Digital Preservation

(3-4 Credits)

This class addresses the use of digital files and infrastructure as preservation media, and will investigate current theories and practices for the conservation and preservation of both digitized and born digital materials. Students will learn the details of the functions of digital preservation environments and repositories, and what infrastructure, policies, and procedures need to be a part of a repository in order to make it preservation compliant. Students will gain practical skills with identification, analysis, handling, and risk assessment for works as a whole, their component parts, and associated software and metadata. Initiatives and R&D efforts by the national, international, regional, and cooperative organizations will be explored. Digital literacy will be emphasized, and through a combination of lectures, discussion, and hands-on activities and lab exercises, students will develop an increased understanding of digital technologies, ecosystems, and requirements.