Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program

Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
Name	National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
Established	2000
Location	Washington, D.C.
Parent	Library of Congress

Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program is a United States federal initiative housed at the Library of Congress that coordinates national efforts to collect, preserve, and provide access to digital content. Launched at the turn of the 21st century, the program engages with a range of cultural, academic, and technical institutions including the National Archives and Records Administration, Smithsonian Institution, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Science Foundation, and international bodies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. It serves as a nexus among stakeholders like the Internet Archive, Harvard University, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, and private technology firms including Microsoft, Google, Amazon (company), and Apple Inc..

History

The program was created in response to policy discussions among leaders at the Library of Congress, lawmakers in the United States Congress, and advisers from the National Research Council and Institute of Museum and Library Services about the fragility of digital records. Early collaborators included the Library of Congress National Digital Library Program, the Packard Humanities Institute, and representatives from the Council on Library and Information Resources and the Brewster Kahle-related Alexa Internet ecosystem via the Internet Archive. Legislative and advisory influences drew on precedents from the Presidential Records Act, the Copyright Act of 1976, and reports by the National Academies and Government Accountability Office. Over successive administrations and through partnerships with institutions such as the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, the program broadened from pilot projects with the Smithsonian Institution and Library and Archives Canada into a national coordination role.

Mission and Objectives

The stated mission aligns with strategic planning frameworks used by the Library of Congress, the National Digital Strategy initiatives of the Executive Office of the President, and international charters like the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Primary objectives include identifying significant digital content across sectors represented by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, ensuring long-term access as advocated by the Bodleian Libraries and the Vatican Library, and developing standards in concert with bodies such as the Internet Engineering Task Force, the World Wide Web Consortium, and the International Organization for Standardization. The program emphasizes stewardship priorities echoed by the American Library Association, the Special Libraries Association, and archival principles championed by the Society of American Archivists.

Organizational Structure and Governance

Administratively, the program operates within the Library of Congress under leadership connected to the offices of the Librarian of Congress, with advisory input from panels drawing on expertise from the National Archives and Records Administration and the Smithsonian Institution. Governance mechanisms include memoranda of understanding with universities like Columbia University, consortia such as HathiTrust Digital Library and Research Libraries UK, and policy alignment with the Office of Management and Budget and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Technical advisory committees have included representatives from MIT, Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, and nonprofit organizations like the Digital Preservation Coalition and the Open Preservation Foundation.

Collection Development and Acquisition

Collection policy frameworks were developed with input from the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, the National Film Registry, and cataloging experts from the Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress Classification communities. Acquisition strategies prioritize web archives similar to those curated by the Internet Archive and institutional repositories maintained by Princeton University and the University of Michigan. Agreements have been negotiated with publishers including Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Elsevier as well as with dataset providers like National Institutes of Health repositories and scientific data centers such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Special collections efforts collaborate with organizations such as the American Antiquarian Society and the Newberry Library.

Preservation Strategies and Technologies

Preservation approaches draw on standards and protocols promoted by the World Wide Web Consortium, the Internet Engineering Task Force, and the National Information Standards Organization. Technical infrastructure uses formats and tools common in projects at MIT Libraries, Digital Preservation Network, and LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe), alongside storage partnerships referencing architectures from Amazon Web Services and high-performance computing facilities such as those at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Research collaborations have produced guidance consistent with work by Keepers Registry partners and practices documented by the Library of Congress National Digital Stewardship Alliance, addressing file format registries, emulation strategies influenced by the Emulation and Preservation specialists at the British Library, and metadata schemas aligned with Dublin Core and PREMIS standards.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The program’s collaborations span national libraries including the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and National Diet Library (Japan), academic centers like Oxford University, Cambridge University, and The University of Tokyo, and technology stakeholders such as Google Books teams and Microsoft Research. It convenes consortia such as the National Digital Stewardship Alliance, engages funders including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and coordinates with legal and policy organizations including the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the United States Copyright Office. International project partnerships have involved the EU Digital Library initiatives and UNESCO-led preservation efforts.

Impact, Outreach, and Education

Impact includes contributions to national policy dialogues involving the United States Congress and improvements in digital curation curricula at institutions like Syracuse University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University College London. Outreach programs have partnered with cultural organizations such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress Veterans History Project to increase public access, while workshops and training have involved professional bodies including the American Library Association and the Society of American Archivists. The program’s influence is visible in academic literature from IEEE, ACM, and publications by Elsevier and in international standards adoption promoted by the International Organization for Standardization and the World Wide Web Consortium.

Category:Library of Congress