Tom Hutchinson
Web Developer
Tri-College Libraries: Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore Colleges
Institutions are faced with several choices when making technology decisions related to the dove-tailing issues of preservation, storage, and repositories: cloud vs. local, off-the-shelf vs. DIY (do-it-yourself), complete systems vs. individual components. Constantly bombarded with slick sales pitches, “expert” recommendations, echoes from pre-digital practices, and field-wide fashions, executive-level decision makers as well as on-the-ground practitioners struggle to be properly informed when making technology decisions. This talk will present a series of guiding principles and a list of recommendations that, taken together, form a coherent strategy for informed decision making when it comes to selecting digital asset management and preservation solutions. Topics discussed include: Should preservation be a part of storage? Should preservation be a part of repositories? How do professional standards both help and hinder preservation efforts? And: Can we address all of our needs with one single product?
