FOR PRESERVATION PROGRAMMES WITH FEW RESOURCES

14.21 Transfer
Programmes with few resources may need to explore ways of reducing transfer costs:
Push arrangements may require less investment by the preservation
programme and shift most of the cost of transfer to the producer. However,
without agreements about the media, formats and quality control to be used by
producers when transferring material, short-term savings may produce greater
preservation costs in the long term
Well chosen restrictions on the range of media and formats accepted by the
programme may produce savings
programmes may be able to store transferred material on their transfer media if
relatively stable carriers have been chosen, and if backup copies can be made
for security.

Some communities without access to separate preservation agencies may have to

pursue a non-transfer model, setting up the best preservation arrangements they can
within an operating environment. Even in these circumstances, many of the same
principles apply: ongoing accessibility is more likely with some kind of internal
transfer to even a modest back up archive where files can be managed outside the
normal risks of operational use. Files will still need to be sufficiently well described
and protected to allow later transfer to a more secure preservation programme.

14.22 Metadata
The costs of recording metadata can be a significant part of overall preservation costs.
There may be potential for savings by either reducing the amount of information
recorded to a minimum (and accepting that both access and preservation will be made
more difficult); or by investing in software that will capture metadata automatically
(which will become easier as metadata standards develop).

In choosing a minimal set of metadata, programme managers may find it helpful to

consider what users will need in order to find material, and what questions will
require answers in taking any foreseeable preservation action.

CASE STUDIES
14.23 Case study 1
A national library collecting online digital publications effects transfers by gathering
files from publishers sites, using programmable searching, copying and downloading
software such as HTTrack, in accordance with agreements negotiated with each site
owner. The gathering process involves staff in looking for potential sites that might

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