Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this module students to be able:
-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.
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 Emergency planning, prevention and recovery for traditional archive & library materials; Week 7 Site visit; Weeks 8 & 9 - reading period; Week 10 Preserving digital collections: introduction and issues; Weeks 11 & 12 Preserving digital materials: approaches and tools; Week 13 Digital repository options and preservation software; Week 14 - Preservation software workshop and guest speaker