title: LESSONS FROM THE FUTURE: Looking Back on Policy Development
creators: Elizabeth England Martin Gengenbach Sharon McMeekin Jenny Mitcham Kieran O’Leary
abstract: Policy is an important component of a successful digital preservation program. For example, CoreTrustSeal [1] suggests that a policy statement would be appropriate evidence to demonstrate that a repository has an explicit mission to provide access to and preserve digital objects, and the DPC’s Rapid Assessment Model [2] suggests that a digital preservation policy should be in place in order to reach the ‘Basic’ level of the ‘Policy and Strategy’ section. While resources exist [3] to assist organizations in developing their first digital preservation policy, these formative strategic documents are intended to hold relevance beyond their initial publication. This panel session highlighted challenges and opportunities in the development and ongoing maintenance of digital preservation policies across three organizations: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, National Library of Ireland, and National Library of New Zealand. Panelists reflected on learnings from different stages of the policy lifecycle, including initial development, initiating revisions, and re-engaging with dormant policy documents. These efforts are contextualized within broader policy education resources, including the DPC’s revised Digital Preservation Policy Toolkit [4].
keywords: policy outreach documentation advocacy