Dr. David Rosenthal to Speak at the Library

NDIIPP Briefing: How Are We "Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Documents"?
Date: Monday, July 27, 2009
Time: 12:00 noon
Place: National Digital Library Learning Center, Madison Building Atrium, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Dr. David S.H. Rosenthal, Chief Scientist, LOCKSS Program, Stanford University, will explore sustainable approaches to format obsolescence in digital preservation. He will discuss:

• Large scale interactions between the evolution of information technology over time and the social, technical, and economic factors that enable digital preservation;
• Changing fundamental understandings of threats and challenges in digital preservation starting from Jeff Rothenberg's 1995 Scientific American article (external link) (PDF, 156KB) "Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Documents" and moving onwards to the present and the future;
• Emerging recognition that economic and social sustainability are the overarching long-term barriers.

This talk is a recapitulation of the 2009 Spring CNI meeting plenary address (external link) (PDF, 225KB). Clifford Lynch said about this work, "Rosenthal's observations will likely change the way many in the field think about the digital preservation challenge."

This event is open to the public.