PDF should be used to preserve information for the future
Good news the already popular PDF file format adopted by consumers and
business alike is one of the most logical formats to preserve today’s
electronic information for tomorrow.
According to the latest report released today by the Digital
Preservation Coalition (DPC), Portable Document Format (PDF) is one of
the best file formats to preserve electronic documents and ensure their
survival for the future. This announcement will allow information
officers to follow a standardised approach for preserving electronic
documents.
Information management and long–term preservation are major issues
facing consumers and businesses in the 21st Century. This report is one
of a series where The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) aims to think
about and address the challenges facing us.
This report reviews PDF and the newly introduced PDF/Archive (PDF/A)
format as a potential solution to the problem of long–term digital
preservation. It suggests adopting PDF/A for archiving electronic
documents’ as the standard will help preservation and retrieval in the
future. It concludes that it can only be done when combined with a
comprehensive records management programme and formally established
records procedures.
Betsy Fanning, author of the report and director of standards at AIIM,
comments, “A standardised approach to preserving electronic documents
would be a welcome development for organisations. Without this we could
be walking blindly into a digital black hole.”
The National Archives works closely with the DPC with issues surrounding
digital preservation and will continue to do so. Adrian Brown, head of
digital preservation at The National Archives said: “This report
highlights the challenges we all face in a digital age. Using PDF/A as a
standard will help information officers ensure that key business data
survives. But it should never be viewed as the Holy Grail. It is merely
a tool in the armoury of a well thought out records management policy. “
The report is a call to action, organisations need to act now and look
hard at their information policies and procedures to anticipate the
demand for their content (documents and records) in the future.
Everybody has different criteria, types and uses for documentation so
you need to find one that works for your organisation.
If you would like to read the full report please go to the Digital
Preservation Coalition website. This can be accessed here:
www.dpconline.org/graphics/reports/index.html#twr0802
For further information about:
· The National Archives please contact, Tim Matthews,
[EMAIL PROTECTED], or 020 8392 5277.
· Digital Preservation Coalition please contact Frances Boyle,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] or 01904 435 320
About The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC)
The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) is a cross-sector member
organisation established in 2001 to foster joint action to address the
urgent challenges of securing the preservation of digital resources in
the UK and to work with others internationally
For further information, see www.dpconline.org
*******************************************************************************************
Carol Jackson
Administration and Events Manager
Digital Preservation Coalition
Innovation Centre
York Science Park
Heslington
YO10 5DG
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
tel: +44 (0) 1904 435 362
https: www.dpconline.org
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