There have been a couple of publications that have hit the world recently and we wanted to make sure everyone was aware. Each link is followed by an excerpt from the corresponding announcement and my 2 cents.
Over, Under, Around, and Through: Getting Around Barriers to EAD Implementation by OCLC Research
From the announcement: “This report frames obstacles that archivists have experienced adopting Encoded Archival Description. It also suggests pathways to help you get out of the ruts, around the roadblocks, and on the road to success. The objective of the report is to communicate EAD’s value as a key element of successful archival information systems and help you overcome potential barriers to its implementation.”
I like how this report lays out potential roadblocks on both the organizational and technical sides. It seems too often that literature from the field ignores organizational issues, and the “Political and Logistical Issues” section of this report tackles this issue nicely. Nice job!
A Guide to Distributed Digital Preservation by the Educopia Institute
From the announcement: “This volume is devoted to the broad topic of distributed digital preservation, a still-emerging field of practice for the cultural memory arena. Replication and distribution hold out the promise of indefinite preservation of materials without degradation, but establishing effective organizational and technical processes to enable this form of digital preservation is daunting. Institutions need practical examples of how this task can be accomplished in manageable, low-cost ways.”
This is a big volume and I have not had a chance to completely delve into yet, but it looks like a very complete guide to Private LOCKSS Networks and Distributed Digital Preservation, including technical, organizational, and copyright considerations. Like the report above, I love the comprehensive vision. I have printed it and it now sits on my nighttime reading pile, further attesting my commitment to being the best nerd I can be.
New Archivist 