On the Lam or in Collaboration - Increasing Competence in Long-Term Preservation

Recently the Finnish Social Science Data Archive (FSD) has taken part in a pilot project by the National Digital Library which intends to develop organisations' readiness to "make the transition into an electronic operating environment". The project conducted a series of surveys in late 2009 measuring the organisations' data management quality and maturity. At FSD we would want to believe that we already operate electronically. This presentation summarises the findings of the report. The Digital Library project aims to create a centralised long-term preservation solution for the digital cultural objects, and later, for research data too. The project participants vary from large national institutions to regional museums and private archives. Finding a single solution that would ensure long-term preservation and dissemination will be a challenge. Sharing of competence, building partnerships and monitoring international development are crucial for success. This presentation seeks to answer the following questions: How does a national data archive do when compared to libraries, traditional archives and museums ("LAMs")? What could be the mutual benefits of actively working with the LAMs in the field of long-term preservation? Metadata used in and by the LAMs differ notably from research data documentation. How to approach other metadata formats than DDI