Digital preservation challenges and actions at European level Pat Manson Head of Unit Technology-enhanced Learning; Cultural Heritage

Directorate E Interfaces, Knowledge Content Technologies, Applications, Information Market

Digital preservation challenges and actions at European level Outline of presentation Our view of the challenges and problems Initiatives taken to date Potential and directions for future actions

Digital preservation challenges and actions at European level Our societal memory and knowledge informs the future through Statements of achievements and progress Resources for study and learning Means of protecting individual and corporate rights Instruments of public accountability

Digital preservation challenges and actions at European level Recognition of the digital preservation problem Essential to society Impact of failure - loss of knowledge for research, for functioning of our societies, for commercial interests Getting commitment & awareness of all stakeholders Political / policy support and funding

Challenges Develop more coordinated approaches and strategies at European level – counter fragmentation Council Resolution on Preserving Tomorrow’s Memory Needs follow up – at Member State and EU level Promote good practice and share experience Between institutions & across institutional boundaries Advocacy through leadership But share ownership of common issues Expand constituency – develop critical mass and leverage

Challenges Recognise need for pro-active action Digital preservation cannot be done by accident Avoid temptation to postpone the problem – “technology will provide” or “someone else’s problem really” Loss in some contexts is time-critical Audio visual archives – specific time deadlines Endangered materials – physical deterioration Technical obsolescence Need for cost-effective migration strategies

Digital preservation is necessary – then what? New mechanisms and agreements to regulate deposit and storage Trusted repositories – organisational and technical issues Selection of contents for retention – how and who has the responsibility? Improve understanding and measures for risk of loss – and how to accommodate this risk

Balancing rights of today’s creators with those of tomorrow’s users IPR and copyright Impacts on survivability by: Creating barriers to essential rescue digitisation campaigns – identification of rights holders and clearance of rights Copyright provisions – may restrict or inhibit copying essential for archival management and maintenance Embedded DRM systems – how to ensure future accessibility Balancing rights of today’s creators with those of tomorrow’s users

Technology challenges Nature of digital material Easily created, quickly accessed & disseminated but short-lived and fragile Managing technological obsolescence Dynamic objects Distributed, subject to change, driven by user interactions Providing and understanding context & meaning Future digital artefact v re-use/exploitation with future tools

Existing actions at European level Previous RTD programmes Experimental test-bed to develop and test concepts (NEDLIB) European knowledge base and promotion of good practice/awareness (ERPANET) Supporting migration to digital formats for audio-visual and film archives (PRESTO/SPACE, BRAVA, FIRST) Development of digital preservation research agenda and pooling research interests (DELOS) Supporting coordination between Member States – LUND process & MINERVA and adoption of Firenze Agenda

Both require work on metadata for context and meaning Information Society Technologies research programme – workprogramme 2005 - 2006 “Aim is to develop systems and tools which will support the accessibility and use over time of cultural and scientific resources” Supporting the increasingly complex focus for applications from: Access  new environments for use and experiences  increasing creative exploitation Handling increasingly complex objects – non-textual, multiple formats Both require work on metadata for context and meaning

IST Workprogramme 2005-2006 Digital preservation research Shorter term Experimental platforms, empirical research on solutions. Focus on current state of the art and “stable” documents, but in multiple formats and multi-sourced Web archiving Alliances / partnerships technology providers & developers, & research community (archival, information management, computer science) Anticipate best solved through Integrated Projects

IST Workprogramme 2005-2006 Digital preservation research Longer term More dynamic and interactive content; v. large volumes; projecting concepts for solutions over longer timescales Re-evaluation of concepts; links to cognitive systems Develop nucleus and mobilise potential research actors at European level

Some Conclusions We still need advocacy Form alliances Develop initiatives at national level and at institutional level Mix of organisational change, input to (regulatory) frameworks, best practices, research Opportunities exist at EU level – use them

Further References European Commission Directorate-General Information Societey Unit Technology-enhanced learning; Cultural Heritage L-2920 Luxembourg Website: http://www.cordis.lu/ist/directorate_e/telearn-digicult/index.htm Mailbox: digicult@cec.eu.int