Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
•Understand the importance of a preventive approach to preservation and articulate the difference between preventive and remedial preservation activities
•Be familiar with the physical components and configuration of traditional analogue materials, and their resultant preservation vulnerabilities and requirements
•Identify the wide range of activities that comprise a preservation programme
•Develop understanding of the main issues and challenges in the preservation of digital archives
•Develop awareness of the core aspects of approaches to digital preservation and the key skills and tools to commence digital preservation activities
•Become familiar with best practice standards in analogue and digital preservation.
•Formulate and implement effective acquisition procedures
•Design accessioning protocols for paper and digital material.
Indicative Module Content:
The module will cover the following broad areas: Week 1 introduction to preservation and preservation principles; Week 2 Understanding traditional archive & historic library materials and the threats they face; Week 3 Preservation in practice: archive and library buildings, storage and environments; Week 4 Preservation in practice: storage and other aspects of collection care; Week 5 Preservation planning; Week 6 Guest speaker/Site visit; Week 7 Emergency planning, prevention and recovery for traditional archive & library materials; Week 10 Preserving digital materials: introduction and issues; Week 11 Preserving digital materials: approaches and options; Week 12 Preserving digital materials, preservation software systems; Weeks 13 Guest speaker/Site visit; Week 14 Preservation considerations when acquiring and accessioning archives in traditional or digital formats.