This webinar gives a comprehensive overview of the basics of digital preservation, followed by a more in depth account of challenges regarding research data in this field.

Recording Date: 8 April 2021

Summary

The digital world can be elusive and short-lived, as continuous use of digital material may be dependent on the right file format, fitting displaying medium, and sufficient context information. Printed books preserved in academic libraries continue to be of importance for research even if they’re hundreds of years old. The same applies to digital material, resulting in digital preservation as a field of work for academic libraries.

This webinar will first give a comprehensive overview of the basics of digital preservation, and, in a second part, a more in depth account of challenges regarding research data in this field.

The basics comprise of various sides of digital preservation, touching on collaboration, management and standards for archives. Among these, preservation planning, target communities and relevant characteristics of preserved objects will be discussed. ZB MED is developing digital preservation for its own collections and automation in parts. Accordingly, various accounts and examples for the indicated topics will be given.

Research Data amplifies various challenges of digital preservation, like large amounts of material, format diversity, need for community contact and more. Reuse and access for researchers depend on specific precautions accordingly. In this web seminar, various approaches to these challenges are introduced. Prelimary content selection and respective preservation levels has to be considered, as well as possible automation of workflows.

Presenters:

Dr. Katharina Markus
ZB MED – Information Centre for Life Sciences

Katharina Markus studied Biology at University of Bonn, specialized in plant sciences for her Masters and did her PhD in molecular biology of plants. Afterwards she did a two-year training as a librarian with a practical year at Stuttgart University Library and a theoretical year at Bavarian State Library. Since 2020 she is head of the department Digital Preservation at ZB MED.

Uta Parmaksiz
ZB MED – Information Centre for Life Sciences

Uta Parmaksiz has worked as librarian at ZB MED since 1991.  Formerly being involved in the acquisition department, she took over the management of e-journals in 2002 and supported from 2014 the licensing department for consortia licenses. In 2019, she started a newly appointed interface position between Research Data Management and Digital Preservation at ZB MED.

Facilitator: Prof. Dr. Ursula Arning