The National Library of the Netherlands is a small institution that plays a large role in the world of digital preservation. The library (known in Dutch as the Koninklijke Bibliotheek [English Language Page] and more commonly as the KB) is a leader in supporting practical approaches to preservation through research and collaboration.
In 2003, the KB launched its e-Depot for the long-term management of electronic journal literature. e-Depot is closely tied to the digital life cycle and one of its key features involves agreements with publishers for direct transmission of content to the library's preservation environment.
Now, seven years and 15 million articles later, the KB is building on the success of e-Depot. "I think the seven-year itch is bothering us now," said Hilde van Wijngaarden, head of acquisitions and processing at the KB. "We are ready for a next-generation system."
The KB intends to become a large-scale digital library, networked with other institutions in the Netherlands. Their ambitious strategic plan for 2010–2013 outlines a number of objectives, such as, "We offer everyone access to everything published in and about the Netherlands," and, "We guarantee long-term storage of digital information."
[Snip]
The KB cares about preserving the look-and-feel of digital content, though there is concern that some preservation methods may cause problems in this regard. Emulation mimics or simulates the functionality of an earlier computer environment used to interact with specific digital information. One of the uses of emulation, for example, has been to imitate vintage video games by programming modern computers to recreate the original experience of playing the games as they were when they were first published.
[Snip]
The KB is convinced, though, that emulation technology will be needed, not just to preserve the look-and-feel but to ensure future access to complex digital objects such as websites, scientific papers and research data. She [Hilde van Wijngaarden] emphasizes that it is best to use several diverse approaches to digital preservation, all with the goal of robust access to digital objects in the future.
Source: National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) at the Library of Congress
FreePint Shop:
VIP LiveWire:
