Many organisations are faced with the daunting challenge of preserving and curating their vital data and information sources and records. The rapid expansion and growth of these artefacts, many of them media rich, pose a unique challenge to those responsible for looking after them. Fortunately, many successful preservation programmes have been underway since the inception of the web, and this title considers the best practices based on the lessons learned from these initiatives. Even though the focus of most of these initiatives is on the preservation of web sites and web pages, the advice lends itself to be applied on a broader scale, and should be considered by anyone who is concerned with the preservation of any form of digital content.
As indicated by the subtitle, this book proposes some practical advice on how to go about planning, designing, implementing and maintaining a digital preservation programme. The content focuses on the standard elements of such a programme, such as:
the selection policy, with special reference to the selection methods and criteria that must be borne in mind;
an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of various collection methods, including recommendations for harvesting dynamic content;
quality assurance and cataloguing, with a list of common issues to look out for, as well as standard criteria to include in pre‐ and post‐collection testing;
principles and practicalities of preservation, with a description of some of the complex challenges, sensible strategies and practical tools that must be considered;
delivery to users, highlighting methods to discover and deliver content, with special emphasis on the importance of placing archived content in context;
legal considerations, such as privacy, intellectual property and creative commons; and
managing a web archive programme, which gives an overview of different operational models and the factors that influence the selection and implementation of the model.
These chapters are followed by a synopsis of future trends that might be expected in terms of data storage, digital preservation and web archiving tools.
Many a chapter is supplemented by graphs and flow charts that clearly illustrate the author's main points. Furthermore, case studies are provided, which give insight into the experiences in undertaking small‐scale, national and international preservation ventures.
Although the book sometimes refers to technical concepts and terminology, the concise glossary is sure to clear up any confusion. At the back of the book, the reader will find useful appendices, including a:
list of web archiving and preservation tools;
model permission form;
model test script;
model issue log;
model job description; and
comprehensive bibliography of other worthwhile sources on digital preservation.
While the book was published in 2006 (reprinted in 2008), many of the pointers are enduring and applicable to this day. The book caters for a wide audience, ranging from information management practitioners to policy‐makers and web masters, all of whom are sure to find practical guidelines and valuable strategies in terms of digital preservation within this book.
