PRESERVATION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION IN LIBRARIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES

Abstract

The introduction of digital technology into the process of production, distribution and storage of information has made the libraries to go digital. Libraries all around the globe have responded to various challenges posed by the preservation of digital information and have encountered the technical, organizational, resource and legal issues associated with it. Although, the libraries have been experimenting with various preservation strategies such as technology preservation, emulation, migration etc., the need for a technologically feasible, financially affordable and widely acceptable strategy for preservation is still there. The paper discusses various issues and challenges associated with digital preservation and examines different strategies of digital preservation. The paper highlights initiatives undertaken at international level to develop workable approaches and best-practice preservation strategies for digital resources in libraries.