Please see requirements includes 7-8 slides for presentation.
Major components:
Presentation (One 5-7 minute presentation per pair/small group, 7-8 slides)
Presentations take place 4/27
Written digital preservation policy (8-10 pages double-spaced, 12 point font)
Policy is due 4/27
How to Submit: pdf or word document via Blackboard Assignments link. File should be named: LastnameFirstname_assignment2 (ex: BarnesHeather_assignment2.pdf)
Group Option: You may work in pairs or in a group of no more than 3 people to complete Assignment 2. Please notify instructors of your group/partner assignments by Week 6.
Please include all group member names in the final submission to ensure all group members receive credit. You only have to submit 1 version of the policy (i.e. one member of the group submits on behalf of the group). Additionally, each member of the group must submit a separate, 250-300 word statement of his/her role in the group and his/her contributions to the assignment.
Description and Instructions:
Digital preservation policies serve to outline a given institution’s official undertaking of and commitment to digital preservation practices. They can assist an institution’s justification for funding, establish rules and parameters for preservation projects and initiatives, and/or introduce priorities and concepts in accessible terms to stakeholders within or beyond the institution.
Each organization or institution has a different list of priorities and scope, which means individual policies vary in length, complexity, and focus depending on the type and function of their institution. For instance, a university’s digital preservation policy may be more concerned with managing onsite storage and maintaining a digital repository for content created by the institution (such as student and faculty research). Alternatively, a public library may have a policy more focused on education and training of staff and patrons with more information on vendor selection and administrative security. A government agency may be most concerned with complying with public record laws and other relevant statutes while ensuring authenticity of public records and publications. A private sector business may be most concerned about liability and security. Though each of these aspects may be mentioned within an institution’s policy, the emphasis and approach depends on the institution itself.
In many cases, the title of and terminology used in the policy may vary though the purpose of the document remains the same - e.g. “policy” vs “guidelines” vs “program.”
For this assignment, you will create a Digital Preservation Policy for a hypothetical institution / institutional scenario of your choice. It can be a public library, nonprofit organization, private company, government entity, archive, university, museum, historical society, etc.
Feel free to be as creative as you would like in selecting your institution and the type of qualities it has. For instance, does your institution have a lot of financial support to help sustain long-term projects? Does your institution have multiple departments or moving parts or does it participate in a consortium or collaboration of some kind? Or does it have a small staff and a small geographic footprint? Does your institution create digital content that needs to be preserved or does it just manage digital content created elsewhere?
You may model your hypothetical institution after a real world example (or multiple real world examples) or create a completely fictional institution. Your policy, however, must be original.
The aim of this assignment is to apply what you have learned in this course to a realistic scenario. In all likelihood, regardless of where you work or what role you play, you will participate in policy development and revision even if it does not involve preservation explicitly.
Requirements
Each institution is different, and you may decide how to structure your policy based on the specific needs and concerns of your institution. However, your policy must at least include the following sections:
Executive Summary - introduction and summary of the policy, including a statement of purpose, e.g. what is the policy for / what does it set out to accomplish?
Scope - what does this policy cover? What does it not cover? What context is needed to best use and understand this document?
Audience - who is this policy for?
Roles and Responsibilities - who is involved in the processes discussed in this policy? What are their roles and what responsibilities does this policy assign them?
System / Functional Requirements - what are the key technical aspects of your preservation program and/or policy? What things do you think need to be highlighted or noted clearly? What are the decisions or priorities you anticipate being the most distinct and vital to your institution? Consider things like:
Formats
Storage
Authenticity / Security
Ingest/processing workflows
Industry Standards
Access and Use - what kind of permissions are involved for accessing preservation items? How will your institution ensure / enforce these permissions and the stated use of the materials being preserved?
Risks and Challenges - What risks or challenges does your institution anticipate in relation to preservation and how do you plan to mitigate them?
References, including at least 3 “real world” digital preservation policies
Depending on the scope and needs of your policy, section lengths will vary and in some cases you may feel it necessary to include additional sections.
SUMMARY: Digital Preservation Policy Project Components
Written Digital Preservation Policy:
Include at least 10 references
Three (3) of the 10 references must be digital preservation policies. You do not have to explicitly quote or reference them in the body of your policy, but you must identify and review at least three (3) digital preservation policies as part of your research for this assignment
Citations must be correct per APA guidelines
Short Presentation:
Summarize your policy, including:
What kind of institution you chose
Process for developing your policy - e.g. what considerations did you make?
Lessons learned / Takeaways