<em>Building Trustworthy Digital Repositories: Theory and Implementation</em>. Ed. Philip C. Bantin. Lanham, Md.: Roman & Littlefield, 2016. 371p. Paper, $65.00 (ISBN 978-1-4422-6378-9).

Abstract

the topic of electronic records management. In the preface, Bantin states that this book was conceived to help fill a critical gap in the literature demonstrating the connection of the theory of constructing trustworthy digital repositories with examples of how to complete this implementation. He states that the target audiences for this book include a wide range of professionals in the fields of "archives, records management, library and information management, and information technology" (xv) who are looking to begin a trustworthy repository, as well as instructors and students interested in this topic.To be accessible to such a wide range of audiences, Bantin elected to organize this book around ten different concepts that are integral to building a trustworthy repository. Each concept is its own chapter, with each chapter featuring an overview that grounds the concept in theory and why that particular theory is important when considering how to build a trustworthy digital repository. The theory section is directly followed by an implementation section, which features anywhere from one to three essays written by seasoned practitioners. The purpose of these case studies is to provide real-world examples of how consideration of the theory translates to creating a successful trustworthy repository. Each implementation section features consistent headings, which include strategies, challenges encountered, evaluations and outcomes, and lessons learned. The theory overviews and implementation summaries are written by authors in a wide range of positions from institutions including governmental agencies, institutions of higher education, industry, and nonprofit organizations. The book is not entirely centered on practices in the United States; it features authors from Canada, Italy, and Australia as well.The first chapter of Building Trustworthy Digital Repositories focuses on the fundamental step of selecting a repository. This often undervalued first step of creating a repository is crucially important because of the implications this decision has on all that can be done with the repository in the future (for example, the metadata schemas that can be used, how users can interact with the repository, the ease of which preservation strategies may be implemented, and others). This chapter is a particularly valuable section for anyone who is looking to select a digital repository for the first time or is in the process of evaluating new possibilities for a digital repository. Following the overview of several repository auditing resources provided in the theory section, Jim Corridan and Tibaut Houzanme, both of the Indiana Archives and Records Administration (IARA), provide an extremely useful overview of how IARA selected their digital repository. Of particular value is a ten-page table that IARA used to evaluate each digital repository solution they examined. This table could easily be adapted by any institution seeking to evaluate potential digital repositories for adoption.From there, the book features a mix of ch...