Saving vs Preserving
"Saving" a file is keeping it locally for an undetermined time as it was last saved.
"Preserving" a file is converting a file into an ideal preservation format, verifying its integrity, and storing it in multiple locations with low-access and high-security measures in place to ensure continued access.
Advantages of Digital Preservation
- Access to digitized and born-digital objects is technology-dependent
- Technologies can fail or become obsolete
- Less accessibility helps increase the odds of maintaining integrity
- Preservation is the solution to increasing the ability to access material in the future
OAIS Reference Model
See Brian Lavoie's DPC Technology Watch Report on the OAIS reference model for detailed information.
General Resources
Digital Preservation Handbook
Digital Preservation Coalition
NDSA Levels of Preservation
Format Obsolescence: Assessing the Threat and the Defenses
by David S. Rosenthal