ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 3 9 8 / C & R L N e w s ■ M a y 1999 P r e s e r v a t i o n N e w s Jane Hedberg R o t h e n b e r g r e p o r t o n d i g i t a l p r e s e r v a t io n T h e C o u n c il o n L ib ra ry a n d I n fo r m a tio n R e ­ s o u r c e s (C L IR ) h a s p u b lis h e d J e f f R o t h e n b e r g ’s r e p o r t o n s o ftw a r e e m u la tio n , “A v o id in g T e c h ­ n o l o g i c a l Q u ic k s a n d : F in d in g a V i a b l e T e c h n i ­ c a l F o u n d a tio n f o r D ig ita l P r e s e r v a tio n .” R o t h e n b e r g is a s e n i o r r e s e a r c h s c i e n ti s t at t h e R A N D C o r p o r a t io n a n d t h e a u t h o r o f t h e 1 9 9 5 Scientific A m erican a r t ic le title d “E n s u r ­ in g t h e L o n g e v ity o f D ig ita l D o c u m e n t s .” T h is n e w r e p o r t p r o p o s e s e m u la tin g o b s o l e t e s o ft ­ w a r e a n d h a r d w a r e o n f u t u r e s y s t e m s a s t h e o n l y w a y t o e n s u r e p r e s e r v a t i o n o f d ig ita l in ­ f o r m a t io n . T h e r e p o r t c o v e r s t h e p r o b l e m s o f l o n g - t e rm d ig ita l p r e s e r v a t io n , d e t e r m i n e s t h e c rite ria f o r a n id e a l s o lu tio n t o t h o s e p r o b le m s , a n d a n a l y z e s t h e v i a b ility o f o t h e r p o s s i b l e s o l u t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g p r i n ti n g h a r d c o p y , m i ­ g r a t i n g t o n e w s y s t e m s , p r e s e r v i n g o b s o l e t e s o f t w a r e a n d h a r d w a r e , a n d r e l y i n g o n s t a n ­ d a r d s . It a l s o p r o p o s e s a r e s e a r c h a g e n d a f o r f u r t h e r i n v e s ti g a t io n . C o p ie s a r e a v a ila b le f o r $ 2 0 , in c lu d in g p o s t ­ a g e a n d h a n d lin g , fro m CLIR P u b lic a t io n s O r ­ ders , 1 7 5 5 M a ssa ch u setts A v en u e, N W , S u ite 5 0 0 , W a s h in g to n , D .C . 2 0 0 3 6 -2 1 2 4 ; p h o n e : ( 2 0 2 ) 9 3 9 - 4 7 5 0 ; fa x : ( 2 0 2 ) 9 3 9 - 4 7 6 0 ; e -m a il: in fo @ c lir .o r g ; W e b : h ttp :/ / w w w .clir.o rg . O r d e r s m u s t b e p r e ­ paid. W h y d ig it iz e ? CLIR h a s a ls o p u b lish e d a re p o rt b y A b b y Sm ith titled “W h y Digitize?” T h is re p o rt o ffers a n o v er­ v i e w o f t h e is s u e s th a t in s titu tio n s s h o u ld c o n ­ s id e r w h e n c o n te m p la tin g a d ig itiz a tio n p ro je c t. In p a rtic u la r, it p o in ts o u t w h a t d ig ita l c o n v e r ­ s io n o f c o lle c t io n s c a n a n d c a n n o t a c c o m p lis h . Its c o n c l u s io n s a r e b a s e d o n t h e p ra c tic a l in fo r­ m a tio n le a r n e d f r o m p r e v io u s d igital p ro je c ts . T h e re p o rt r e c o m m e n d s th a t institu tio n s c o l­ la b o r a t e in s e l e c t i n g t h e c o ll e c t i o n s t o b e c o n ­ v e r te d f o r In te r n e t a c c e s s , s o r e s e a r c h o p p o r tu ­ nities a re e n h a n c e d a n d o n lin e co llection s c o m p le ­ m e n t e a c h o th e r . It a l s o c o n c l u d e s th a t d ig ita l c o n v e r s io n p ro v id e s e x tra o rd in a ry a c c e s s , b u t it is n o t a re lia b le p re s e rv a tio n m e th o d . C o p ie s