Digital Preservation Strategies Research Articles

Strategies for Digital Preservation and Transmission of Intangible Cultural Heritage Using CAD

Strategies for Digital Preservation and Transmission of Intangible Cultural Heritage Using CAD

Investigating digitization and digital preservation strategies for theses and dissertations: a case study of Quaid-I-Azam university, Pakistan

Purpose The purpose of this study is to outline the process, procedures and techniques used for digitization and digital preservation of theses and dissertations (TDs) collection at the Central Library of Quaid-I-Azam University, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Since the phenomenon under investigation is exploratory in nature, a case study qualitative paradigm was used to conduct this study. Findings The findings of the study offer a brief overview of the cost-effective solution that leveraged in-house expertise for the digital preservation of TDs. This led to the establishment of a knowledge repository hosting a substantial collection of approximately 25,857 electronic theses and dissertations, accessible online since August 2023. This project digitally preserved approximately 9,387 TDs on CDs/DVDs, and scanned about 15,000 print TDs, comprising around 1,399,244 pages. The cost incurred per page, including labor and rent of a photocopy machine, was just Rs 0.548 making it a cost-effective technique. The total cost incurred for this process was just 0.768m Pakistani rupees (equivalent to $2,509.55). The findings revealed key challenges, including administrative, financial, technical and copyright issues, that impede the effective execution of the project. Research limitations/implications This case study is limited to one Pakistani public sector university library. This case study holds significance in terms of practical insights and implications for academic institutions and library administrators in other developing countries like Pakistan, which have similar economic, social and technical circumstances. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first-ever study conducted to elucidate the cost-effective strategy adopted for digitally preserved TDs without additional financial and human resources while creating a knowledge repository.

Digital Preservation Strategies for Cultural Heritage in North Africa in Egypt

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the digital preservation strategies for cultural heritage in North Africa. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Digital preservation strategies for cultural heritage in North Africa emphasize robust technological infrastructure, collaborative initiatives among stakeholders, capacity building for local professionals in digital curation and metadata management, effective policy frameworks addressing copyright and intellectual property issues, and public engagement through cultural education and virtual exhibitions. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social constructivism, information science theory & postcolonial theory may be used to anchor future studies on digital preservation strategies for cultural heritage in North Africa. Establish comprehensive guidelines for digital preservation that encompass diverse cultural heritage materials, including manuscripts, archaeological artifacts, oral histories, and visual arts. Advocate for the development of integrated national and regional policies on digital preservation, supported by sustainable funding mechanisms and public-private partnerships.

Challenges and Opportunities of Implementing Open Access Policies

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the challenges and opportunities of implementing open access policies in African universities.
 Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
 Findings: The implementation of open access policies in African universities faces significant challenges due to limited infrastructure, funding constraints, and inadequate institutional support. However, these challenges also present opportunities for collaboration, capacity building, and leveraging existing networks to enhance access to scholarly research. By overcoming these barriers through strategic partnerships and targeted investments, African universities can foster greater knowledge dissemination, innovation, and socio-economic development across the continent.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Institutional theory, diffusion of innovation theory& resource dependency theory may be used to anchor future studies on the challenges and opportunities of implementing open access policies in African universities. Implementing open access policies in African universities encourages innovation in knowledge management practices, including the development of institutional repositories, metadata standards, and digital preservation strategies. African universities' implementation of open access policies can influence national and regional policy frameworks related to scholarly communication, research funding, and copyright reform.

Digital curation and long-term digital preservation in libraries

For over twenty years public institutions and foundations committed in cultural heritage curation and preservation worked up methodologies, strategies and techniques for long-term digital preservation of digital resources. Thanks to a relevant number of initiatives and services carried on by international institutions and specialized agencies, public and private libraries reached a high level of awareness in this field which requires continuous adaptation due to the constant evolution of publishing industry and the rapid emergence of Open Science. After a quick review of digital preservation milestones, this article looks at some emerging trends and issues which characterize the constant transformation of digital preservation landscape. Dynamic generated digital contents and Open Science to fulfil findability, accessibility, interoperability and reuse (FAIR) of digital assets are engaging new challenges for existing digital preservation services. Digital curation and digital preservation are deeply merged and proceed in parallel to assure long-term usage of digital resources and data. How to select and deploy digital preservation platforms is another complex area where Cloud services can offer the opportunity to reduce the costs of technical infrastructures maintenance and management. Policy and decision making institutional levels need more awareness to draw up digital preservation strategies and to activate services to assure digital contents and data long-term access and reuse. Finally the paper suggests to promote “digital preservation by design” as a new base rule to be applied since the conception of every project and initiative in the cultural heritage, scientific and academic contexts.

Preservasi Digital Warisan Budaya: Sebuah Ulasan

<p align="justify">Digital preservation plays an important role in safeguarding cultural heritage. Along with the development of the times, cultural heritage as a valuableassetcannot be separated from potential threats in the form of damage and loss. Digital preservation is an aspect of opportunity in maintaining the sustainability of cultural heritage values. Through a qualitative approach with the literature study method, this research seeks to provide an overview of aspects of digital preservation in relation to efforts to protect cultural heritage. The results of the study illustrate that digital preservation has strong relevance in terms of protecting cultural heritage values from damage and loss. The involvement of technology in digital preservation results in convenience in efforts to save cultural heritage by representing cultural material in digital formats. Digital preservation has various challenges including technological obsolescence, loss or damage to data, intellectual property rights, preservation costs, metadata and contextual information, skills and expertise, social and ethical considerations, utilization, and various other things according to the context of implementation. A digital preservation strategy that includes aspects of technological environmental conservation for future use and handling of technical limitations is an integral part of overcoming existing challenges. By implementing various strategies and actively participating in the realm of digital preservation activities, the existence of cultural heritage with its noble values can be maintained and gain long-term accessibility for the sustainability of future generations.</p>

DEVELOPING A MULTIMODAL DATABASE OF DIGITAL ARCHIVES FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES – A CASE OF DIGITALLY PRESERVING THE BOROBUDUR TEMPLE OF INDONESIA

Abstract. Digital archives that support the three-dimensional (3D) digitization of cultural heritage sites are gaining popularity and attracting enormous interest as a critical strategy for digital preservation. This paper investigates the construction of a multimodal database for cultural heritage sites, which aims to preserve 3D data, images, videos and other materials along with multilingual text data. 3D scanning is widely used for efficient and accurate digitization of cultural heritages. However, some sites have been damaged entirely or partially, or sometimes, it is impossible to conduct 3D scanning of a portion of a site that is hidden from sight. At the Borobudur temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, there are buried reliefs that are hidden at the basement and inaccessible for 3D scanning. Currently available data for these inaccessible portions of the site include old photos, computer-aided design (CAD) drawings and historical written descriptions. To digitally reconstruct 3D models of hidden parts, we introduce a method that use a single monocular photo. We constructed “Borobudur Visual Archives” to store, access, view and retrieve Borobudur-related digital assets, including the 3D data that we created.

Embedding digital preservation strategies in the management of institutional repositories in South Africa

Institutional repositories (IRs) have received substantial consideration from various researchers across disciplines and around the world. Universities have considered prioritising the IR’s functionality by putting in place various measures to make IRs more efficient. This paper focuses on issues of institutional repositories and digital preservation in South Africa. The study drew from the secondary source of information in the African context and around the globe to have a sound argument that is more systematic towards IRs. The paper shows that in the past, various studies have focused on the field of preservation of cultural heritage in general. The gap identified by literature was that there was very little provision of reliable long-term digital repositories in Africa. The literature further revealed that most institutions of higher learning in South Africa are now migrating to have full implementation of digital preservation for their IRs. It is recommended that digital preservation strategies should be embedded in institutional repositories in South Africa.

Archiving the voices of the once voiceless: strategies for digital preservation of oral history at the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Archives

With the urge for instant access to records resulting from the rapid development of technology, there is a need for the digital preservation of vulnerable oral history records. Oral history records are primary sources that confirm certain aspects of historical events and preserving oral history records is crucial to ensure societal memory. In the South African context, oral history has given a voice to the people who were voiceless in the past due to colonialism and the apartheid system. This study investigated possible digital strategies and techniques for preserving oral history records at the KwaZulu-Natal Archives and Records Service (KZNARS) Oral History Unit (OHU). A qualitative approach was used, and data were collected using semi-structured interviews from purposely selected members of the OHU staff. In addition, an observation guide was used to collect data regarding the current playback equipment, storage conditions and the state of the oral history records. Content and thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The findings revealed that the strategies and techniques used for the preservation and access to oral history records have been ineffective. Issues identified included legislation that does not provide for the preservation of oral history records in the contemporary digital era, the lack of policy, deficient strategies for preservation and access, and a shortage of resources, funding, and qualified staff. Various recommendations, stemming from the issues identified, are made.

