Preservation Planning for Digital Information: Final Report of the HVC2 Digital Preservation Task Force

Abstract

Digital preservation is the ongoing process of managing data for continuing access and use. The University of Kansas Digital Preservation Task Force was charged in October 2003 to explore the implications of a University commitment to the preservation of digital assets, both academic and administrative. The report emphasizes actions the University should take; it is not a primer on digital preservation. We recommend, over a three-year timeline, implementation of the following components in a university-wide digital preservation program:

• An integrated technical architecture designed around the whole lifecycle of digital information, from creation forward.

• Definition and assignment of a set of specific roles or functions exercised by staff within the University, and development of a set of policies to guide those roles.

• Education for faculty, staff, and administrators in the basic concepts and challenges in digital preservation and training in information management practices that will contribute to the ongoing availability of digital files.