Preserving the British Library’s C19 Newspaper Collection: Planets Film Released

Posted on 28th April 2010

Planets (Preservation and Long-term Access Through Networked Services) has released the first of four filmed and written studies to show how national libraries and archives in Europe are using Planets tools to preserve large and valuable digital collections.

This five minute film documents the challenges the British Library has faced with preserving the 80TB of images and its use of Planets preservation planning tool, Plato, to support the decisions it has taken. More Info

Team Digital Preservation and the Aeroplane Disaster: New Animation!

Posted on 9th September 2009

See it on YouTube

New DPE Briefing Papers Translations available

Posted on 21st March 2009

You may now read 5 more BP in Italian:
- Considerazioni sulla conservazione dei blog
- Sistemi d’identificazione permanente nel settore della Pubblica Amministrazione
- Il modello dati di PrestoSpace
- Gli Identificatori Persistenti per i Beni Culturali
- Interoperabilita: Un concetto chiave su larga scala per biblioteche digitali durature. See new and previous Italian Briefing Paper here.

DPE Release Online Digital Preservation Training Videos

Posted on 3rd March 2009

DPE are pleased to announce the release of video recordings taken at the DPE/Planets/CASPAR/nestor Joint Training Event: Starting out: Preserving Digital Objects - Principles and Practice 13-17 October 2008.

DPE are committed to making digital preservation materials available to the widest possible audience and to breaking down barriers to access. The release of this new resource marks an important step reaching this goal. See the videos here.

DPE Briefing paper translation

Posted on 2nd February 2009

Daniele Metilli translated the DPE Briefing paper "LOCKSS: Re-establishing Librarians as custodians of journal content" into Italian. See the paper here.

Posted on 14th January 2009

DigitalPreservationEurope are pleased to announce the addition of Google translate to the DPE website making our website available in thirty four languages and more accessible both within Europe and around the world.
DigitalPreservationEurope is committed to make the materials it has produced accessible to the widest possible audience and has already made a large amount of material available in translation. This has been made possible through our close collaboration with the DigitalPreservationEurope Associate Partner community.

The Third Digital Preservation Challenge is now open!

Posted on 14th January 2009

Digital Preservation Europe is delighted to announce its third international Digital Preservation Challenge.
We are looking for ideas from creative students from all backgrounds with an interest in computer science. The challenge is to develop digital preservation solutions that overcome the barriers hindering access to five digital objects, each accompanied by a scenario based on real-life situations: Electronic art, Web archiving and Unknown files. More Info

DPE Exchange participant publishes web archiving projects review

Posted on 9th January 2009

Bogdan Trifunovic a DPE exchange participant from Čačak, Serbia, has published the article he wrote while on exchange to the National Library of the Czech Republic. Bogdan's exchange took a particular focus on the WebArchiv project underway at the National Library of the Czech Republic, and his article provides a brief comparative analysis of five web archiving projects (PANDORA, MINERVA, EuropeanArchive, WebArchiv, UK WAC). Read it here.

DPE supports the "PREMIS tutorial" 5-6. February 2009 in Rome

Posted on 19th December 2008

The Foundation Rinascimento Digitale, the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Library of Congress and the PREMIS Editorial Committee are delighted to announce the workshop on PREMIS Preservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies, taking place in Rome, Italy, on 5 - 6
February 2009. Read the Flyer or visit the event website

Two new translations of DPE Briefing Papers

Posted on 5th December 2008

DPE are delighted to announce that 'The Preservation of Digital Audio Visual Content, by Richard Wright of the BBC, and the Challenge of Appraising Science Records, by John Faundeen of the US Geological Survey, are now available in Italian.
DPE continue to strive to make their valuable resources available to the widest possible audience and many of our publications are now available in several languages, please visit our publications page to find out more.

