CEDARS (UK)
The Cedars Project is a Higher Education initiative in the UK funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee through the eLib programme. It officially began on the 1st April 1998. The funding was awarded to the Consortium of University Research Libraries (CURL) and the work is carried out on behalf of CURL by three CURL institutions - Leeds, Oxford and Cambridge..Computer Conservation Society (CCS, UK)The Computer Conservation Society was formed in 1989 as an initiative between the British Computer Society and the Science Museum of London. The aims of the CCS are to: promote the conservation of historic computers; develop awareness of the importance of historic computers; and encourage research on historic computers. The site provides links to related sites and details of the Society's working parties, lecture programme, and its bulletin "Resurrection".Digital Library Federation (DLF, US)A consortium of fifteen of the US's largest libraries and archives cooperating to ensure access to digitised materials. The site provides links to member organisations with a range of digital library access and preservation projectsEuropean Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA)The European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA) "was established in 1994 to promote activities aimed at keeping collections in European archives and libraries accessible over time. Books, documents, photographs, films, tapes and disks are all subject to decay. The digital revolution has introduced new problems of obsolescence of soft- and hardware. In order to keep our documentary heritage available for future generations of users, large-scale programmes must be developed for its preservation." The site also includes "The Preservation Map of Europe" a virtual directory of selected organisations working in the preservation field within Europe.
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR, US)The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research is an organisation of member institutions working together to promote and facilitate research and instruction in the social sciences and related areas by acquiring, developing, archiving , and disseminating data and documentation for instruction and research, and by conducting related instructional programmes. A strategic undertaking of the ICPSR is the acquisition and long-term preservation of social science data. There is a wide range of informed and detailed information on the site on digital archiving of social science data built on many years experience in this field.International Council of Archives Committee on Electronic RecordsThe ICA is a non-governmental organization founded in 1948 at a meeting convened by UNESCO. With some 1,350 members in over 150 countries, it acts internationally "to promote the preservation, development and use of the world's archival heritage. The ICA's Committee on Electronic Records was established in 1993 "to undertake study and research, promote the exchange of experience and draft standards and directives concerning the creation and archival processing of electronic records". Currently, the Committee's web site hosts its Guide for Managing Electronic Records from an Archival Perspective, its Electronic Records Programs: Report on the 1994/95 Survey, and its Electronic Records: Literature Review.International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA)IFLA is "a worldwide, independent organization created to provide librarians around the world with a forum for exchanging ideas, promoting international cooperation, research and development in all fields of library activity". IFLA's Core Programme for Preservation and Conservation focuses "efforts on issues of preservation and initiates worldwide cooperation for the preservation of library materials". Its web pages provide extensive listings of Electronic Collections and Services including a section on Digital Libraries: Resources and Projects.Internet Archive (US)The Internet Archive is collecting and storing public materials from the Internet such as the World Wide Web, Netnews, and downloadable software which have been donated by Alexa Internet. The Archive will provide historians, researchers, scholars, and others access to this vast collection of data (reaching ten terabytes), and ensure the longevity of this information.International Standards Organisation (ISO), Open Archival Information Systems (OAIS Standard)ISO is working to develop standards for the long term preservation of digital information obtained from observations of the terrestrial and space environments and which could also apply to other long-term digital archives. ISO aims to provide a framework and common terminology that may be used by Government and Commercial sectors in the request and provision of digital archive services. Working papers and drafts (White Books) of the Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System are available on the web and can be downloaded by ftp.Library of Congress (US)"The Library of Congress is committed to assuring long-term, uninterrupted access to the intellectual content of the Library's collections, either in original or reformatted form. This mission is accomplished directly through the provision of conservation, binding and repair, reformatting, materials testing, and staff and user education; and indirectly through coordinating and overseeing all Library-wide activities relating to the preservation and physical protection of Library material". See Preservation (Library of Congress) and Library of Congress Preservation Directorate.National Archives and Records Administration, Center for Electronic Records (US)"Identifying permanently valuable records for retention in the National Archives involves co-operation between the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the various agencies of the Federal Government. Through the process of appraisal, the Center for Electronic Records identifies and selects the electronic records it judges to have continuing value."National Library of AustraliaProvides information on the National Libraries holdings and activities in electronic access and preservation. This includes information on the PANDORA Project which is archiving a selection of Australian electronic journals.National Library of Canada Electronic Publications Pilot ProjectFrom June 1994 to July 1995, the National Library of Canada (NLC) conducted a pilot project to acquire, catalogue, preserve and provide access to a small number of Canadian electronic journals and other representative publications available on the Internet. This project was called the Electronic Publications Pilot Project (EPPP). The Summary of the Final Report is available on-line. The EPPP Final Report (June 1995) is available as a downloadable file.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)is the lead body in the UK for funding research, survey, monitoring and training in the environmental sciences. NERC plays a key role in environmental data management. The site provides links to the Data Centres funded by NERC for long-term preservation of electronic data. The NERC has an excellent Data Policy (NERC 1996) which is being updated and will shortly be available on the site.Preserving Access to Digital Information (PADI, Australia)Jointly sponsored by the Australian Archives, the Australian Council of Libraries and Information Services (ACLIS), the National Preservation Office and the National Film and Sound Archive PADI preserves "access to significant Australian information in digital form [by] providing mechanisms that will help to ensure that digital information is managed with appropriate consideration for preservation and future access." Particular objectives include the development of national strategies, a Web site for information and promotion purposes, a forum to exchanging views, preservation and access guidelines and strategies, and to impact on preservation aspects of national digital information initiatives, and actively identify and promote relevant activities. PADI's web site contains "selected bibliographies on preserving access to digital information. The bibliographies... are selected from the many available. They include material that is both on-line and in paper-based formats".Public Record Office (PRO, UK)The PRO has established two digital preservation programmes, EROS (Electronic Records from Office Systems) for the records created in the office networks being introduced by government bodies, and NDAD (the UK National digital Archive of Datasets) for structured datasets, such as survey files and databases, in government departments. Final Guidelines on the Management of Electronic Records from Office Systems,are available as a pdf file.Research Libraries Group (RLG, US)"A not-for-profit corporation of US institutions devoted to improving access to information that supports research and learning". Its The Preservation Service - PRESERV "is a series of projects and activities that support local institutions in their efforts to preserve and thereby improve access to endangered research materials. Current projects include digital archiving, preservation and reformatting, digital image capture, preservation issues of metadata and preserving magnetic media. PRESERV focuses on achieving collaborative and innovative solutions to common preservation problems by inventing and testing new models for cooperation.... Working Groups Established to Achieve PRESERV's Strategic Plan include those on Digital Archiving, Preservation and Reformatting Information, Digital Image Capture, Preservation Issues Of Metadata, an Preserving Magnetic Media".The Getty Institute.The Getty Conservation Institute shares concerns and expertise in technologyand culture.Universal Preservation Format (UPF, US)Sponsored by the WGBH Educational Foundation and funded in part by a grant from the US National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National Archives, the Universal Preservation Format Initiative advocates a format for the long-term storage of electronically generated audio-visual and other media. This site disseminates information about the proposed universal preservation format and related initiatives. One of the links on the site is the UPF Needs Assessment Survey, devised to assist in incorporating the needs of potential users into the platform-independent UPF.

