Oya Y. Rieger
Senior Strategist
Ithaka S+R
Roger C. Schonfeld
Program Director, Libraries, Scholarly Communication, and Museums
Ithaka S+R
Libraries, museums, and archives have increasing dependency on digital platforms such as APTrust, LIBNOVA, Preservica, and Samvera to support the curation, discovery, and management of digital content. The long-term stewardship of digital materials depends not only on the technical resiliency of preservation systems, but also on the strength of financial and organizational sustainability of these systems and their providers and their ability to meet the needs of their clients (user base). In August 2020, with funding from the Institute of Library and Museum Services (IMLS), Ithaka S+R launched an 18-month research project to examine and assess how digital preservation systems are developed, deployed, and sustained. Based on case studies, we analyzed the business approaches of eight preservation service providers to understand what seems to work well and the challenges and risk factors these initiatives face. The purpose of this presentation is to share the initial findings and seek input to further refine a set of recommendations. Also included in the discussion will be the practices on the ground and varied capabilities and stewardship responsibilities of cultural and scientific heritage organizations in deploying preservation systems.