ALCTS's Digiblog

The Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) has created a web log to discuss digital preservation; Digiblog: The ACLTS Blog was created to discuss controversial issues in digital preservation that will be addressed at the ALCTS Midwinter Symposium. The symposium is part of the ALA Midwinter Conference in Seattle in January 2007 and is entitled Definitely Digital: An Exploration of the Future of Knowledge on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of ALCTS.

As libraries "go digital" ALCTS seeks to examine the changed in services, collections, staffing, scholarship, and communication. The blog purposefully highlights controversial statements to incite discussion and deliberation of topics before the symposium and for the panelists to discuss at the symposium. The first controversial statement mentions preservation specifically, discussing the costs of digitization, and assuming that means digital preservation only an option for large universities.

While the entire blog is not about digital preservation, per se, it is about a change in the landscape which preservationists will have to understand and cope with. As our larger society values digital, or distrusts it as the case may be, preservationists will need to determine how to cope with the idea of "digital preservation" or with items that are born digital. For example, the second controversial statement is about how digital forms are so varied that they will change collection development, acquisition and cataloging patterns beyond recognition. While this may not on the surface seem to relate to preservation, any change in the choices made in the materials brought into the library or how they are accessed will affect preservation decisions as well. The largest consideration perhaps is whether or not the materials are owned by the library can impact whether we have the ability (e.g. copyright, etc.) to preserve them the way we want to. However, other handling can impact preservation, for example, different cataloging for digital can affect access and also the ability to assess preservation needs.

Take a look at the Digiblog.