Learn About Digital Assets - Selection of Born-Digital Assets

The wealth of cultural, societal, academic, and scientific resources originating in digital format today will become valuable artifacts for future generations. Selection of this information is largely determined by traditional selection criteria. State agencies, for example have very definitive retention guidelines for state business records. Within the University, such structured retention guidelines may only exist in business offices. Among the academic organizations on campus selection of born-digital material will need to be explored in that organization’s context. In these discussions technical considerations should receive a high priority. The ability to capture metadata and prepare for long-term retention and preservation of digital objects is most easily and efficiently achieved when measures are taken at the time of creation. Capturing metadata and authenticating work when a digital file comes into existence is mandatory if it is to be used as a definitive work later in its lifecycle. The Digital Assets Management System is developing a set guidelines for communicating the necessary technical considerations for persistent retention of digital assets.