Trusted Digital Repositories: Attributes and Responsibilities

Citation
Research Libraries Group & OCLC, Trusted Digital Repositories: Attributes and Responsibilities (May 2002) (full-text).

Overview
This report articulated a framework of attributes and responsibilities for trusted, reliable, sustainable digital repositories capable of handling the range of materials held by large and small research institutions. The framework is broad enough to accommodate different situations, architectures, and institutional responsibilities while providing a basis for the expectations of a trusted repository. The critical component will be the ability to prove reliability and trustworthiness over time.

The report recommends that RLG, OCLC, and other organizations:

1. Develop a process for the certification of digital repositories. 2. Research and create tools to identify the significant attributes of digital materials that must be preserved. 3. Research and develop models for cooperative repository networks and services. 4. Develop systems for the unique, persistent identification of digital objects that expressly support long-term preservation. 5. Investigate and disseminate information about the complex relationship between digital preservation and intellectual property rights. 6. Determine the technical strategies that best provide for continuing access. 7. Define the minimal-level metadata required for long-term management and develop tools to automatically generate and/or extract as much of it as possible.