Partnerships for Distributed Digital Preservation:
MetaArchive Cooperative
Gail McMillan
Director, Digital Library and Archives
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Martin Halbert
Director for Digital Programs
Emory University
Mark Stoffan
Associate Director for Technology
Florida State University
Preservation of electronic resources has not been a primary consideration for many digital initiatives, in part because there have not been tested and ready solutions. Now there are options, including partnering with the MetaArchive Cooperative, which has evolved from six universities focusing on digital culture in the southern part of the United States into a self-sustaining non-profit membership organization stretching to Great Britain. Begun four years ago as a regional initiative supported the Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP), the MetaArchive is growing by sharing its model with new members and helping other institutions deploy independent preservation networks. For example, it is collaborating with the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) to establish the electronic theses and dissertations (ETD) preservation network, and two states have developed secure distributed preservation networks for unique resources based on the MetaArchive model, which uses modified LOCKSS software. Preserved resources are Web-accessible and reside in commercial or open-source repositories; in open, restricted, or closed collections; in large research libraries or small cultural heritage institutions. This session will include discussion of how the MetaArchive Cooperative operates, four years of lessons learned, and a review of documentation helpful to institutions that might want to consider joining the MetaArchive or establishing their own distributed digital preservation networks. The charter, membership agreement, and outreach documentation will be discussed, as well as the network’s systems, policies, and procedures.
http://www.metaarchive.org
Handout (MS Word)
Presentation (PDF)
