Software Preservation: An Introduction to Issues and Challenges

Corrado, Edward M.

doi:10.1080/07317131.2019.1584983

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Although there is a robust literature on digital preservation of information objects in cultural heritage institutions (Corrado, 2019; Meyerson, 2014), software preservation with emulation is understudied and continues to focus on best practices for format migration, digital storage, and descriptive metadata for access (Guttenbrunner & Rauber, 2012). Emulation as a preservation strategy for scientific knowledge and digital cultural memory was first proposed in 1995 (Rothenberg, 1995), and since then has been used alongside migration and other data transfer techniques to provide access to digital objects in LAMs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emulation practices for software preservation in libraries, archives, and museums

Acker

2021

Asso for Info Science & Tech

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Emulation practices are computational, technical processes that allow for one system to reproduce the functions and results of another. This article reports on findings from research following three small teams of information professionals as they implemented emulation practices into their digital preservation programs at a technology museum, a university research library, and a university research archive and technology lab. Results suggest that the distributed teams in this cohort of preservationists have developed different emulation practices for particular kinds of “emulation encounters” in supporting different types of access. I discuss the implications of these findings for digital preservation research and emulation initiatives providing access to software or software‐dependent objects, showing how implications of these findings have significance for those developing software preservation workflows and building emulation capacities. These findings suggest that different emulation practices for preservation, research access, and exhibition undertaken in libraries, archives, and museums result in different forms of access to preserved software—accessing information and experiential access. In examining particular types of access, this research calls into question software emulation as a single, static preservation strategy for information institutions and challenges researchers to examine new forms of access and descriptive representation emerging from these digital preservation strategies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emulation practices for software preservation in libraries, archives, and museums

Acker

2021

Asso for Info Science & Tech

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“…Although there is a robust literature on digital preservation of information objects in cultural heritage institutions (Corrado, 2019; Meyerson, 2014), software preservation with emulation is understudied and continues to focus on best practices for format migration, digital storage, and description for access. Little research has examined the coordination, decomposition of tasks, or the work of implementing emulation programs that information professionals undertake in situ .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emulation encounters: Software preservation in libraries, archives, and museums

Acker

2020

Proc Assoc Inf Sci Technol

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This paper reports on early findings of research in 2019 following three small teams of information professionals as they implemented emulation strategies into their day‐to‐day work at a museum, a university research library, and a university research archive and technology lab. Findings are reported from workplace observations and semi‐structured interviews with preservationists (N = 25) as they implement software emulation programs in cultural heritage institutions that collect and preserve software for access. Results suggest that the distributed teams in this cohort of preservationists have developed different emulation practices for particular kinds of “emulation encounters” in supporting different types of use and users. I discuss the implications of these findings for digital preservation research and emulation initiatives providing access to software or software‐dependent objects, showing how implications of these findings have significance for those developing software preservation workflows and building emulation capacities. This article suggests that there are different emulation practices for preservation, research access, and exhibition undertaken by preservationists in libraries, archives, and museums; and in examining particular visions of access these findings call into question software emulation as a single, static preservation strategy for cultural heritage institutions.

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