Digital Preservation at University Library

Digital Preservation at CSUN University Library

Objectives

Policies for digital preservation at CSUN are evolving as capacities for the long-term care of digitized and born digital archives are developed and refined. As a campus of the California State University, digital preservation resources, guidelines, and workflows are currently being developed and shared across libraries in order to provide support and consistency within the CSU system, while respecting those processes and policies crafted by each campus to address needs specific to their libraries. For these reasons, future iterations of these policies will continue to be drafted and revised.

The policies here assure researchers that the University Library digital archives and digital collections materials conform to at least a minimum viable set of management protocols to ensure the long-term preservation, maintenance, and integrity of digital records. Documentation highlighting details of preservation workflows are made available to staff and other library personnel via department servers.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Special Collections librarians work with donors and development directors; direct processing work and workflows; and develop policies specific to Special Collections and Archives.
• Archivists process collections and work with digital services personnel to support digital reformatting and data migration efforts.
• Digital Services Librarian consults with Special Collections and Archives personnel and the Metadata Librarian as needed; oversees the purchasing, implementation, and maintenance of equipment in the digital services lab; and develops workflows and policies relating to the migration of data and formats.
• Digital Collections Specialist executes digital reformatting requests; monitors and identifies needs within the lab; assists in the development and refinement of workflows; creates tutorials; and trains and supervises student staff.
• Library Systems Group works with library personnel, IT, and vendors regarding data storage, database maintenance, server maintenance; and manages computer systems used in the lab including access to the library’s information infrastructure.
• Third party service providers enable access to digital collections online. A preservation management system is forthcoming to facilitate the transfer, storage, documentation, integrity, security, and access of digital records.

Best Practices

Digital Services deploys digital preservation workflows that incorporate best practices from, but not limited to:

• Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (Still Image and Audio-Visual Working Groups)
• Library of Congress on (digital preservation and metadata standards)
• National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA)
• International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA)

Quality Assessment

Assessment, or success measures are being developed to incorporate preservation management services now being implemented. Terms and conditions for which assessment reviews and updates to the strategy are made are forthcoming.

Related Policies

• Copyright and Intellectual Property (Library website and CSU)
• CSUN Universal Design Center (Accessibility processing)

You may direct your questions to Digital Services Librarian, Steve Kutay (stephen.kutay@csun.edu)