a r e a v a ila b le f o r $ 1 5 , in c lu d in g p o s t­ a g e a n d h a n d lin g , f r o m C L IR P u b l i c a t io n s O r ­ d e r s . F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t A b b y S m ith a t C L IR . ( S e e a d d r e s s a n d p h o n e i n f o r ­ m a tio n a b o v e .) G ra c y t o le a d PC S D a v id B . G r a c y II, w ill s e r v e a s in te rim d ir e c to r o f t h e P r e s e r v a tio n a n d C o n s e r v a tio n S tu d ie s (P C S ) p ro g ra m o f th e G ra d u a te S c h o o l o f Library a n d In fo r m a tio n S c ie n c e (G S L I S ) a t t h e U n iv e r­ sity o f T e x a s at A ustin b e g in n in g M a rch 1 5 , 1 9 9 9 . G r a c y is r e p la c in g K a r e n M o ty le w s k i, d ir e c to r o f t h e P C S p ro g r a m s i n c e 1 9 9 5 , w h o h a s jo in e d th e s ta ff a t t h e In stitu te f o r M u s e u m a n d L ib rary S e r v ic e s in W a s h in g t o n , D .C . A p e r m a n e n t d i­ r e c to r f o r t h e P C S w ill b e r e c r u ite d a fte r a n e w d e a n h a s b e e n s e le c t e d f o r th e G SLIS. S O L IN E T w o r k s h o p s c h e d u le T h e S o u t h e a s t e r n L ib ra ry N e t w o r k (S O L IN E T ) w ill o f f e r t h r e e p r e s e r v a t io n w o r k s h o p s in t h e s p r in g o f 1 9 9 9 . T h e first, P r e s e r v a tio n M a n a g e ­ m e n t, w ill b e h e ld o n T h u rs d a y , M a y 2 0 , a t t h e L ib ra ry o f V irg in ia in R ic h m o n d . T h e in s tr u c t o r s w ill b e C h r is t in e W i s e m a n o f S O L I N E T a n d P a tr ic i a P a l m e r o f V ir g in ia C o m m o n w e a lt h U n iv e r s ity . T h e s e c o n d , P r e s ­ e r v a t i o n o f P h o t o g r a p h i c M a t e r ia ls , w ill b e h e l d o n F r id a y , M a y 2 8 , a t t h e H i s to r i c N e w O r l e a n s C o l l e c t i o n in N e w O r l e a n s , LA. T h e in s tr u c to r w ill b e A n d r e w R o b b , a p h o t o g r a p h c o n s e r v a t o r in p r i v a t e p r a c t i c e . T h e t h ird , Li­ b r a r y B in d in g , w ill b e h e ld o n T h u r s d a y , J u n e 3 , a t t h e B ir m i n g h a m P u b l i c L ib r a r y in B ir ­ m in g h a m , AL. T h e in s t r u c t o r s w ill b e J u l i e A r n o t t o f S O L IN E T a n d J . N o y e s o f B r i d g e ­ p o r t N a t io n a l B in d e r y . E a c h w o r k s h o p c o s t s $ 9 5 f o r S O L IN E T m e m b e r s , $ 1 3 5 f o r n o n - m e m b e r s . S o m e d is ­ c o u n t s a n d l a te f e e s a p p ly . F o r m o r e i n f o r m a ­ t io n , c o n t a c t A n d y J o n e s a t S O L IN E T , 1 4 3 8 W e s t P e a c h t r e e S tr e e t, N W , S u ite 2 0 0 , A tla n ta , G A 3 0 3 0 9 - 2 9 5 5 ; p h o n e : ( 8 0 0 ) 9 9 9 - 8 5 5 8 o r ( 4 0 4 ) 8 9 2 - 0 9 4 3 ; e - m a i l : a n d y _ j o n e s @ s o l i n e t . n e t ; W e b : h t t p :/ / w w w .s o li n e t .n e t . ■ Jane Hedberg prepares this column fo r th e College Libraries C o m m itte e , Com m issio n on P re se rv a tio n an d Access. Su bm issions m ay be m ad e to Ja n e H e d berg, W e lle sle y College; jhedberg@ wellesley.edu; fa x : (781) 283-3690 mailto:info@clir.org http://www.clir.org mailto:andy_jones@solinet.net http://www.solinet.net mailto:jhedberg@wellesley.edu