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Digital Preservation Case Study: Community Action via UK LOCKSS Alliance

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EDINA, University of Edinburgh
EDINA, University of Edinburgh

Presentation given by Adam Rusbridge at the Digital Preservation Coalition on Getting Started in Digital Preservation, 28 February 2011.

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Digital Preservation Case Study: Community Action via UK LOCKSS Alliance Adam Rusbridge UK LOCKSS Alliance Coordinator EDINA, University of Edinburgh
Threats to Digital Material Can we still access the subscribed journals if we stop paying subscription (post-cancellation access)? What happens if a publisher discontinues a journal? What happens if a publisher goes bust? Will we still be able to view current formats in the long term?
A LOCKSS Box is a Digital Bookshelf http://
Preserving Web Published Content … journals, books, blogs, web sites, scanned files, audio, video animations, social science datasets, moving images, still images, software, sound, text, e-thesis & dissertations, images, government documents …
400+ Participating Publishers
Continuing Access Access in short term and long term Continuing access following cancellation Access is not dependent upon continuing membership
UK LOCKSS Alliance The UK LOCKSS Alliance is a co-operative organization whose goal is to ensure continuing access to scholarly work in ways that are sustainable over the long term. LOCKSS allows libraries to be involved in the development of journal preservation infrastructure and collections. EDINA offers underlying technical support and coordination
Motivations to participate A library task is to manage risk in order to ensure long term preservation and access. What approach best suits your needs? Why participate in preservation initiatives? Cost savings: post-cancellation access Form of insurance for high value e-only subscriptions Limited resources available What do we regard as a priority? How do we ensure the stability of the archives? Audit and certification
What did we do before? Print collections are an effective decentralized preservation system Many copies of most things Scattered around the world Held under different legal regimes Held under different administrative regimes Distributed responsibility reduces risk of accidental loss
Why do systems fail? Media failure Hardware failure Software failure Network failure Format obsolescence Natural disaster Economic failure Organization failure Operator error External attack Insider attack
How LOCKSS Works LOCKSS: Modern technology meets the decentralization and local control model of print collections.
Significant Properties
Publishers Give Permission
Independent Collection
Independent Collection
Governance Activities Finance, Activity and Resources Achieving a sustainable organisation Collection Management Policies Methods to determine what content is of priority and at-risk Community Outreach Supporting other libraries How to contribute to national policy Technical Operation and Development Usage of LOCKSS within institutions
Priorities for 2010-2013 Funding for Community Development Activities (2010 – 2013) Continued identification of at-risk scholarly titles Develop well-defined policies and practices And encourage their adoption Improve communication between the UKLA members Engagement with the wider community, e.g. via DPC Develop active ‘self-help’ communities to share information Engage with other initiatives to encourage joined-up services Benefit from ‘Shared Services’
Principles of LOCKSS: Building Solid Archives Assured and licensed access to content Appropriate control and custody of content Within UK policy and funding control Responsibility spread across the community Built upon a strong organisational foundation Shepherded by strong universities with strong libraries
Where do we go from here? Thank you for listening Adam Rusbridge [email_address]

