Digital Preservation Strategies And Tools Training Course

Introduction

Secure the long-term accessibility of your digital assets with our comprehensive Digital Preservation Strategies and Tools Training Course. This program equips participants with the essential knowledge and practical skills to develop and implement robust strategies for the preservation of digital materials, ensuring their usability and authenticity for future generations. Mastering digital preservation is increasingly vital for archives, libraries, museums, and organizations with significant digital holdings seeking to safeguard their valuable information against technological obsolescence, media degradation, and data loss. Our digital archiving training course offers in-depth insights into current best practices and cutting-edge preservation tools.

This Digital Preservation Strategies and Tools training delves into the core principles and practical application of digital preservation, covering topics such as preservation planning, metadata for preservation, file format identification and migration, emulation strategies, storage solutions, risk management, and the use of key preservation tools. You will gain expertise in developing preservation policies, implementing workflows, and utilizing software and hardware solutions to manage and maintain your digital collections over time. Whether you are an archivist, librarian, records manager, or digital curator, this Digital Preservation Strategies and Tools course will empower you to establish and lead effective digital preservation initiatives within your institution.

Target Audience:

• Archivists
• Librarians
• Records Managers
• Digital Curators
• IT Professionals (with preservation responsibilities)
• Museum Professionals
• Information Management Specialists

Course Objectives:

• Understand the fundamental principles of Digital Preservation Strategies and Tools.
• Master the development of comprehensive digital preservation plans and policies.
• Apply metadata standards and best practices for digital preservation.
• Identify and manage diverse digital file formats for long-term access.
• Explore and implement emulation strategies for preserving digital objects.
• Evaluate and select appropriate digital storage solutions for preservation.
• Develop and implement risk management strategies for digital collections.
• Utilize key digital preservation tools and software effectively.
• Understand the importance of digital forensics in preservation.
• Implement workflows for ingest, management, and access of preserved digital materials.
• Understand the legal and ethical considerations in digital preservation.
• Explore national and international digital preservation initiatives and standards.
• Develop strategies for community building and collaboration in digital preservation.

Duration

10 Days

Course content

Module 1: Introduction to Digital Preservation

• Fundamentals of Digital Preservation Strategies and Tools Training Course.
• Understanding the challenges and importance of preserving digital materials.
• Exploring the lifecycle of digital objects from creation to preservation.
• Identifying key stakeholders and their roles in digital preservation.
• Best practices for establishing a digital preservation program.

Module 2: Preservation Planning and Policies

• Mastering the development of comprehensive digital preservation plans and policies.
• Defining scope, objectives, and responsibilities for preservation activities.
• Identifying selection criteria and appraisal strategies for digital materials.
• Developing preservation strategies based on risk assessment.
• Best practices for creating and implementing effective preservation plans.

Module 3: Metadata for Digital Preservation

• Applying metadata standards and best practices for digital preservation.
• Understanding preservation metadata standards (e.g., PREMIS, METS).
• Creating and managing metadata to support long-term access and authenticity.
• Implementing metadata workflows for ingest and management.
• Best practices for preservation metadata creation and maintenance.

Module 4: File Format Identification and Management

• Identifying and managing diverse digital file formats for long-term access.
• Understanding file format risks and obsolescence.
• Developing strategies for format migration and normalization.
• Utilizing format identification tools and registries.
• Best practices for managing file format risks in digital preservation.

Module 5: Emulation Strategies for Digital Objects

• Exploring and implementing emulation strategies for preserving digital objects.
• Understanding the principles and techniques of emulation.
• Evaluating the suitability of emulation for different types of digital materials.
• Utilizing emulation software and environments.
• Best practices for implementing emulation in a preservation program.

Module 6: Digital Storage Solutions for Preservation

• Evaluating and selecting appropriate digital storage solutions for preservation.
• Understanding different storage media and their characteristics.
• Implementing strategies for data integrity and redundancy.
• Considering cloud storage options for digital preservation.
• Best practices for secure and sustainable digital storage.

Module 7: Risk Management for Digital Collections

• Developing and implementing risk management strategies for digital collections.
• Identifying potential risks to digital assets (technical, organizational, environmental).
• Assessing the likelihood and impact of identified risks.
• Developing mitigation and contingency plans.
• Best practices for proactive risk management in digital preservation.

Module 8: Key Digital Preservation Tools and Software

• Utilizing key digital preservation tools and software effectively.
• Exploring tools for format identification, validation, and migration.
• Understanding repository software and digital asset management systems.
• Utilizing tools for metadata management and quality control.
• Best practices for integrating and using digital preservation tools.

Module 9: Digital Forensics in Preservation

• Understanding the importance of digital forensics in preservation.
• Applying forensic techniques to verify authenticity and integrity.
• Investigating data loss or corruption incidents.
• Utilizing forensic tools for bit-level analysis.
• Best practices for incorporating digital forensics into preservation workflows.

Module 10: Ingest, Management, and Access Workflows

• Implementing workflows for ingest, management, and access of preserved digital materials.
• Developing standardized ingest procedures.
• Managing digital objects within a preservation system.
• Implementing access strategies that ensure long-term usability.
• Best practices for efficient and sustainable preservation workflows.

Module 11: Legal and Ethical Considerations

• Understanding the legal and ethical considerations in digital preservation.
• Addressing copyright, intellectual property rights, and data ownership.
• Managing privacy concerns and access restrictions.
• Developing policies for data reuse and citation.
• Best practices for navigating legal and ethical issues in preservation.

Module 12: National and International Initiatives

• Exploring national and international digital preservation initiatives and standards.
• Understanding the work of organizations like NDSA, DPC, and ISO.
• Learning from established preservation programs and best practices.
• Participating in the digital preservation community.
• Best practices for engaging with the broader preservation landscape.

Module 13: Community Building and Collaboration

• Developing strategies for community building and collaboration in digital preservation.
• Engaging with stakeholders within your institution.
• Participating in regional and national preservation networks.
• Sharing knowledge and best practices with the wider community.
• Best practices for fostering collaboration in digital preservation.

Module 14: Emerging Trends in Digital Preservation

• Exploring emerging trends and challenges in digital preservation.
• Understanding the preservation of complex digital objects (e.g., software, games).
• Addressing the preservation of born-digital archives and social media.
• Considering the impact of artificial intelligence on preservation.
• Best practices for staying informed about emerging trends.

Module 15: Planning for the Future of Your Digital Collections

• Developing long-term strategies for the future of your digital collections.
• Implementing cyclical preservation planning and review processes.
• Building sustainable preservation programs with adequate resources.
• Advocating for the importance of digital preservation within your organization.
• Best practices for ensuring the enduring accessibility of your digital heritage.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 7 working days before commencement of the training.