9.

5 Some pragmatic responsibility principles

In facing the daunting challenges of preservation responsibility, it may help to consider some
pragmatic principles:
Someone has to take responsibility: if no one does, the chances of any particular
materials surviving are very small
Everyone does not have to do everything: responsibility can be shared. As these
guidelines indicate, there are more than enough responsibilities for one preservation
Programme. Many tasks, such as deciding what should be preserved, are best managed
in partnership with others. If there is no one suitable to share responsibilities,
preservation programmes should make realistic judgments about the responsibilities
they can carry alone
Everything does not have to be done at once: developing all the components of a
large-scale, comprehensive preservation programme takes time. It is good to approach
the task with a sense of urgency, but it may also be necessary to look for ways of
buying time. This might require prioritising the issues that need to be addressed, or the
material that needs attention. It may involve looking for easily managed materials
(low hanging fruit). Some problems must be addressed without delay; some can be
addressed in stages; and some can wait
Responsibility does not have to be forever: there is definitely a place for time-limited
contributions to an overall preservation programme, so long as the time limits are
explicitly understood
Limited responsibility should not mean causing harm: preservation programmes may
need to take steps before all problems are solved and all techniques settled, but they
must also try to minimise the harm of making later preservation efforts more difficult
Someone must take a leading role: even when responsibility is shared, progress
usually depends on at least one partner accepting the responsibility to lead.

9.6 Who might take responsibility

Who might take responsibility for establishing and managing preservation programmes for
digital heritage materials? Possibilities include extension of the role of established memory
institutions such as libraries, archives and museums; or establishment of a new kind of
institution focused solely on preserving digital materials; the extension of a preservation role
to a range of other potential keepers already involved in managing digital materials; or some
combination of these.

9.6.1 The role of established heritage institutions

In early discussion of how digital materials would be preserved, it was frequently claimed that
digital technology changed the picture entirely: existing institutions would find they had no
role in managing digital materials.

It is still much too early to judge whether the predicted demise of traditional cultural and
information institutions will be realised, but experience suggests the obituaries are premature.
When one looks for agencies that might offer what is required, institutions that already
manage non-digital heritage materials appear to have many advantages. Many of them offer:

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