Preservation Activities

Preservation refers to the overall process by which the content of an item is saved and its long-term viability ensured.

Migration-transferring digital information from one hardware and software setting to another-is inevitably part of the preservation process.

Assessing the Risks: Triage

Using an item-level inventory, assess each component in terms of risk of deterioration or obsolescence.

Distinguish file formats as proprietary or open source. Who developed the standard, when, and who owns it now? What software is needed to read/view the file? Is the format still supported?

Similarly, assess hardware requirements to "run" the work. Is the software application still supported? Are special installations or plug-ins required? What is the hierarchy and overall infrastructure of the work?

What are the requirements for display? Describe the "look" of the work. What are the formal qualities (image content and image quality)? What are the artist's installation instructions?

What is the functionality of the work? Describe the "feel" of the work. How does the user interact with the work? What are the variables?

Focus initial preservation efforts on works that have physically deteriorated or include proprietary components that are no longer active or supported in the industry.