10.3 Challenges and strategies in digital preservation

Digital preservation faces unique challenges in the art world. From technological obsolescence to copyright issues, preserving digital artworks requires innovative strategies. Conservators must navigate complex file formats, interactive elements, and evolving hardware while maintaining authenticity.

Best practices for digital preservation include careful file management, emulation techniques, and standardized metadata. Collaboration between experts in various fields is crucial. Ethical considerations like privacy and cultural sensitivity also play a key role in preserving digital heritage for future generations.

Challenges in Digital Preservation

Technological and Data-Related Challenges

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  Preservation: the construction of our digital continuity | SciELO in Perspective View original

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  Scientific Data Management – from collection to preservation | SciELO in Perspective View original

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• Technological obsolescence renders older digital artworks inaccessible due to rapid evolution of hardware, software, and file formats
• Data loss occurs from hardware failure, software corruption, or human error destroying digital cultural heritage
• Ephemeral nature of digital art (net art, interactive installations) depends on specific technological environments or user interactions
• Digital art incorporates multiple media types and formats requiring preservation of complex, multi-layered works
• Authenticity and provenance of digital artworks become difficult to establish and maintain due to easy duplication and modification

Legal and Resource Challenges

• Intellectual property issues involve navigating copyright laws, licensing agreements, and ownership rights when preserving digital artworks
• Long-term storage and maintenance of digital archives require significant financial and technical resources
  • Poses sustainability challenges for cultural institutions
  • Requires ongoing investment in infrastructure and expertise

Complexity of Digital Art Preservation

• Interactive elements in digital art require preservation of both content and functionality
• Time-based media artworks (video art, sound installations) need strategies for maintaining playback capabilities
• Web-based artworks depend on specific browser technologies and network conditions
• Virtual and augmented reality artworks involve complex software and hardware dependencies

Best Practices for Digital Preservation

File Management and Backup Strategies

• File format selection involves choosing open, widely-supported, and well-documented formats (PDF/A, TIFF, WAV)
• Data backup strategies include creating multiple copies of digital assets
  • Store copies in geographically diverse locations (cloud storage, offsite backups)
  • Regularly verify integrity of backups (checksum verification, periodic testing)
• Migration planning transfers digital content from older systems or formats to newer ones
  • Maintains artwork's essential characteristics and functionality
  • Requires careful documentation of original specifications and artist intent

Preservation Techniques and Documentation

• Emulation techniques recreate original technological environments (virtual machines, software emulators)
• Metadata creation and management document technical specifications, provenance, and context
  • Use standardized schemas (Dublin Core, METS, PREMIS)
  • Include artist interviews and installation instructions
• Digital preservation workflows include regular integrity checks and fixity verification
  • Use tools like Fixity or Exactly for automated file integrity monitoring
  • Implement error detection and correction mechanisms (Reed-Solomon codes)

Standards and Best Practices Implementation

• Implement standardized preservation metadata schemas (PREMIS)
• Adhere to digital preservation standards (ISO 16363, OAIS reference model)
• Develop institutional preservation policies and procedures
  • Include guidelines for acquisition, description, and access
  • Establish criteria for prioritizing preservation actions

Collaboration for Digital Preservation

Interdisciplinary Partnerships

• Collaboration between conservators, artists, technologists, and legal experts develops comprehensive preservation strategies
• Interdisciplinary research initiatives combine expertise from computer science, archival studies, and art history
  • Example: Time-Based Media Art Conservation program at NYU
• Partnerships between cultural institutions, technology companies, and academic researchers facilitate knowledge sharing
  • Example: Google Arts & Culture collaborations with museums

International and Cross-Institutional Collaboration

• International collaborations establish best practices across diverse cultural contexts
  • Example: UNESCO PERSIST Project for digital heritage preservation
• Cross-institutional networks and consortia provide shared infrastructure and expertise
  • Example: Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC)
  • Example: National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA)
• Artist interviews and documentation projects capture crucial information about digital artworks
  • Example: Variable Media Questionnaire developed by the Guggenheim Museum

Technology and Community Collaboration

• Collaboration with software developers and open-source communities contributes to preservation tools
  • Example: BitCurator environment for digital forensics in archives
  • Example: Archivematica open-source digital preservation system
• Crowdsourcing initiatives engage public in digital preservation efforts
  • Example: Zooniverse projects for transcription and metadata creation
• Partnerships with technology companies for long-term access to proprietary formats
  • Example: Adobe's PDF Archive (PDF/A) format development

Ethics and Law in Digital Heritage

Copyright and Intellectual Property Considerations

• Copyright laws present challenges in preserving and providing access to digital artworks
  • Navigate fair use, licensing agreements, and permissions
  • Develop strategies for orphan works (copyright holder unknown or unreachable)
• Digital rights management (DRM) systems may impede preservation efforts
  • Require negotiation with rights holders for preservation copies
• Open access initiatives balance preservation with public accessibility
  • Example: Creative Commons licensing for digital cultural heritage

Privacy and Cultural Sensitivity

• Privacy concerns arise when preserving artworks containing personal data or user-generated content
  • Develop ethical guidelines for data handling and access
  • Implement access controls and anonymization techniques when necessary
• Cultural sensitivity issues in preserving and providing access to indigenous digital heritage
  • Collaborate with source communities for appropriate preservation and access protocols
  • Implement traditional knowledge labels and notices (Local Contexts project)

Ethical Considerations in Digital Preservation

• Authenticity in digital preservation raises questions about acceptable alterations or migrations
  • Develop documentation standards for preservation actions and decision-making processes
  • Consider creating preservation and access copies with different levels of intervention
• Digital divide and equitable access issues require inclusive distribution strategies
  • Implement accessibility standards (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
  • Develop multilingual interfaces and metadata
• Web archiving and social media preservation involve consent and context preservation challenges
  • Establish ethical guidelines for capturing and preserving online content
  • Consider the impact on individuals' digital footprints and right to be forgotten
• Long-term sustainability raises questions about institutional responsibilities and funding priorities
  • Develop succession planning for digital collections
  • Explore collaborative funding models and endowments for digital preservation