THE DIGITAL PRESERVATION AWARD

This year for the first time, the Pilgrim Trust Conservation Awards will include a new Award sponsored by the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC). The Digital Preservation Award, worth £5000, will recognise leadership and achievement in the developing field of digital preservation. It is aimed at highlighting the issues posed by preserving electronic information in the long term.

This subject affects all memory organisations. Libraries increasingly deal with electronic publications, archives are concerned with preserving electronic records, and museums and galleries with preserving digital art. The need to preserve electronic information has wide-ranging implications throughout society, from the vast quantities of data being produced by seminal science projects such as the Genome project, to the consequences of the Freedom of Information Act.

What is the Award for?
This Award recognises leadership and achievement in the new field of digital preservation. The Award is aimed at projects that focus on “born-digital” resources rather than those using technology for preservation or conservation purposes.

Who is eligible to apply?
Individuals or teams working in the public or private sectors. The application must be supported by the individual(s) or organisation(s) commissioning the work.

Timetable and Judging
Entrants for the Digital Preservation Award should submit a short application by 30 September 2003, using the printed or electronic application form provided. These will be sifted and considered for short-listing by the Digital Preservation Screening Panel. Only short-listed candidates will be asked for full details of their projects. All short-listed candidates for the Award will be informed by early November and asked to submit full details by mid-January 2004.

Members of the Judging Panel will visit all the short-listed projects in the spring of 2004 in order to meet those involved and see the outcome of the projects at first hand.

Criteria for assessment of the Digital Preservation Award
Recognising the rapid development of this field, the DPC Board does not wish the criteria to be restrictive and wishes nominations to be considered which, at the judges’ discretion, meet the broad aims of demonstrating leadership and advancement in the digital preservation arena. This could take many forms, for example:

• a publication which advanced the theory, practice and understanding of the issues surrounding digital preservation
  
  
• A project which tested the theory of a particular digital preservation strategy
  
  
• a piece of technology which helped the long term storage of electronic objects
  
  
• an innovative piece of thinking.

Conditions of application

• The project must be completed by 30 June 2003.
  
  
• Joint applications are accepted.
  
  
• All applicants must be clearly identified on the application form.
  
  
• The project should demonstrate benefit for the UK, but may be carried out elsewhere.
  
  
• The decisions of the judges are final.

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