Awareness of Digital Preservation Among Pakistani Librarians

Abstract

For implementation of effective and efficient digital preservation programs, librarians and other professionals in the memory institutions need to have sufficient levels of awareness of digital preservation key concepts, strategies, tools, and standards/best practices. This survey aimed to investigate the awareness of librarians in Pakistani universities about these components. The population of the study included the librarians working in the central libraries of public sector universities and degree awarding institutions (DAIs) of Pakistan established before 2010. A questionnaire was developed after reviewing the relevant literature and was thereafter pilot tested in selected libraries. After successful completion of this phase, data was collected from the target population. A total of 178 responses were received from 63 out of 70 universities and DAIs. Overall, respondents showed a good level of awareness of different components of digital preservation.

The digital preservation 101 guide for small libraries

“…The librarians need to get acquainted with emerging trends, best practices and technological advancements to prepare themselves to implement digital preservation more efficiently (Ahmad and Rafiq, 2023). They can search for possible in-person training options that can enable them to get hands-on practice with digital preservation techniques.…”