Pictures from WePreserve Annual Conference available

Posted on 26th November 2008

We have published some interesting pictures from the DPE, Planets and CASPAR Third Annual Conference 2008 in Nice, France

Second DPE Challenge Winner

Posted on 20th November 2008

Alex Mason (Durham University, UK) was able to solve all the provided challenges showing great skills in data archealogy. The proposed digital preservation solutions were outstanding and therefore he was awarded the first prize of this digital preservation challenge. Read more about the Second Challenge Scenarios

New DigitalPreservationEurope Exchange (DPEX) report available!

Posted on 20th November 2008

New report from Arian Rajh (Croatia) is available. It describes benefits of his exchange stay in Portugal. Read the report here

Digital Preservation In India: The Hurdles And Their Solutions

Posted on 10th November 2008

It is very important that the ICT Strategies and Policies of India and other countries must not only be suitable but should also believe in a “holistic application and implementation”. The use of ICT has a social aspect as well. India being a Welfare State, the social structure cannot be given a complete go bye. This makes the analysis of ground reality of India inevitable keeping in mind the socio-economic, political and social conditions prevailing in India. The biggest problem with Indian ICT strategies and policies is that “localisation” and “Indianisation” are missing. We cannot blindly adopt and superimpose foreign models and ideas. They are bound to be a big flop show if we ignore the grass-root problems existing in India. Emphasis must be laid down upon solving the local problems by using local solutions. More Info

DPE Community on Facebook!

Posted on 6th November 2008

Join the DPE Community also on Facebook, and help us to promote digital preservation issues in the web 2.0 environment.

Three DPE Briefing Papers now available in Croatian

Posted on 4th November 2008

DPE is delighted to announce that 3 Briefing paper have been translated into Croatian by Hrvoje Stančic and his colleagues. Read them here

DPE Briefing Papers now available in French

Posted on 16th September 2008

DPE are delighted to announce that the following papers have been translated into French by the leading Digital Preservation expert Jean-Pierre Teil.
View breifing papers in French

DPE releases the European Quarterly Preservation Digest

Posted on 15th July 2008

The European Quarterly Preservation Digest provides a state of the art view of current European activities in the field of digital preservation. Updates and overviews from DPE, Planets, CASPAR, SHAMAN, LiWA and DRAMBORA are included. Read the digest here

DPE releases a briefing paper on Preservation of Earth System Model Data

Posted on 30th June 2008

Increasing computing capabilities for the production of Earth system model data has created new challenges for its long-term archiving and preservation. Not all the data produced on the system can be stored in the long-term archive. A new archive concept developed by the ICSU (International Council for Science) World Data Center for Climate (WDCC) separates data storage, including an expiration date at the scientific project level, and the documented long-term archive. This new system produces a completely documented, quality checked long-term archive with a searchable data catalogue. Read the paper [PDF, 96KB]

DPE releases a briefing paper on Preservation of Digital Audiovisual Content

Posted on 30th June 2008

The audiovisual (AV) record of the 20th century is at risk, and digitisation has been a solution, which has created a new problem: preservation of digital AV content. These files have requirements (size; specific formats) that are not adequately addressed by current technology. Best practice can be recommended, but three major changes are needed. Read the briefing paper to find out more. Read the paper [PDF, 96KB]

DPE releases a briefing paper on the challenge of appraising science records

Posted on 30th June 2008

Determining the value of a work of art or historical document can be difficult. Projecting that value into the future can be even more daunting. Ascertaining the current and future value of science work is just as challenging. This paper examines how the records management function of appraisal can help determine the long-term value of science records. Read the paper [PDF, 88KB]

DPE releases a briefing paper on Persistent Identifiers for Cultural Heritage

Posted on 30th June 2008

Internet resources tend to have a short life and this poses problems for citation, retrieval and preservation. This briefing paper looks into the issues surrounding persistent digital object identification for cultural and scientific resources. Read the paper [PDF, 95KB]

Report on the round table "Digital preservation in Italy: experiences face to face" released

