With the world now working, playing, recording and creating in the digital space, the importance of digital archiving has arisen in importance. When all your important personal data – from banking details to personal papers, family photos to creative endeavours – are exclusively digital, how do you ensure that it is protected and archived for future reference?
But this is a title for library professionals in their works as well as for themselves. Why? Because the people we serve in our libraries and institutions are also finding the need to use such tools and they often seek our assistance in such things.
‘The complete guide to personal digital archiving’ is a compilation of articles from experts in the field, compiled by editor Brianna Marshall, who is Director of Research Services at the University of California (Riverside) and whose previous roles have included Digital Curation. This title aims to help the librarian present practical skills on personal archiving to their users.
It does this by covering off the main areas of concern with regard to digital archiving, including: Best Practices, Archives for the Public or Academic Audience and the Social and Ethical Implications of Archiving. It includes specific assistance on common requests, including backing up files, capturing social media and capturing the content from old media formats, in plain language. It also includes numerous practical and real-life examples, excellent explanations of the relevant terminology and helpful references for further study at the end of each chapter.
As someone who works predominantly in the digital arena, I found this title both interesting and challenging, not only for myself, but for the people my library serves. The information is practical, helpful and easy to follow. It includes excellent study cases that can help you develop similar programs for your users. And it explores the ethical issues well – giving you the opportunity to consider all the angles.
After reading ‘The complete guide to personal digital archiving’, I will definitely be exploring not only what I can do with my own files but also how I can introduce this into my library.