Digital Preservation Education: Educating or Networking?

Abstract

A b s t r a c tDigital preservation training, especially continuing education, is now recognized as an essential component of an archivist's education. This paper reports on a research project that evaluated the effectiveness of continuing education experiences for increasing participants' skills in digital preservation and their ability to implement these skills in their repositories. The research project studied the impact of four workshops and five seminars in an international setting sponsored by the Electronic Resource Preservation and Access Network (ERPANET). The study findings indicate that the participants viewed the training events as successful, but that very few participants were able to implement the skills once they returned to their work environments. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of these kinds of training events and looks carefully at how they can be realistically measured. I n t r o d u c t i o nO rganizations need to manage and preserve their digital resources because of the proliferation of digital materials for every type and form of information. To a much greater degree than with analog materials, digital information is dependent upon its technical environment, making its preservation particularly complex. Reading and understanding digital information requires hardware and software, both of which are constantly evolving and may become unavailable within a decade of their introduction. The rapid rate of change in the means of recording digital information, storage formats, and the technologies for use threaten the longevity of digital objects.Although organizations are concerned for the longevity of digital resources and recognize the need to manage and preserve their digital resources, many organizations lack the requisite expertise. Currently, the demand for individuals skilled in the area of digital preservation greatly exceeds the supply. Margaret Hedstrom and Sheon Montgomery found in Research Libraries Group (RLG) T H E A M E R I C A N A R C H I V I S T 188 T h e A m e r i c a n A r c h i v i s t , V o l . 6 9 ( S p r i n g / S u m m e r 2 0 0 6 ) : 1 8 8 -2 1 2

Archival Divides and Foreign Countries? Historians, Archivists, Information-Seeking, and Technology: Retrospect and Prospect

“…356 Determining outcomes for archival education and methods for evaluating their success are crucial in informing optimum training programs. 357 How can the sorts of collaboration noted by these scholars be refined and extended?…”

Overwhelmed to action: digital preservation challenges at the under-resourced institution

“…Instead of pressure and crisis, Duff et al (2006) identify practical content, real-life experiences, more emphasis on tools and a greater need for contextualization as key components for understanding DP. They also emphasize the need for "a nonthreatening setting where [people] can discuss the problems they are facing in their workplaces" (Duff et al, 2006, p. 201).…”

“…This was not due to the lack of dissemination or awareness of DP issues. Ninety-six percent of the Electronic Resource Preservation and Access Network (ERPANET) workshop participants shared their training with their institutions (Duff et al, 2006). However, "only 35% of respondents said that they implemented the ideas that they learned about at the event" (Duff et al, 2006, p. 199).…”

What makes a digital steward: A competency profile based on the National Digital Stewardship Residencies

“…[4] At least 16 affiliated or closely related professional organizations have adopted similar statements. [5] Studies of training needs and efficacy [6][7][8] cite the lack of a commonly accepted profile for digital stewardship as confounding to efforts to design complementary curricula. Alternative approaches in the U.S., [9,10], U.K. [11], and internationally [12,13] survey professionals actively working in digital stewardship roles to identify their core competencies in order to broadly identify gaps and opportunities in the training and education of current and future professionals.…”