More Related Content

Digital Preservation Case Study: Community Action via UK LOCKSS Alliance

  • 1. Digital Preservation Case Study: Community Action via UK LOCKSS Alliance Adam Rusbridge UK LOCKSS Alliance Coordinator EDINA, University of Edinburgh
  • 2. Threats to Digital Material Can we still access the subscribed journals if we stop paying subscription (post-cancellation access)? What happens if a publisher discontinues a journal? What happens if a publisher goes bust? Will we still be able to view current formats in the long term?
  • 3. A LOCKSS Box is a Digital Bookshelf http://
  • 4. Preserving Web Published Content … journals, books, blogs, web sites, scanned files, audio, video animations, social science datasets, moving images, still images, software, sound, text, e-thesis & dissertations, images, government documents …
  • 5. 400+ Participating Publishers
  • 6. Continuing Access Access in short term and long term Continuing access following cancellation Access is not dependent upon continuing membership
  • 7. UK LOCKSS Alliance The UK LOCKSS Alliance is a co-operative organization whose goal is to ensure continuing access to scholarly work in ways that are sustainable over the long term. LOCKSS allows libraries to be involved in the development of journal preservation infrastructure and collections. EDINA offers underlying technical support and coordination
  • 8. Motivations to participate A library task is to manage risk in order to ensure long term preservation and access. What approach best suits your needs? Why participate in preservation initiatives? Cost savings: post-cancellation access Form of insurance for high value e-only subscriptions Limited resources available What do we regard as a priority? How do we ensure the stability of the archives? Audit and certification
  • 9. What did we do before? Print collections are an effective decentralized preservation system Many copies of most things Scattered around the world Held under different legal regimes Held under different administrative regimes Distributed responsibility reduces risk of accidental loss
  • 10. Why do systems fail? Media failure Hardware failure Software failure Network failure Format obsolescence Natural disaster Economic failure Organization failure Operator error External attack Insider attack
  • 11. How LOCKSS Works LOCKSS: Modern technology meets the decentralization and local control model of print collections.
  • 16. Governance Activities Finance, Activity and Resources Achieving a sustainable organisation Collection Management Policies Methods to determine what content is of priority and at-risk Community Outreach Supporting other libraries How to contribute to national policy Technical Operation and Development Usage of LOCKSS within institutions
  • 17. Priorities for 2010-2013 Funding for Community Development Activities (2010 – 2013) Continued identification of at-risk scholarly titles Develop well-defined policies and practices And encourage their adoption Improve communication between the UKLA members Engagement with the wider community, e.g. via DPC Develop active ‘self-help’ communities to share information Engage with other initiatives to encourage joined-up services Benefit from ‘Shared Services’
  • 18. Principles of LOCKSS: Building Solid Archives Assured and licensed access to content Appropriate control and custody of content Within UK policy and funding control Responsibility spread across the community Built upon a strong organisational foundation Shepherded by strong universities with strong libraries
  • 19. Where do we go from here? Thank you for listening Adam Rusbridge [email_address]

Editor's Notes

  1. Multiple threats to digital material. Relate to the loss of control that comes from no longer ‘owning’ content. Can we still access material after cancellation? What happens if a title is cancelled and taken offline?
  2. Each LOCKSS box (at a IP address) independently collects content directly from the publisher; publishers can control which LOCKSS boxes do and don’t ingest content. Web ingest is never perfect; and the imperfections in collection are random. The LOCKSS boxes compare the collected content and come to consensus on what is the authoritative version and correct all the random errors so each LOCKSS box has the authoritative version.
  3. Approaches are relatively new, and haven’t had to weather significant challenges. What is needed to support their activity? What are the library roles? What are the roles of JISC? Of RLUK?   Libraries trying to manage risk best - mitigate risk through participation in preservation initiatives. Different institutions have different priorities – LOCKSS help build collections, Portico provides a assured service. However, amongst the most common trends for motivation are that these services: - provide post-cancellation access (which has the added incentive of saving money). - insure against loss (and discard print, which saves money(?)). Take-up is relatively small, when compared with the total number of UK HE institutions Further incentives, or motivations – or education! - does the UK community need? More advocacy? Or is it just a matter of time?
  4. These are the threats the literature show actually cause the vast majority of data loss.
  5. JISC funding to support our efforts on community development. Two funding streams – first from institutional contributions to support technology, and to cover technical support. Our funding supports broader development – of the approach, of the community.   This work has implications for ‘shared services’ – shared information Even though LOCKSS has a model of replication, it doesn’t mean duplication.
  6. The UK LOCKSS Alliance empowers libraries to continue their role as stewards of content in the digital environment. In summary: Build an archiving model that will last. Involve libraries in the design and oversight of these organizations.  
  7. Thanks for listening.