Dear All

I tried to convert our PDFs to PDF/A a while ago and rapidly lost the will to live.

I suspect that if your PDFs weren't originally created in Adobe, it doesn't work, but I didn't bother chasing it up.

If anybody has more info, I'd be grateful.

Ken

Ken Davies

Planning Officer (HER)

Lancashire County Council

PO Box 100

County Hall

Preston PR1 0LD

01772 531513

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From: Issues related to Historic Environment Records [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nick Boldrini
Sent: 31 October 2011 15:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Why PDF/A for HER's?

Hi guys

way back in March 2010 there was a bit of a discussion about PDF A on this list (see the archives).

I have finally got a round to looking at this a bit and want to re-open old sores…

My key question is how important is it for HER's to ensure the digital files we hold are in PDF A format?

We are not archives (or at least I don't think we are) and our role is to provide information and sources of information to people, whilst not necessarily having all of those sources of information within our office.

Yes we all have collections and want to look after them as best we can, but how many HER paper files are stored in archivally stable circumstances? So why should digital files be different?

With that in mind, what would have to actually happen for the PDF files I have now to be unreadable? And how likely is that? And when we work out the risk, how much effort is it worth me putting into preparing for that eventuality, when in theory most of this will be archived somewhere else as part of a site archive (I am mainly thinking PPG16/PPS5/NHPP related GL reports)

I am not advocating one thing or another, just asking an honest question and interested in any thoughts about some of the technical issues and peoples views, before I spend a lot of time and effort trying to convert all our PDF's

tar

best wishes

Nick Boldrini

Historic Environment Record Officer

Durham County Council

Tel: 0191 3708840

Fax: 0191 3708897

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