Books and manuscripts held in the University of Aberdeen's collections date back centuries.
But will any of the material created today and held in digital formats be available to future generations of students and researchers?
Libraries and archives have been keeping physical collections safe for centuries and it is vital that the same level of care is applied to digital resources. Digital memory is at risk of loss if the challenges posed by constantly changing hardware and software, the degradation of the files we create, and accidental or deliberate data corruption are not met.
It is all too easy to lose digital assets. For example, nine hundred years after William the Conqueror began compiling and storing a detailed record of his realm - where everyone lived, what they did and where they came from – the BBC began its own Domesday project. The large volumes of surveys created as part of the initiative were celebrated as a people’s database but just a few years later, it became unreadable due to the rapid obsolescence of its laser disc technology and hardware, a problem known as digital obsolescence.
Countering such issues is known as digital preservation, and this forms part of a wider programme of work at the University of Aberdeen to enhance aspects of its records management process.
Following a procurement process facilitated by the Jisc digital preservation dynamic purchasing system, the University has now partnered with Libnova and will deploy its Libsafe product as a digital preservation platform. This partnership will support the Aberdeen’s efforts to ensure its corporate records, institutional heritage collections, and research outputs are resilient over the long term.
Simon Bains, University Librarian, said; “The University of Aberdeen is one of the Scottish ancient universities, and we have been caring for our collections for over 500 years.
This project and partnership will allow us to enhance the safeguarding of our digital assets with the same skill and confidence as we have been doing with paper and physical objects for centuries.
“I’m delighted to be working with Jisc and Libnova to develop a world class digital preservation service.”
Jacobo Vera Artazcoz, Chief Executive Officer, Libnova, said: “With more than a decade of experience supporting archives, universities, and research institutions around the world, Libnova is thrilled to bring our expertise to the University of Aberdeen. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to preserving knowledge and ensuring digital resilience for generations to come.”