Preservation of Digital Information

The importance of preserving digital information

Images and audio-visual materials are being stored in digital formats more than ever before.

These digital files

• may have been captured in a traditional format such as film photography, then scanned, or transferred from film or tape to a digital format
• may be created directly into digital formats with the use of digital cameras or other digital equipment.

Digitization is sometimes recommended as a preservation strategy for materials that are in fragile formats and should not be used frequently; for example, digitizing pages of delicate manuscripts preserves access to the information on the pages. However, digital objects themselves must be preserved. Rapid changes in technology require institutions to create preservation strategies to ensure longevity for digital materials.

The material presented here is intended as an introduction to the key issues in digital preservation; it is not intended to be exhaustive, as there are existing resources that provide comprehensive references for information about digital preservation. In particular, the PADI site Preserving Access to Digital Information is an excellent resource on this subject.

What technological changes affect digital files?
1) changes in the media on which digital objects are stored
2) format changes in technical environments