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The National Library of Wales (NLW) Collections Management Framework sets out the context for the policies that support the Library in managing the collections effectively and efficiently for the benefit of the people of Wales and the World. This policy falls under this framework and should be interpreted in that context.
The Preservation and Collection Care Policy set outs the high-level principles relating to conservation and collection care and affirms the Library's commitment to digital preservation. This Digital Preservation Policy sets out the Library’s position in more detail. Digital content is becoming an increasingly substantial proportion of the collections, but continued access is at risk from technology related issues such as hardware and software obsolescence and bit rot. Sustained access to digital material relies not only upon technical solutions, but also upon strategic planning and resourcing.
As well as aligning with The Digital Preservation Policy for Wales it also supports the Library’s corporate strategy A Library for Wales and the World 2021-2026 which places an emphasis on developing and investing in the work of collecting and preserving digital material in various formats. The NLW Charter declares that the Library’s aim is to “collect, preserve and give access to all kinds and forms of recorded knowledge.” Preservation is a core function, which NLW has been undertaken since its foundation. The increase in the quantity of digital material held by the Library is expected to continue. The Library is one of six Legal Deposit Libraries and receives Non-Print Legal Deposit (i.e., digitally published) content under the Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations 2013.
The digital collection includes:
For preservation purposes, the NLW collection is not considered to include digital materials which are not held by NLW but can be accessed at NLW (e.g. on-line journals or reference sources such as EEBO, Ingenta, Ancestry.com and NewsUK). Access to these materials is usually covered by a subscription and licensing agreement, on the termination of which access to the resource is ended. NLW is not normally able to take responsibility for long-term preservation and maintained access to such resources.
The Library commits to ensure that digital resources remain reliable, authentic, and useable for as long as required. This will be achieved through the following means:
The Library will conform with best practice and recognised standards for digital preservation. Data relating to digital collections is also subject to the NLW Collection Description Policy. The Library has developed an OAIS compliant systems infrastructure for preservation which is based upon the ingest of digitised assets into its Digital Assets Management System, Fedora. It will continue to use this system and develop the Archivematica/Fedora pathway for the preservation of digital material.
The Library will:
Responsibility for the policy will reside with the Director of the Collections and Digital Services. Progress on implementation, and monitoring of activity, will be reported to the Digital Transformation Board. The operational aspects of the strategy will be led by the Digital Preservation Committee, which includes representatives from across the Library.
The NLW will seek sufficient resources to implement the policy and sustain the digital resources. If the NLW does not continue to implement its policy to ensure the long-term sustainability of its digital assets, it will lose integrity as a National Library and fail to fulfil the terms of its Charter. It will also risk its Archive Accreditation Status, which places an emphasis on the management of digital content. It will fail to meet the expectations of its users, face increased costs in restoring digital assets and services and will not be able to contribute to, or take advantage of, collaborative initiatives.
The Library works with several individuals and organisations to support sustainable digital preservation. These include partnership with other Legal Deposit Libraries. The NLW is a member of the Digital Preservation Coalition and engages with bodies including the Digital Curation Centre, the Preservation Advisory Centre, and the Open Planets Foundation. These bodies are actively engaged in supporting digital preservation and the Library will work with these bodies to support preservation aims.
The Library’s Information Security Policy states the Policy states the overall intention and direction in relation to information security. It describes the measures taken for the physical and environmental protection of the digital information. The ICT Business Continuity and Emergency Plans include procedures for recovering systems and services in the context of a disruptive event.
This policy will be reviewed annually by the Collections and Digital Services Directorate.
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