Towards a secure digital legacy – Wits Library now a member of the Digital Preservation Coalition
- Wits University
Wits has joined the Digital Preservation Coalition, a charitable foundation that supports digital preservation with a view to a secure digital legacy.
The University is also part of the DPC’s Representative Council, which drives strategy.
The Wits Library envisages being SA’s information hub of choice among leading research libraries globally, and providing an inclusive environment in which to access, produce and share knowledge.
Responsible for the University’s digitisation centre, digital library and archival repositories, the preservation of these digital objects is also the mandate of the Library – hence its full membership of the DPC.
“The University of the Witwatersrand’s Library values the endeavours of the DPC to harness a community of experts and novices to address and champion preservation and digital preservation issues,” explains Dr Daisy Selematsela, the University Librarian.
“The benefit for us in the Global South of being part of the DPC ensures that we do not ‘reinvent the wheel’, and there are benefits associated with knowledge sharing and training programmes. We are excited to be the third South African Academic Library to join the global DPC network”.
As a full member, Wits University joins the DPC’s Representative Council, which ensures that the Coalition remains focussed on its strategic plan, and that the strategic plan remains relevant to members’ emerging needs.
Juan Bicarregui, Chair of the DPC, says: “As global ambassadors and conveners of local communities of digital preservation practice, we are very excited to welcome Wits University to the Coalition. We look forward to working with and learning from Daisy and the team in Johannesburg.”
The DPC is an international charitable foundation which supports digital preservation, helping its members around the world to deliver resilient long-term access to digital content and services through community engagement, targeted advocacy work, training and workforce development, capacity building, good practice and standards, and through good management and governance. Its vision is a secure digital legacy.