Posted on 20th June 2008

We are pleased to announce the release of a report on the round table "Digital preservation in Italy: experiences face to face". Several of the main Italian institutions from ALM, e-health, e-government, research institutions, ICT and media attended the round table to ascertain the state of art of digital preservation in different sectors in Italy and identify common points of interest, obstacles, emerging topics and new trends. The goal of the event was to identify possible areas of cooperation, stimulate synergies and coordination mechanisms around digital preservation at national level that could also be linked in the DPE international framework. Read the report [PDF, 12KB]

DPE/Planets/CASPAR/nestor Joint Training Event: Starting out: Preserving Digital Objects - Principles and Practice

Posted on 18th June 2008

DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE), Preservation and Long-term Access through Networked Services (Planets), Cultural, Artistic and Scientific knowledge for Preservation, Access and Retrieval (CASPAR) and Network of expertise in Digital long-term preservation (nestor) are delighted to announce that they will be delivering the latest in a series of collaborative training initiatives to introduce the Principles of Digital Objects Preservation. This event will be held in Prague, Czech Republic from October 13-17 2008. This event is being organised in cooperation with the 3rd Annual 'WePreserve' Forum. More Info

Second international Digital Preservation Challenge deadline extended to 31 July 2008

Posted on 2nd June 2008

Sponsored in part by

As the original deadline for the Second Digital Preservation Challenge coincides with the exam period for many students across Europe DigitalPreservationEurope has decided to extend the deadline for the DPE challenge until 31 July 2008.

Due to the challenging nature of this competition it was deemed appropriate to allow students the opportunity to focus on their entries over the summer months when they would not have exams to prepare for. More Info

DPE releases PLATTER, a Planning Tool for Trusted Electronic Repositories

Posted on 28th March 2008

Digital Preservation Europe announces the release of PLATTER: a Planning Tool for Trusted Electronic Repositories. Digital repositories are entrusted by their stakeholders - depositors, funders and end-users - with the curation of vital and often irreplaceable electronic assets. Repositories typically validate that trust by subjecting themselves to audit and certification. But how should a new or existing repository organise its planning to prepare for certification? How do you plan for trust?

DPE's PLATTER toolkit will enable new and existing repositories to plan their activities in all the key areas of repository development in order to meet their self-defined goals. PLATTER is designed to complement existing initiatives for audit and certification such as the DPE and DCC DRAMBORA toolkit. Read the report

Preserving the future - cutting edge digital preservation techniques showcased by DPE, CASPAR, nestor and Planets at CeBIT 4-9 March 2008

Posted on 27th March 2008

The latest digital preservation research and technology developments and their relevance to the industry were showcased at the tand 'WePreserve - European Digital Preservation Initiatives' by DPE, CASPAR, nestor and Planets at CeBIT 4-9 March 2008.
The event was a great success for the four projects and generated a great deal of interest within the business community, the general public and also the German Government. Among the many visitors to the 'WePreserve' stand was Bern Neumann, German Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor and Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, pictured above with Emily Witham.
The experts from each of the projects were on hand throughout the week to demonstrate prototype software tools which can help organisations address core digital preservation challenges to visitors. In addition a number of presentations were given in the convention centre to provide a more in depth view of digital preservation issues and the work currently underway by the partners.
DPE, Planets and CASPAR are strategic projects co-funded by the European Union under its Sixth Framework Programme. nestor, the German network of expertise in long-term digital preservation, is a cooperative project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Further information can be found here

DPE Position Paper: Ross Harvey 'So Where is the Black Hole in our Collective Memory?

Posted on 18th January 2008

DigitalPreservationEurope is pleased to announce the release of the second in a series of thought provoking and controversial position papers on a range of issues surrounding digital preservation, So Where is the Black Hole in our Collective Memory? It is our intention that these papers will promote vigorous debate within the digital preservation community and encourage people to think about digital preservation in new and innovative ways by exploring and challenging the received wisdom.
Harvey's position paper asks the important question, Have the digital preservation community cried wolf too often? Are our strident, alarmist proclamations about the loss of digital materials too extreme? He argues that our inability to bring evidence to bear in support of such claims leave us exposed and easily overlooked.
Open the Paper [PDF, 155 KB]
Join the debate