Perspectives in Preservation of Digital Materials in Libraries: Skills and Competencies

This paper discussed the perspectives in preservation of digital materials in libraries: competencies and skills in relation to the concept of digital preservation, competencies and skills of the library staff, challenges in the preservation of digital materials and the digital preservation strategies for future prospect of the library digital materials or resources.

Audio Visual Digital Preservation Strategies: A case study in National Broadcasting Agency

This study discusses the digital preservation practice and challenges of the media repository in the broadcasting industry. This study covers the digital preservation practices in Wisma TV, Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) where it functioning as information hubs for media resources and assisting in the preservation of cultural heritage. However, these broadcasting archives have mostly gone unnoticed and neglected by those working in the archive sector. Qualitative research methodology is used by implementing the case study design in order to explored the challenges while performing the digital preservation work. This broadcasting organization media collective was envisioned as a distributed network of organizations that supported media production, exhibition, and study, functioning as resource centers for media and supporting regional preservation efforts. Keywords: Audiovisual Archiving, Digital Preservation, Broadcasting Industry eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by E-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under the responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behavior Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioral Researchers on Asians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behavior Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

Navigating Uncharted Waters

In 2019, the University of Houston Libraries formed a Theses and Dissertations Digitization Task Force charged with digitizing and making more widely accessible the University’s collection of over 19,800 legacy theses and dissertations. Supported by funding from the John P. McGovern Foundation, this initiative has proven complex and multifaceted, and one that has engaged the task force in a broad range of activities, from purchasing digitization equipment and software to designing a phased, multiyear plan to execute its charge. This plan is structured around digitization preparation (phase one), development of procedures and workflows (phase two), and promotion and communication to the project’s targeted audiences (phase three). The plan contains step-by-step actions to conduct an environmental scan, inventory the theses and dissertations collections, purchase equipment, craft policies, establish procedures and workflows, and develop digital preservation and communication strategies, allowing the task force to achieve effective planning, workflow automation, progress tracking, and procedures documentation. The innovative and creative approaches undertaken by the Theses and Dissertations Digitization Task Force demonstrated collective intelligence resulting in scaled access and dissemination of the University’s research and scholarship that helps to enhance the University’s impact and reputation.

Research on the Design of Paper Cutting Patterns and Digital Preservation Strategy of Non-heritage Based on Deep Learning

With the continuous development of science, combining art and science has become a new means of conservation. This paper first analyzes the application of deep learning in the field of NRM conservation, and then implements paper cutting pattern design in three aspects: generating fractal patterns, network architecture design, and perceptual loss function. Finally, this paper proposes a strategy of digital conservation of paper cutting non-heritage based on deep learning by cultivating intelligent interpreters, constructing a paper cutting database, and reconstructing a paper cutting virtual field to develop ideas for designing paper cutting patterns as well as spreading, protecting, and passing on paper cutting non-heritage.

Digital preservation in institutional repositories: a systematic literature review

PurposeThis paper aims to carry out a literature review on the implementation of digital preservation policies, strategies and actions by institutional repositories. The objective is to identify, out of the published experiences, at which level they are fulfilling the function of ensuring the long-term availability of the deposited materials.Design/methodology/approachUsing a systematic literature review methodology, a total of 21 articles from international refereed journals published between 2009 and 2020 are reviewed.FindingsThe research production on this subject is very limited. The scarce number of published articles proves that the interest of repository managers has been focused on issues other than to assure the long-term availability of the assets they store. The literature review has not found clear evidence about how institutional repositories are implementing digital preservation. It is particularly striking the lack of works focused on the situation in European countries. More field studies are needed. They would allow to extract conclusions and produce best practices to help managers to improve preservation strategies.Originality/valueThis study has shown that one of the main functions of repositories is not being dealt with as promised by repository managers. More work in this area is needed. In particular, it is necessary for a study at the European level to gather detailed data that will allow to draw a portrait of the current situation, extract conclusions and produce best practices to help managers to improve or develop preservation strategies.

Emulation practices for software preservation in libraries, archives, and museums

AbstractEmulation practices are computational, technical processes that allow for one system to reproduce the functions and results of another. This article reports on findings from research following three small teams of information professionals as they implemented emulation practices into their digital preservation programs at a technology museum, a university research library, and a university research archive and technology lab. Results suggest that the distributed teams in this cohort of preservationists have developed different emulation practices for particular kinds of “emulation encounters” in supporting different types of access. I discuss the implications of these findings for digital preservation research and emulation initiatives providing access to software or software‐dependent objects, showing how implications of these findings have significance for those developing software preservation workflows and building emulation capacities. These findings suggest that different emulation practices for preservation, research access, and exhibition undertaken in libraries, archives, and museums result in different forms of access to preserved software—accessing information and experiential access. In examining particular types of access, this research calls into question software emulation as a single, static preservation strategy for information institutions and challenges researchers to examine new forms of access and descriptive representation emerging from these digital preservation strategies.

