A repository is NOT a digital archive

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

General Track, "Repository Rants" 24x7 Presentations

The session was recorded and is <a href="https://connectpro.helsinki.fi/p9gn9h0dn49/">available for watching</a> (this presentation starts at 0:15:31).

Institutional repositories are sometimes spoken about, described and referenced by senior management as though they are digital archives. Unless a repository has been specifically enhanced to encompass the technical, planning, lifecycle and workflow aspects specifically designed to support digital preservation, it is NOT a digital archive. It is a storage space and a database. Probably a safe, secure, managed and trusted storage space, but storage alone (even safe, secure and trusted storage) does not a digital archive make. Mature repositories hold ever-increasing volumes of deposits. Researchers and funders need preservation planning and preservation support for research data and project outputs. Where’s a handy place to bung ‘stuff’ that seems to tick these boxes? The repository! But stop, think, and draw a line in the sand RIGHT HERE! A repository has the possibility of expanding to become a digital archive, sure. You can tweak your repository so it can also support digital preservation, and this rant will conclude with a quick checklist of what you need in place to do this. On its own, though, without modification, a repository is NOT a digital archive and does NOT support preservation for the long term.