Long-term Preservation
The preservation of online publications represents a particular challenge. The digital data itself must be preserved, but so, too, must its long-term accessibility. This means preserving the interpretability of the content of the digital data. Ongoing technical advances are resulting in constant changes in hardware and software. It must be possible to use publications saved in new file formats on current computer systems just as it was on systems which are now long obsolete. To achieve this, an earlier system environment can be recreated on a current system (emulation) or an earlier file format can be converted into a current one (migration).
In the kopal project sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the German National Library, together with partners, set up a jointly usable digital repository from 2004 to 2007. This includes the administration of information for supporting migration and emulation in LMER format (digital preservation metadata for electronic resources). Also, the open-source software koLibRI (kopal Library for Retrieval and Ingest) was created, providing a framework which can be used for setting up format migration processes. The German National Library and various partners have been collaborating since 2009 on the DFG-sponsored DP4lib (Digital Preservation for Libraries) project to create a long-term preservation infrastructure, based on the results of the kopal project, which offers maximum usability and flexibility. The LuKII project aims to achieve interoperability between the open-source parts of kopal and LOCKSS with the goal of combining low-cost storage and migration tools.
The German National Library is also involved in the EU-sponsored SHAMAN and KEEP projects. Together with a group of partners from the fields of business and science, the memory institutions are developing a conceptual and technical base of next-generation digital preservation network systems. The KEEP project is developing an emulation platform which is intended to ensure long-term accessibility of the cultural heritage by saving a wide spectrum of digital objects and providing flexible access tools.
In 2010 the German National Library in conjunction with the National Library of the Netherlands, the British Library and the National Library of Norway published a concept paper on setting up digital repositories: Long-Term Preservation Services (PDF, 485KB, Not barrier-free file.).
nestor, the project formerly sponsored by the BMBF, was turned into a cooperation association with eleven partners in 2009. Headed by the German National Library, the competence network for digital preservation for Germany was created as a central point of contact for all matters regarding the digital preservation of digital resources.
Langzeitarchivierungs-Policy der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek (Version 1.0, Stand: 15. Februar 2013) urn:nbn:de:101-2013021901 (available only in German)
Last update: 22.2.2013