The Second Digital Preservation Challenge

Posted on 17th January 2008

Sponsored in part by

Digital Preservation Europe is delighted to announce its second international Digital Preservation Challenge.
About the Digital Preservation Challenge
DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE) raises awareness and improves practice in the management, longevity, and reuse of digital assets. To this end, DPE is delighted to announce the second international Digital Preservation Challenge. The Digital Preservation Challenge aims to promote innovation at all levels and will provide an insight into the range of digital preservation risks currently being faced by international research and practitioner communities.
The challenge invites participants to overcome the barriers hindering access to five digital objects. Each set of objects is accompanied by a highly abstracted scenario based on real-life situations. These scenarios are intended to make the challenge more accessible to participants from all backgrounds while not trivialising the serious nature of the digital preservation challenges facing society.
Important dates
Opening of the Challenge: 15 January 2008
Deadline for submissions: 30 May 2008 at 4pm GMT
Announcement of winners: ECDL 17 September 2008, Aarhus, Denmark
Awards
First Prize 3000 Euros
Second Prize 1500 Euros
Third Prize 500 Euros
Read the full Press Release
Learn more about the Digital Preservation Challenge,

Briefing Paper released: Professional Development in digital preservation: a life-long requirement.

Posted on 11th December 2007

Digital curation and preservation are rapidly evolving fields. To perform effectively, personnel working in these fields need to update their knowledge and skills on a continuous basis. Training is increasingly delivered through online learning technologies, and the rapidly evolving collaborative environment of Web 2.0 offers further possibilities. The e-learning context presents training opportunities that can provide the blend of theory and practice necessary for effective digital curation and preservation. It is well suited to meeting the life-long learning requirements of personnel working in this field.
Read the report [PDF, 106KB]

DPE, PLANETS, nestor training event report

Posted on 10th December 2007

We are pleased to announce the release of a report on the first DPE, Planets and nestor joint training event, 'Principles of Digital Preservation: a hands-on approach'.

This training event was organized by the DPE partner, Institute of Library and Information science of Vilnius University, in cooperation with colleagues from the Planets[1] and nestor[2] projects and held in Vilnius on 1-5 October 2007. The aim of the event was to introduce the principles of digital preservation, and to explain the key needs and challenges in this area.
Read the Report [PDF, 115KB]

nestor/DPE Winter School 2007 report

Posted on 7th December 2007

We are pleased to announce the release of a report on the Winter School 2007 of nestor the German "Network of Expertise in Long-Term Storage of Digital Resources", and DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE) in November 2007.

This five day training event was organised by the Goettingen State and University Library (SUB), as the nestor partner responsible for training and education, together with representatives from several FE and HE institutions. The event was generously sponsored by DPE and supported by the DELOS network of Excellence.
Read the Report [PDF, 8KB],

DPE Briefing Paper Released. Portico: A Collaborative Approach to Preservation

Posted on 12th November 2007

Research and teaching is not possible without reliable access to the accumulated scholarship of the past and secure preservation of the scholarly record. In the print world preservation responsibility was linked to ownership and was traditionally a function of the library. In the digital age, however, the link between ownership, preservation, and access is broken. By supporting collaborative efforts such as Portico, libraries and publishers can together contribute toward a shared infrastructure which supports a mutually beneficial and valued goal - the long-term, robust preservation of scholarly literature published in electronic form. Open the Paper [PDF, 76 KB]

DPE Position Papers

Posted on 12th November 2007

DigitalPreservationEurope is pleased to announce the release of the first in a series of thought provoking and controversial position papers on a range of issues surrounding digital preservation, Why Appraisal is Not Completely Useless, but is not the Way to Go Either.
It is our intention that these papers will promote vigorous debate within the digital preservation community and encourage people to think about digital preservation in new and innovative ways by exploring and challenging the received wisdom.
Join the Debate
Open the Paper [PDF, 149 KB]

DPE release 'Report on the Legal Framework on Repository Infrastructure'

Posted on 5th November 2007

The focus of this paper is the legal framework for the management of content
of cooperating repositories. The focus will be on the regulation of copyright and protection of personal data.

