Feel the love for digital archives!

Yesterday was Valentine's Day.

I spent most of the day at work thinking about advocacy for digital preservation. I've been pretty quiet this month, beavering away at a document that I hope might help persuade senior management that digital preservation matters. That digital archives are important. That despite their many flaws and problems, we should look after them as best we can.

Yesterday I also read an inspiring blog post by William Kilbride: A foot in the door is worth two on the desk. So many helpful messages around digital preservation advocacy in here but what really stuck with me was this:

"Digital preservation is not about data loss, it’s about coming good on the digital promise. It’s not about the digital dark age, it’s about a better digital future."

Perhaps we should stop focusing on how flawed and fragile and vulnerable digital archives are, but instead celebrate all that is good about them! Let's feel the love for digital archives!

So whilst cycling home (in the rain) I started thinking about Valentine's cards that celebrate digital archives. Then with a glass of bubbly in one hand and a pen in the other I sketched out some ideas.

Let's celebrate that obsolete media that is still in good working
order (against all odds)

Even file migration can be romantic..

A card to celebrate all that is great about Broadcast
WAV format

Everybody loves a well-formed XML file

I couldn't resist creating one for all you PREMIS fans out there

I was also inspired by a Library of Congress blog post by Abbie Grotke that I keep going back to: Dear Husband: I’m So Sorry for Your Data Loss. I've used these fabulous 'data loss' cards several times over the years to help illustrate the point that we need to look after our digital stuff.



I'm happy for you to use these images if you think they might help with your own digital preservation advocacy. An acknowledgement is always appreciated!

I don't think I'll give up my day job just yet though...

Best get back to the more serious advocacy work I have to do today.

Jenny Mitcham, Digital Archivist