title: DIGITAL PRESERVATION AND ACCESSIBILITY OF ARCHIVES IN OMAN:  Current Status and Future Directions
creators: Ahmed Maher Khafaga Shehata Abderrazak Mkadmi
abstract: Digital preservation significance is widely recognized and imperative for all institutions. It is a pressing concern for archival specialists who acknowledge its relevance and necessity in contemporary information management practices.
  The current paper aims to examine the present state of digital preservation and Accessibility of institutional archives in Oman and to ascertain the challenges and prospects in this domain. This research is conducted through a comprehensive analysis of the extant literature and semi-structured interviews with administrative personnel employed in both public and private institutions in Oman. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten professionals in governmental organizations, who were chosen based on their expertise and experience in the field, using purposive sampling.
  The findings showed that interviewees in Omani institutions value digital preservation for many reasons, such as compliance with Omani law on archives, improved organization and security, and ease of document access. However, all institutions have no unified application strategy for digital preservation. The findings revealed many challenges, including technological obsolescence, security risks, big data management, and human resource challenges.
keywords: digital preservation oman institutional archives information management accessibility