Dear All,

The British Library Preservation Advisory Centre and the Digital Preservation Coalition invite you to join them at one of three events which will equip collection managers, archivists, librarians and conservators with the skills necessary for ‘getting started in digital preservation’.

10th April, Adam Smith Building, University of Glasgow, G12 
13th May, Foyle Centre, British Library, London, NW1 
6th June, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, SY23 

Our generation has invested as never before in digital resources and we've done so because of the opportunity they bring. Digital collections have grown in volume, complexity and importance to the point that our children are baffled by the inefficiencies of the analogue age. Pervasive, fluid and vital: digital data is a defining feature of our age. Industry, commerce, government, law, research, health, social care, education, the creative industries, the heritage sector and private life depend on digital materials to satisfy ubiquitous information needs and expectations. But digital objects are fragile: at risk of loss, corruption or obsolescence, not to mention unlawful alteration or theft. Digital preservation – the series of managed activities necessary to ensure that digital materials remain accessible beyond the limits of obsolescence - is an issue which all organisations, particularly in the knowledge sector, will need to address sooner or later.  Collection managers need digital preservation skills to ensure access to their growing digital collections, but training in these new skills can be hard to acquire. 

This day long introduction assumes no prior knowledge except a willingness to engage with digital preservation.  Through a series of presentations, case studies and exercises, participants will learn how to apply techniques of assessment, risk management and planning to help secure their digital collections.

Presentations and exercises will help participants:

Understand the range of issues associated with digital preservation 
Survey and characterize a digital collection 
Undertake preliminary risk assessment to manage their own digital collections 
Understand preservation planning and write a basic preservation plan 
Meet and network with others locally working in digital preservationWho should come? 
These workshops will interest: 
Collections managers, librarians, curators and archivists in all institutions 
IT managers in memory institutions 
Records managers in institutions with a need for long-lived data 
CIO’s in organisations with commercial intellectual property 
Students and researchers in information science and related fields 
Researchers with interests in research data management

Places are strictly limited and should be booked in advance.  Registration will close one week before the event and early booking is recommended as we expect these events will be popular.  Registration is free for DPC members.  Registration for non-members costs £20 per person 

Register online here for the Aberystwyth event:
http://www.dpconline.org/events/details/56-getting-started-in-digital-preservation?xref=61 

Or follow links on the DPC website for the events in Glasgow and London.

We’ll publish the slides after each event and will tweet live from the event using the hashtag #dpcblpac In addition we are considering running the event later in the year at additional venues.  So if you are interested in coming but can’t make it we’d still like to hear from you.

Caroline Peach
Head of Preservation Advisory Centre
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
www.bl.uk/blpac