Towards a National Framework for Digital Preservation in Nigeria: Technologies and Best Practices

The need for preserving digital resources (acquired or generated) by institutions in Nigeria becomes imperative in the wake of adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by these institutions. The paper advocates for a national framework for preserving digital resources for long-term or future use and to avoid the risk of losing national memory in this digital age. Technology emulation, migration and encapsulation are some of the digital preservation strategies discussed in the paper. The paper also identified two key national institutions that can drive the digital preservation initiative in Nigeria.
 Keywords: Archive, Preservation, Digital materials, Technology Obsolence

Adoption and Implementation of Digital Preservation Strategies by Academic Libraries in South Africa

The growing number of digital devices has led to the creation of many digital resources within academic libraries. Without proper protection, there is a risk that these digital resources can neither be retrieved from old storage media nor be rendered from old file formats. As a result, academic libraries have recognised a need for long-term preservation of their fast growing number of digital resources. However, preserving digital content over a long period has been difficult because both technology and relevant organisational context change over time. This underscores the need to examine the adoption of digital preservation strategies in academic libraries in South Africa. A quantitative research approach was used, underpinned by a survey research design. The findings revealed that migration, bit preservation, replication and a risk management approach were the most widely used preservation strategies within academic libraries in South Africa. The study observed that there are only a few digital preservation studies that have been devoted to developing strategies to ensure long-term accessibility of digital resources in academic libraries in South Africa. This raises a concern and the researchers are of the opinion that academic libraries can overcome digital preservation problems if proper strategies are put in place. The study proposes a digital preservation strategy for academic libraries that is mapped with international preservation standards and certification tools.

Digital preservation

O objetivo do artigo foi prover uma visão ampla e reflexiva dos principais aspectos da preservação digital, a partir dos desafios indicados, dos requisitos reconhecidos e das estratégias analisadas pela comunidade científica. A metodologia adota pesquisa quanti-qualitativa e exploratória-descritiva, com revisão da literatura nacional e internacional dos últimos vinte um anos acerca da preservação digital, a fim de apoiar a apreensão de tendências e políticas do tema como aprofundar as discussões sobre as necessidades no arquivamento e preservação de conteúdos digitais a longo prazo. Analisa dados do levantamento bibliográfico de publicações científicas nas bases Scopus e Web of Science dos últimos cinco anos (2015-2019) que tratam do assunto “digital preservation”. Observa que dos métodos discutidos, orçamentos, custos e metadados para preservação e arquivamento da Web são temas emergentes e carentes de estudos na Ciência da Informação brasileira. Na produção científica internacional, o Brasil destaca-se pelas quantias de publicações indicando uma maduração do tema e pactuando com o avanço dos projetos nacionais, como a Rede Cariniana. Porém, temos demandas financeiras, humanas e tecnológicas que, unido às características das estratégias para preservação digital, expõem a utilidade das colaborações e dos tópicos nacionais pouco explorados.

Towards Automated Digital Preservation through Preservation Action Registries

Since the 1960s, digital preservation has transformed from a secondary activity at a select few cultural heritage organizations to a vital international effort with its own best practices, standards, and community. This keynote presentation and paper presents an overview of the changing scope of digital preservation, issues, and strategies for digital preservation in the cultural heritage community.

Librarians’ perception of disaster preparedness as precursor for effective preservation and conservation of library resources in Nigerian university libraries

The study examined librarians' perception of disaster preparedness and its effect on effective preservation and conservation of library resources, focusing on university libraries in the Southwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The survey research design was adopted. The university libraries that provided the data and institutional setting for the study were randomized using the ballot system after which total enumeration technique was employed to take complete census of the population. The population comprised 327 librarians and library officers drawn across federal and state university libraries in the region. The questionnaire and interview methods were used for data collection. Results affirmed, as postulated, that preservation and conservation of information resources would be more effective if disaster preparedness measures are incorporated into the process. As a result, both approaches were found to be complementary. It was also discovered that the core digital preservation strategies are not being practiced in university libraries in the studied region. Consequently, it was recommended that effort aimed at all forms of preservation strategies should be employed to ensure the longevity and sustainability of all information resources.