Linking repositories with preservation

Preserv2 has addressed many core areas in digital preservation, from the longevity of the objects stored on disk to the preservation of functionality related to those objects, including properties such as readability and editability. By looking at how the complete preservation process combines with repository software we started to build a bigger picture of what the preservation and repository communities require of each other. The basis of this is an understanding of common terminology and a view of the repository as an expandable entity in every way.

When preservation is mentioned in a digital context most people think of long-term reliable and secure storage. Indeed, this is an important part of digital preservation but it does not constitute a complete preservation solution as it is no good having files that won't open in any available software.

By first outlining and defining the scope of a digital repository we can then identify where digital preservation fits into the digital repository, and how this can be enabled. We are then able to address the two core areas of the complete preservation solution: preservation storage and active preservation, where active preservation encompasses the periodic checking of objects to ensure readability and longevity.

An overview of a Digital Repository

A repository is where data is stored and maintained. There are many types of repository storing different types of data. Within the community which Preserv interacts with, these repositories tend to be institutional and store the published outputs of that institution. There is still some confusion, however, concerning the boundaries of the repository and what services and processes a repository encompasses. We address these concerns in this section.