Digital Preservation Readiness of Legal Deposit Materials at the Msunduzi Municipal Library in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

This paper aims to explore a digital preservation program readiness of legal deposit materials at the Msunduzi Municipal Library in KwaZulu-Natal. It looks at the readiness to undertake the digital preservation programme, whether they meet the requirements for digital preservation programme in order to undertake it, and if the staff members have skills and competencies for digital preservation. It also checked if they have enough storage capacity for digital preservation program. A qualitative research method was adopted and used a case study research design. The semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth data from each participant, and analysed it using a thematic analysis. The targeted population were all 15 digitization section employees from the Msunduzi Municipal Library and all participated giving 100%. The findings revealed that the Msunduzi Municipal Library seemed ready to undertake the digital preservation programme. The library was found facing challenges such as a lack of storage server to store and back-up digitally preserved materials, a lack of funds, a lack of in-service training for its staff, faulty and or non-functioning digitization machines, a lack of adequate maintenance of equipment, and a lack of enough equipment in preparation for digital preservation programme. It was discovered that the Msunduzi Municipal Library met the requirements for digital preservation programme in order to undertake it but some few staff members did not think it met the requirements for digital preservation programme, simply because they lacked storage server. This paper recommends that Msunduzi Municipal Library and other institutions preparing for the digital preservation programmes should hire staff with relevant skills and competencies for digital preservation, and also engage in in-service training of their staff, especially those lacking these skills and competences.