NCDD

History

The challenges presented by digital information gradually came to light in the last years of the twentieth century. As it was soon realised that the problems posed by digital preservation could not be solved by individual organisations, cooperative initiatives ensued. The National Archives and the National Library initiated a joint emulation project; Sound and Vision sought cooperation with the Dutch Film Museum; and SURF’s Digital Academic Repositories sought cooperation with the e-Depot of the National Library. On an informal basis experts of organisations involved in digital preservation shared knowledge and expertise.

In 2006/2007 the National Library of the Netherlands and the data archive of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, DANS, engaged in exploratory talks to develop a more structured approach to digital preservation in the Netherlands, resulting in the establishment of the Netherlands Coalition of Digital Preservation with ten members in 2008.

Background information

Within the next ten years, the Dutch knowledge-based economy will go fully digital. Government, the arts and the sciences, the private sector, and society at large will become dependent on digital information. Even as we speak, huge quantities of digital data are being generated by universities, research centres, scientific publishers, businesses and government agencies. Rapid and efficient access to this information, ranging from data sets to publications, from television images to patents, is an important precondition for a competitive knowledge-based economy.

But digital information is fragile. The information’s life cycle is determined by the durability of the media as well as by the availability of the hardware and software which is needed to access it. All of these are short-lived, as technologies become obsolete and media decay. In addition, digital information is much more susceptible to changes which compromise the integrity and authenticity of the information than printed information.

In a modern knowledge-based economy, digital information represents society’s intellectual capital. Replaceing lost data requires substantial investments. Even more harm is done when irreplaceable data are lost, such as meteorological data or CAD-models.

Two-fold approach: technical and organisational

The issue of digital preservation must be addressed at two levels. On the one hand, technical solutions must be found to solve the problems of long-term storage and access. On the other hand, it is important to determine who preserves what: which organisations can be held accountable for efficiently and effectively preserving specific categories of information? And how will these activities be funded? Awareness is needed, at many levels, of the risks of digital data.

The Netherlands Coaliton for Digital Preservation

Digital preservation is a cross-sectoral issue. Archives, libraries, research institutions, national and local government agencies, memory institutions and museums are among those affected. Therefore, a national approach is called for. This awareness prompted a number of public sector organisations actively involved in digital preservation to establish the Netherlands Coalition for Digital Preservation. The NCDD aims for a sustainable technical and organisational infrastructure in the Netherlands to be realised within the next five years. In addition, the Coalition will act as a catalyst and joint platform for sharing expertise and advocacy issues. The Coalition will work closely with the Dutch government.

The NCDD’s guiding principles

Independence. The NCDD is an independent organisation which is funded by members’ contributions.

• Openness. The NCDD and its members will make information on digital preservation freely available in order to facilitate exchanges of knowledge and expertise, and maximise benefits to all parties concerned.
• Cooperation. Because of the scale and complexity of the issues, as well as the necessary funding, digital preservation presents a challenge which cannot be dealt with by any individual organisation. The NCDD provides its members with a platform to identify the issues involved and to collaborate on a way forward.
• Joint interest. The NCDD’s activities will be funded by its members and must serve the joint interests of its members.

The international context

Digital preservation also calls for international cooperation. Therefore, the NCDD’s members will promote cooperation at a European and worldwide level. In this context, the Coalition has joined the European Alliance for Permanent Access to the Records of Science.

Strategy

In 2009, the NCDD carried out a national survey to take stock of the status of digital preservation in the Netherlands. In particular, the study aimed to assess which organisations preserve specific categories of data and in what manner, and to assess the public sector’s risks of digital data loss. The results were published in July 2009 under the title 'A future for our digital memory'; an English-language summary is available here.