National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program

National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
Name	National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program
Headquarters	Library of Congress
Location	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Key people	Laura Campbell, Herbert Van de Sompel

National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program is a collaborative initiative led by the Library of Congress to preserve and make accessible digital content for future generations. The program involves partnerships with various organizations, including Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo!, to develop a comprehensive digital preservation infrastructure. It also collaborates with institutions like the National Archives and Records Administration and the Smithsonian Institution to ensure the long-term preservation of digital artifacts. The program's efforts are informed by the work of experts like Vint Cerf and Robert Kahn, who have made significant contributions to the development of the Internet.

Introduction

The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program was established to address the challenges of preserving digital information in an era of rapid technological change. The program builds on the work of earlier initiatives, such as the Digital Library Federation and the Coalition for Networked Information, to develop a national strategy for digital preservation. It also draws on the expertise of organizations like the Internet Archive and the World Wide Web Consortium to ensure that digital content is preserved in a way that is consistent with web standards. The program's work is closely tied to the development of digital repositories like DSpace and Fedora, which provide a platform for managing and preserving digital content.

History

The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program has its roots in the National Digital Library Program, which was launched by the Library of Congress in the 1990s. The program was established in response to the growing recognition of the importance of preserving digital information for future generations. It has since evolved to include a wide range of partners, including universities like Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and organizations like the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The program's history is closely tied to the development of digital libraries like the Google Books Library Project and the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.

Objectives and Scope

The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program has several key objectives, including the development of a comprehensive digital preservation infrastructure and the creation of a national strategy for digital preservation. The program's scope includes a wide range of digital content, from e-books and digital journals to digital images and digital videos. It also includes partnerships with organizations like the National Geographic Society and the Public Broadcasting Service to preserve digital media like podcasts and online videos. The program's work is informed by the development of metadata standards like Dublin Core and MODS, which provide a framework for describing and managing digital content.

Methodology and Implementation

The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program uses a variety of methodologies to achieve its objectives, including the development of digital preservation tools like JHOVE and DROID. The program also uses cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure to store and manage digital content. The program's implementation is closely tied to the development of digital curation practices, which involve the active management and preservation of digital content over time. The program's work is also informed by the development of digital forensics tools like EnCase and FTK, which provide a means of analyzing and preserving digital evidence.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program has partnerships with a wide range of organizations, including libraries like the New York Public Library and the British Library, and museums like the Smithsonian Institution and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The program also collaborates with organizations like the World Intellectual Property Organization and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions to develop international standards and best practices for digital preservation. The program's partnerships are closely tied to the development of digital scholarship initiatives like the Digital Humanities Initiative and the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities.

Challenges and Future Directions

The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program faces several challenges, including the rapid pace of technological change and the need to balance the preservation of digital content with the need to provide access to that content. The program's future directions include the development of new digital preservation tools and methodologies, as well as the expansion of its partnerships and collaborations to include a wider range of organizations and stakeholders. The program's work is closely tied to the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, which provide a means of analyzing and preserving large collections of digital content. The program's future directions are also informed by the work of experts like Tim Berners-Lee and Brewster Kahle, who have made significant contributions to the development of the web and the Internet Archive.

Category:Digital preservation