The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) and its Implications for a Research Agenda for Digital Preservation

Abstract

Legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress in December 2000 allocates funding to the Library of Congress to lead the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP). The collaborative initiative is focused on materials created primarily in digital form for which there are no analogue representations and which users experience as digital products, sometimes known as "born digital". The investigators have consulted with numerous parties in public, private and not-for profit entities and have defined the "infrastructure" as having two major components: a preservation network of individuals and a technical architecture that provides coherence to localized efforts to archive digital works but is able to accommodate change as technologies advance and organizational needs evolve. This article describes the progress of the initiative and its implications for near and long term research. A striking feature of the research is the integration of technology and organization. The program emphasizes collaboration among a wide range of partners, looking toward solutions that can accommodate multiple and disparate requirements, and communication and outreach to many communities and the public.