Digital preservation 101

Have you ever lost access to an old file or found yourself unable to open a document from years ago? You're not alone. As our work becomes increasingly digital, the risk of losing valuable information grows. That’s where digital preservation comes in.

What is digital preservation?

Digital preservation refers to the set of managed activities and strategies used to ensure that digital materials remain accessible, usable, and trustworthy over the long term. At the University of Melbourne, this includes safeguarding a vast range of digital content — from scholarly articles and research data to administrative records and cultural collections.

Digital preservation goes beyond just backing up files. It includes:

  • Carefully choosing file formats and migrating them if necessary: choosing stable, sustainable formats to create files and if necessary, updating files to current formats so they can still be opened in the future.
  • Fixity checks: verifying that files haven't changed or been corrupted.
  • Emulation: recreating old software environments to access obsolete formats.

These actions ensure digital materials stay intact and usable, even as technology changes.

Why does digital preservation matter?

The University of Melbourne is required under legislation to retain and maintain records of enduring value — including digital materials. But digital preservation is not just a recordkeeping compliance or technical requirement. It’s a commitment to protecting the knowledge we generate today so it can continue to support learning, discovery, and culture tomorrow.

Preserving cultural heritage

The University of Melbourne holds a wealth of digital cultural assets, including historical documents, photographs, and multimedia recordings. Preserving these digital artifacts ensures that they remain accessible for future students, researchers, and the public, allowing them to learn from and appreciate our rich cultural and educational heritage.

Protecting academic integrity and research

Universities produce a significant amount of digital content, from groundbreaking research data to scholarly publications. Ensuring this information is preserved means future researchers can access, verify, and build upon previous work, fostering continuous academic advancement. Without digital preservation, valuable research could be lost, compromising the integrity and progress of academic endeavors.

Ensuring operational continuity

Digital records play a critical role in the daily operations of the University of Melbourne. From student records and financial documents to administrative correspondence, preserving these digital files ensures that the University can maintain continuity in its operations, comply with legal requirements, and provide accurate records for auditing and historical purposes.

Facilitating community access

Digital preservation plays a vital role in making information accessible to our University community and beyond. By preserving digital assets, we ensure that students, faculty, staff, and the broader public can access a wealth of knowledge and resources. This promotes a culture of learning, collaboration, and engagement, aligning with our mission to serve and enrich our community through open access to educational and cultural materials.

What can you do?

Everyone who works with digital materials has a role to play. Easy steps you can take to ensure the materials you work with can be preserved into the future include:

  • Choosing sustainable file formats when creating files.
  • Keeping good metadata about the content and purpose of the materials.
  • Storing files in University-supported systems.
  • Reaching out to the Digital Preservation Program team if you're unsure about how best to manage your digital content.

Further information

Explore our Digital preservation guides to learn more about how you can help keep our digital future secure. For further information and guidance, please contact us via email at digital-stewardship@unimelb.edu.au.

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