| The purpose of this thesis is to present the wide cultural, technological and policy context for digital preservation in Canadian institutions with heritage collections and to assist managers and policy-makers in their elaboration of preservation policy for digital media within this context. Arguments pertain to archives and libraries at the national level, however it is anticipated that other heritage institutions (i.e., museums) at various levels (e.g., provincial, municipal, private) will also be able to relate the issues discussed to their particular environment. Subjects covered include the development of cultural policy in Canada (1929–2000), an overview of digital technology in relation to heritage collections, an examination of preservation policy in the pre-digital age, a discussion of how precedents and principles for preservation policy are changing to adapt to the digital age, and a review of existing digital preservation policies from selected national archives and a national library. Findings point to the dominance of technology as a policy determinant, to agreement on the technological solutions proposed for digital preservation, and to the observation that traditional preservation principles and theories do not fully support the actions necessary to ensure the long-term survival of digital information. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
