[open-heritage] Fwd: News release: Universities given key role in securing the UK's digital legacy

Fri Oct 1 11:08:30 UTC 2010

This looks interesting, especially re: adoption of open source technologies...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nicola Yeeles <n.yeeles at jisc.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 11:32 AM
Subject: News release: Universities given key role in securing the
UK's digital legacy
To: JISC-ANNOUNCE at jiscmail.ac.uk

News release
1 October 2010

Universities given key role in securing the UK’s digital legacy

Unlike parchment and paper, digital data has a life span of years not
millennia.  Current estimates suggest that almost 3 billion euros
worth of vital data is already being lost every year in the EU alone.

Now JISC is joining forces with The Open Planets Foundation (OPF) to
encourage the UK’s leading universities to take up a central role in
European-wide efforts to preserve our digital heritage.

The Open Planets Foundation (OPF) is a group of  major research and
national libraries, national archives, leading technology companies
and research institutions established to provide practical solutions
and expertise in digital preservation.

As a new charter member of the OPF, JISC will be encouraging
participation amongst the UK’s leading universities, unlocking the
academic interest in developing digital preservation technology, and
ensuring the wider sector can address the growing challenge of
preserving digital materials more effectively.

Bram van der Werf, executive director of the Open Planets Foundation,
says:  "Universities across the globe have a vital role to play in
securing the future of our digital legacy.  The OPF is absolutely
delighted to be working with JISC to unlock the expertise of the UK’s
top higher education institutions. Bringing together the creators of
intellectual content with digital preservation practitioners, this
partnership will tackle the challenge head on and ensure the creative
output of today remains accessible for generations to come.”

JISC and the OPF will be exploring the best way of providing value and
benefits to both UK higher education and the broader membership of the
OPF.

Neil Grindley, programme manager at JISC, says:  “We regard the Open
Planets Foundation as an exemplary model for moving from a reliance on
project funding to a more sustainable economic model.  JISC is
delighted to have an opportunity to join other charter Foundation
members in setting up and supporting a community of digital
preservation developers and practitioners.”

In time JISC will establish affiliate group membership for those
academic and research institutions that are looking to address digital
preservation challenges.

This membership will give institutions the opportunity to:

•       Be part of an active open source community that really makes a
difference

•       Learn about the workflow and requirements of digital
preservation practitioners, shaping the development of academic
programs and curricula

•       Take advantage of the training, outreach and support provided
through the OPF

Find out more about the Open Planets Foundation at
<http://www.openplanetsfoundation.org/>

Explore how JISC can help with data preservation at
<http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/preservation.aspx>

-- 
Jonathan Gray

Community Coordinator
The Open Knowledge Foundation
http://blog.okfn.org

http://twitter.com/jwyg
http://identi.ca/jwyg