The Data ArchiveThe Data Archive at the University of Essex, houses the largest collection of accessible computer-readable data in the social sciences and humanities in the United Kingdom. It is a national resource centre, disseminating data throughout the United Kingdom and, by arrangement with other national archives, internationally. Founded in 1967, it now houses approximately seven thousand datasets of interest to researchers in all sectors and from many different disciplines.The National Data Repository at the University of London Computing CentreThe NDR provides a network-accessible digital archive and filestore, based on a robotic tape system which can provide access to up to 300 Terabytes of data. The service is currently available to customers, and trials can be arranged for those with an interest. Costs range from 4p/Mbyte for small data volumes with limited access, with discounts available for volumes in excess of one Terabyte.The Natural Environment Research CouncilAs the lead body in the UK for research, survey, monitoring and training in the environmental sciences, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has two key resources: its expert work force and its scientific data holdings. Data are the lifeblood of scientific research, and NERC plays a key rôle in environmental data management, with an international reputation in the field... The responsibility for NERC's data has... been divided on discipline-related lines between specialist Data Centres.

ARCHIVISTS.Edited by Brewster Kahle since 1996, ARCHIVIST "is concerned with electronic archiving matters, in particular the Internet Archive. Subscribe to ARCHIVISTS by emailing to archivists-request@archive.org and providing as the message the following: subscribe archivists (optional email address).Berkeley Digital LibraryAt the University of Berkeley, building "digital collections and services while providing information and support to others doing the same". Provides a useful Digital Library Information Resources Page with information on Copyright and Intellectual Property, Resources for keeping up with technology, Imaging, Metadata, Preservation, Standards for Digital Library Development, etc CD Information Center (US)A central reference point to learn the basics about Compact Disc development and production technology and the industry Image and Multimedia Database ResourcesHoward Besser's and Rachel Onuf's comprehensive resource guide with sections on issues of relevance to digital preservation Preservation of electronic information: a bibliographyInformation resources page maintained by Michael Day, UK Office for Library and Information Networking (UKOLN)Stanford University Libraries' Conservation OnLine"A project of the Preservation Department of Stanford University Libraries, a full text library of conservation information, covering a wide spectrum of topics of interest to those involved with the conservation of library, archives and museum materials". Its web pages provide a bibliography of resources and projects under several headings of interest including bibliographies and resources guides, digital images, documentation, electronic media, electronic resources, etc.Webreference: watermarksLinks to commercial companies and articles on watermarking of digital images.

"Digital Preservation: A Time Bomb for Digital Libraries"Article by Margaret Hedstrom discussing digital preservation requirements, limitations of current preservation strategies, storage media, migration, conversion, management tools and related issues.Oxford University Policy on Computer Archiving ServicesA useful overview of the introduction of the Hierarchical File Server at Oxford and the digital archiving policy established for the University.PANDORA - Boxing for survival: Archiving, preservation and access issues related to Australian Internet based publicationsAn excellent overview of the preservation and access issues relating to Australian Internet-based publications.

Preservation of Digital Information Proceedings of the SIXTH DELOS WORKSHOP June 199817 international papers from the digital preservation workshop held in Tomar Portugal. An important snapshot of current work across a range of sectors internationally.Preserving Digital Information: Final Report and RecommendationsSeminal report from the Task Force on Digital Archiving established by the Commission on Preservation and Access and the Research Libraries Group and published in 1996 (Garrett and Waters 1996).Preservation of the Electronic Assets of a UniversityIntroduction to the IT Strategy of Oxford University and the issues and approach developed to preserving a growing range of electronic information generated by the University.Reference Model for an Open Archival Information SystemWorking drafts (White Books) of the Reference Model being developed by CCSD Panel2 of ISO to provide a framework and common terminology for specifying digital archive services.