Kelvin Smith Library has been welcomed as the newest sustaining member of APTrust, a consortium that accepts digital materials in all formats from member institutions and provides high quality digital preservation storage, active monitoring, and has established a community involved in digital preservation work, governance, and innovation.
Kelvin Smith Library’s new partnership with APTrust and member institutions like Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Virginia positions the library to be a leader in the field of digital preservation and offers an opportunity to support the region by establishing better and more accessible digital preservation practices.
Digital preservation strives to conserve historical documents, photographs, art, and multimedia for future generations. It maintains the integrity and availability of digital content for scholars and researchers across all disciplines, supports advancements in technology, and develops and implements strategies to make sure that digital objects can be accessed and understood in the future. Future creators and innovators can build on digital content to develop new ideas.
Alyssa Pierce, KSL’s Digital Preservation Librarian, reminds us that, “every digital object is actually a long sequence of ones and zeroes - in order for people to use them in the future, we have to make sure that those digits remain in the same number and order, that they are in a format that will be supported and readable in the future, and that we record enough information about them to interpret them properly.” APTrust makes sure that these high-quality digital items are maintained indefinitely with multiple storage locations, diligent checks to detect any defects, and are able to be restored when needed. Additionally, the community that APTrust has built is a vital component that encourages members to learn from one another, establish best practices, and share knowledge. While there are established methods for preserving physical books for hundreds of years, the long-term preservation of digital items is still a developing field. This partnership is an effective step to developing strategies that support the lasting preservation of CWRU’s unique digital collections.
Kelvin Smith Library aims to enhance its digital preservation efforts and ensure the longevity and accessibility of its extensive digital assets. We are eager to collaborate with APTrust and fellow members, sharing expertise and engaging in initiatives that advance the collective goal of preserving scholarly and cultural heritage.
Interested in seeing some of the digital objects now supported by APTrust? Digital Case offers open access to a vast array of digitized photographs, audio recordings, rare books, manuscripts, and more, serving as an essential resource for research and education.