The MIT Libraries is pleased to announce the release of the 2015 National Agenda for Digital Stewardship, from the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA), a report focused on issues related to the long-term preservation of digital materials. It is the result of many months of individual effort and dedicated institutional support from NDSA community members, including those of the MIT Libraries’ Program on Information Science.
The 2015 Agenda provides funders and decision‐makers with insight into emerging technological trends, gaps in digital stewardship capacity, and key areas for funding, research and development to ensure that today’s valuable digital content remains accessible and comprehensible in the future, supporting a thriving economy, a robust democracy, and a rich cultural heritage.
This new edition of the Agenda builds on earlier work, updating the 2014 report, and highlighting new areas of focus, specifically the selection and preservation of content at-scale. It outlines the challenges and opportunities related to digital preservation activities in four broad areas:
- Key Issues in Digital Collection Building,
- Organizational Policies and Practices,
- Technical Infrastructure Development,
- and Research Priorities.
Each section articulates priority challenges, and then offers a set of actionable recommendations to address the challenges.
The National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) is a consortium of over 160 leading government, academic, and private sector organizations committed to long term preservation of digital information. Dr. Micah Altman, Director of Research and Head/Scientist, Program on Information Science for the MIT Libraries, was recently elected to a three-year term as Chair of the NDSA Coordinating Committee and was a contributor to the Agenda.
For the Executive Summary and the full Agenda, visit the NDSA site. Information about the MIT Libraries’ Program on Information Science, as well as associated projects, classes, and events can be found at the program website.
