InDiPres: a statewide collaborative approach to digital preservation

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate how cultural memory organizations in Indiana used Library Services Technology Act grant funding as seed money to form a collaborative group to attain an affordable and sustainable digital preservation solution. Design/methodology/approach This case study relates how concern for digital content created across Indiana by an array of cultural memory organizations led to a multi-year quest to establish a community-based, cost-effective, open-source digital preservation solution to address a common problem. Findings Interest in a collaborative community-based digital preservation solution, especially among small- and mid-sized under-resourced organizations, exists across the spectrum of Indiana cultural heritage institutions, but education and commitment are key to the success of a statewide solution. Originality/value While focusing on cultural memory organizations in Indiana, the case study also provides information about the process of establishing a digital preservation collaborative to leverage resources to provide a cost-effective and sustainable long-term solution, particularly for small- to mid-sized institutions.