Iberarchivos would like to celebrate with the entire archival community the World Digital Preservation Day, which is celebrated on the first Thursday of every November.
Digital preservation today still has many challenges to overcome, but we know that with the work and commitment of the entire Ibero-American community we will make progress day by day, since over time there are more advances and new policies on the issue of digital preservation.
It is essential to raise awareness of the importance of ensuring the durability and reliability of digital documents, both those that have been digitised and those that have been generated directly in digital format.
The greater awareness that the archival community has today of the legal and technical problems posed by the preservation of digital documents and information has led the Programme to incorporate a new priority line for the latest call for grants, called Promotion of digital preservation as a guarantee of the protection of documentary heritage and access to information. In this line, the projects presented will be positively assessed if they are aimed at guaranteeing the accessibility of digital native documents considered to be of permanent value, ensuring the durability, accessibility and usability of authentic, reliable and complete information in the long term.
On the other hand, digitisation, although not the only means of preservation, protects documents from manipulation and deterioration and provides access to information. Iberarchivos has supported many such projects during its 22 years of existence. Some examples are:
2018/062 Digitisation Francisco Saavedra Fund (Phase 1) : In this project, a total of 37,758 images, 1,322 documents have been digitised in its first phase. Among the most valuable and consulted documents in the Faculty’s historical archive is the Francisco de Saavedra Fund (1746-1819), a prominent Spanish military officer, civil servant and diplomat. He was Royal Commissioner in the Caribbean during the War of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies with England, Intendant of Venezuela, Secretary of State and Treasury. It is of great historical and documentary value. It is, therefore, an important documentation that covers a decisive period in the history of Spain and America, from Charles III to the absolutist restoration.
2016/113 Digitisation and cataloguing of audio archives of conferences at La Casa de América (1992-1995) (1st phase): With the aim of carrying out the conservation of the audio archive (word archive) of the early years of the Casa de América, which consists of unique recordings on cassette tapes, for this the analysis and cataloguing of their contents is carried out, with the aim of them being consulted, as they form part of the immaterial heritage of the institution.
2016/092 Digitisation of old photographs of EARTH University: ADD digitised 11,163 photographs in a high quality jpg format and in a resolution of 300dpi so that they can be useful for internal communications, as well as for use in newsletters and posters. Furthermore, this process allows the originals to be retained longer without the need to be manipulated, as the photographs can be used in digital format.
We invite you to reflect on the issue using the hashtag #WDPD2020. Join us today for World Digital Preservation Day 2020. We are supporting the Digital Preservation Coalition in celebrating this important day. #WDPD2020 #WDPD2020 #DPA2020