Translating theory to practice: defining digital preservation planning in museums

Digital preservation is an emerging activity in museums today. The development of technology as a tool for work, research, information capture, and artistic expression, as well as the increasing percentage of important cultural materials created only in digital form, argues that museums must begin to focus on digital preservation. In this thesis, digital preservation in museums is examined, specifically the development, planning, and implementation of digital preservation initiatives. First, a literature review of digital preservation basics, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and digital preservation policy is presented, followed by case studies of three best-practicing museums. Four key themes are discussed, including defining digital preservation, integration of digital preservation technology, collaboration, and policy development. Finally, several conclusions and recommendations are presented, most notably that digital preservation in a museum context must be viewed and implemented from a collections management perspective.