From Theory to Action: A Pragmatic Approach to Digital Preservation Strategies and Tools

Meg Miner, Illinois Wesleyan University

Abstract

Cultural heritage practitioners who lack the advantages of specialization that come with a larger staff and budget feel overwhelmed by the many facets of digital preservation. Professionals in these situations do not know how to take the next steps from awareness to action, and so the risk to their collections remains unmitigated. What can individuals do to move beyond understanding the need for digital preservation and towards effective stewardship of digital collections? The goal of this project is to investigate scalable and practical solutions, including potential business and implementation models, that provide equitable access to digital preservation processes for smaller or under-resourced institutions.