70T h e A m e r i c a n A r c h i v i s t , V o l . 6 5 ( S p r i n g / S u m m e r 2 0 0 2 ) : 7 0 -1 0 6Preservation Strategies for Electronic Records: Where We Are Now-Obliquity and Squint?Michèle V. Cloonan and Shelby Sanett A b s t r a c tThis article reports on a survey of the activities of thirteen institutions and projects in the United States and abroad that employ or are exploring strategies to preserve authentic electronic records. These strategies include preservation techniques (e.g., refreshing, migration, emulation); selection for preservation; staffing configurations; cost modeling; access to preserved records; and policymaking. Particular attention is paid to three broad areas: the evolution of the definition of "preservation," the role of costing in preserving electronic records, and the gap in policy development in which to situate and strategize the present and future preservation of electronic records. By documenting the variety of approaches that are being taken, the authors seek not only to shed light on current practices, but also to offer informed consideration on where preservation might be headed.

The financial challenges of the processes involved in preserving electronic records into perpetuity are significant. Financial management tools will support the decision-making processes in which archives and libraries engage when preserving electronic records. Applying business concepts, in combination with archival precepts and collection management principles, to the challenge of preserving electronic records will assist institutions such as archives and libraries in making decisions that will support their mission statements and act in the best interests of their users. This article proposes that a cost model specific to preserving authentic electronic records be developed.

The authors are conducting a three-part study to evaluate current trends in the preservation of digital content, with an emphasis on electronic records. The study emanated from the authors' work on the Preservation Task Force of the International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems (InterPARES) project. This article incorporates the findings of both the survey and individual key-informant interviews that we conducted from August 2001 through February 2003, as round 2 of the study. Round 2 builds on the 2000-2001 round 1 survey that sought to identify and describe strategies for preserving electronic records. In this second round the authors found that progress has been made in some areas while it is still lags in others.1 The full study consists of three phases: round 1 identified and surveyed 13 institutions, projects, and programs in North America, Australia, and Europe. Round 2 surveyed eight of the 13 institutions again to follow up on their progress. Additionally, we interviewed 18 key informants, including archivists and librarians. In round 3 the authors will each conduct one case study drawn from the survey participants in rounds 1 and 2. By the end of the three rounds, the authors will have studied a continuum of activities (over a six-year period) that constitutes a range of digital preservation strategies. The study will have charted the change in technological developments over this period—developments that have occurred in our survey institutions to meet the requirements of their mandates to preserve digital content for as long as needed.

The lack of awareness of digital preservation issues by stakeholders, the lack of the necessary skill sets to preserve digital materials, the lack of agreed international approaches, a shortage of practical models on which to base preservation practice, and a lack of funding on an ongoing basis to address digital preservation issues all contribute to the problem. Abstract:A three-part longitudinal research studyconducted from 1999-2007-gathered information on management practices in national archives that were developing digital preservation programs. In the first two rounds, data was collected from surveys and interviews. The third round was an in-depth case study conducted at the National Archives of Australia (Sanett 2008). Three core areas of practice in the emerging digital preservation programs were selected for further exploration after the first round: staffing, costs, and policy. Generally, the data indicated that these three areas remained underdeveloped in archival digital preservation programs. This article discusses results of the study and is an overview of what has changed in these areas since the study ended in 2007.

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