That copyright is important when managing data repositories is common knowledge. However, there is an increasing tendency among authors not only to deposit their published scientific work, scientific articles, dissertations or books, but also the underlying data. In addition to this ordinary publicly available sources like internet web pages contain personal data, often of a sensitive nature. Due to this emergent trend repositories will have to comply with the rules governing the use and protection of personal data, especially in the medical and social sciences. Read the report [PDF, 179 KB]

DPE, PLANETS, and CASPAR Second Annual Conference: Presentations now available

Posted on 12th October 2007

The presentations given at the second annual DPE, PLANETS, and CASPAR conference at the Instituto dos Arquivos Nacionais / Torre do Tombo Lisbon in Portugal are now available. View the presentations

Practices and Challenges in Preservation and Access for Scientific and Scholarly Digital Repositories

Posted on 9th October 2007

The Digital Curation Centre (DCC), Digital Preservation Europe (DPE), Digital Repository Infrastructure Vision for European Research (DRIVER), and Network of Expertise in Long-Term Storage of Digital Resources (NESTOR) are delighted to announce that they will be delivering a joint workshop on the long-term curation of scientific and scholarly digital repository content. More Info

Second DPE Newsletter Released

Posted on 3rd October 2007

The second DPE Newsletter provides a detailed overview of all aspects of DPE activities and ways that individuals and organisations can become involved. Read the newsletter [PDF, 1.53 MB]

DPE Digtial Preservation Research Roadmap

Posted on 2nd October 2007

A draft version of the DPE Research Roadmap identifying ten core domains for preservation research is now available on this site.
See the publications page for more information

Digital Repository Audit Method Based on Risk Assessment toolkit (DRAMBORA): brochure released

Posted on 2nd October 2007

The introductionary brochure of DRAMBORA (Digital Repository Audit Method Based on Risk Assessment toolkit, http://www.repositoryaudit.eu/) has been released. DRAMBORA enables internal audit by providing repository administrators with a means to assess their capabilities, identify their weaknesses, and recognise their strengths. Find here the contact details if your organization wishes to learn more about DRAMBORA, request support or join the growing network of the toolkit users.
View the brochure [JPEG, 751 KB] [PDF, 332 KB]

Plans for DELOS International Summer School on Digital Preservation 2008

Posted on 6th July 2007

The DELOS 2007 International Summer School on Digital Preservation and Digital Libraries successfully ran in PISA from the 3rd to the 9th of June 2007. The thirty-five attendees benefited from lectures by international experts, participation in practical breakout groups, and general discussion. The 2008 DELOS Summer School on Digital Preservation in Digital Libraries will run from the 8th to the 14th June 2008. It will take place in Italy. It will be co-sponsored by DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE), the Digital Curation Centre (DCC), PLANETS, and CASPAR. The DELOS SS08 Summer School website will be accessible from 1 October 2007 at http://www.dpc.delos.info/ss08 and registration for the Summer School will open on 1 December 2007. More Info

Competence Centres: DPE State of the Art Review published

Posted on 14th May 2007

DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE) has carried out a state of the art review on international competence centres for digital curation and preservation activity and expertise. A list of institutions that completed the survey can be found here. The deadline for inclusion in the report was 13:00 CET on March 23, 2007, but we welcome further additions. The review has been published on the DPE publications page. Read the Review [PDF, 527KB]

DPE announces its Research and Industrial Exchange Programme (DPEX)

Posted on 16th April 2007

Research and practice in digital preservation is patchy, fragmented, and disconnected.
DPEX aims to encourage innovative practice through research collaboration and to build bridges between practitioners and researchers.
DigitalPreservationEurope recognises the value of exchange programmes as a mechanism to establish cross-institutional synergies.
It is our hope that the planned twenty-five DPE Exchanges will propagate knowledge, capacity and innovation as well as foster better cooperation among research institutions and industrial partners working on meeting pressing challenges in digital preservation. Read the full press release.
Apply for an Exchange