Domain 4: Preservation and Protection

preservation

the professional discipline of protecting materials by minimizing chemical and physical deterioration and damage to minimize the loss of information and to extend the life of cultural property

the act of keeping from harm, injury, decay, or destruction, especially through noninvasive treatment

Law the obligation to protect records and other materials potentially relevant to litigation and subject to discovery

to keep for some period of time; to set aside for future use

Preservation and Conservation

to take action to prevent deterioration or loss

Law - to protect from spoliation

conservation

n.

The repair or stabilization of materials through chemical or physical treatment to ensure that they survive in their original form as long as possible.

The profession devoted to the preservation of cultural property for the future through examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care, supported by research and education.

disaster and emergency preparedness, response, and recovery

the actions taken to protect and preserve archival materials during and after emergencies like natural disasters or other unforeseen events.

This includes preparing for potential risks, responding effectively to emergencies, and recovering from damage to ensure the long-term preservation of valuable records. 

environmental controls

n.

a system of processes and technologies employed to protect archival materials from the adverse effects of temperature, humidity, air quality, light, and biological infestation

one such process or technology

handling procedures

the methods and techniques used by staff and researchers to interact physically with archival materials in a way that minimizes damage and contributes to their long-term preservation

reformatting

to create a copy with a format or structure different from the original, especially for preservation or access.

to migrate information from one carrier to another.

preservation management

n.

activities that support long-term, preventive care of archival resources

digital preservation

n.

the management and protection of digital information to ensure authenticity, integrity, reliability, and long-term accessibility

OAIS reference model

a reference model and standard (ISO 14721) that describes the components and processes necessary for a digital archives, including six distinct functional areas: ingest, archival storage, data management, administration, preservation planning, and access

fixity

n.

the property of being unchanged

bit rot

n.

the corruption of the lowest level of digital data

checksum

n.

a unique alphanumeric value that represents the bitstream of an individual computer file or set of files