer Network conference in Seattle. Since this was my first MCN, I’m probably looking at this with more of a beginner’s “gee whiz” …
Wouldn’t it be great to have a single technical solution that solves all your long-term digital archiving, stewardship and preservation needs? Perhaps a file format with millions of users, widespread adoption across different computing platforms, free viewers and open documentation? A lot of hopes and dreams have been poured into the idea of “one preservation …
The November 2012 Library of Congress Digital Preservation Newsletter is now available. http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/news/newsletter/201211.pdf In this issue: Activist Archivists preserving content from the Occupy Wall Street movement Mapping the Federal geospatial stewardship efforts Interviews with: Lori Emerson, Director of the Media Archaeology Lab; Peter Van Garderen and Courtney Muma, Archivematica; and Christie Moffatt and Jennifer Marill, …
In honor of this week’s Museum Computer Network conference, I want to talk a bit about the early history of museum computing. Most people are not aware that MCN was born out of a cooperative computing project in the New York City area in 1967, under the direction of Dr. Jack Heller. Fifteen New York-area …
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to talk (via email) with Paul Wheatley, of the SPRUCE Project,about an assortment of activities, issues and ideas relating to digital preservation. Leeds University Library is leading the Sustainable PReservation Using Community Engagement project, collaborating with the British Library, the Digital Preservation Coalition, the London School of Economics …
Learning by doing and benefiting from a community of practitioners are key aspects of our approach to meeting the challenge of digital preservation. The International Internet Preservation Consortium is an organization that must also focus on practical solutions and quick action. The web is a huge distributed resource and is changing constantly so it takes …
Quick quiz: Is the employment outlook for librarians growing or shrinking? The answer depends on what you call a “library job.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for librarians is “slower than average,” with a projected rate of change in employment this decade of 7%, slower than the 14% average growth …
PBS Off the Book has a nice short video on The Art of Glitch. It’s a fun story about a born-digital art phenomena, but aside from that, I think it’s useful at helping us better understand the nature of digital objects. In the video, artist Scott Fitzgerald gives the following concise argument for the value …
I like lists. I particularly like ordered lists. I’ve even read a book about checklists. Which is one of the reasons I wanted to point out a recent OCLC report, You’ve Got to Walk Before You Can Run: First Steps for Managing Born-Digital Content Received on Physical Media(PDF). The report focuses on practical approaches institutions …