The State of Technology for Digital Archiving

TL;DR

This paper reviews the current and future technological landscape of digital archiving, emphasizing that technology offers opportunities rather than barriers for ensuring the long-term preservation of electronic scholarly records.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of digital archiving technologies and forecasts their evolution, guiding institutions in developing effective long-term digital preservation strategies.

Findings

Technology is not a barrier but an opportunity for digital archiving.

Digital archive systems are expected to evolve significantly over the next decade.

The report offers strategic insights for institutions to ensure digital preservation.

Abstract

The Windsor Study Group on Digital Archiving was commissioned to recommend strategies, policies, and technologies necessary for ensuring the integrity and longevity of electronic publications. The goal of this work is to inform institutions of the challenges and opportunities faced by information stewards in fulfilling their mission of guaranteeing a permanent and authoritative scholarly record in the digital age. This white paper focuses specifically on the technological dimensions of digital archiving. It provides an analysis of the current state of technologies as well as a forecast of how digital archive systems are likely to evolve over the next decade. The thesis of this white paper is that technology does not present a barrier to long term digital archiving, but instead presents an opportunity to harness the current and future power of these technologies to create the architectural underpinnings of a comprehensive digital archiving strategy.