Overview: Rationale for Digitization and Preservation

Abstract

This chapter provides a foundation for understanding the preservation implications of digital conversion projects. Following a brief description of the advantages and disadvantages of digital technologies, the author defines preservation in the digital context and describes how the underlying principles of traditional preservation practice relate to the creation of digital products. The key to successful digital conversion programs is the relationships among three concepts: (1) the purposes that the digital products will serve, (2) source document characteristics, and (3) technology capabilities brought to bear during the conversion process. At the heart of the digital conversion enterprise is this author's assertion that "preservation is the creation of digital products worth maintaining over time." Preservation in the digital context is separate from but integrally related to preservation actions taken on original source materials. The chapter ends with a reiteration of the idea of responsible custody, a highly relevant idea articulated over fifty years ago to describe the central role of preservation in cultural institutions.