A consortium of public records organisations has signed up digital preservation specialist Preservica to provide long term cloud storage for the government records in their care.
The Dorset History Centre, West Sussex Records Office and Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre have selected the company’s Cloud Edition for consortia to safeguard the records while providing increased public access.
Sam Johnston, county archivist for Dorset, said the Preservica Cloud Edition synchronises with its CALM catalogue systems and has made it possible to preserve older versions of its dorsetforyou websites.
“The Preservica consortia offering means we can now combine expertise and buying power with other local authorities providing benefits to all,” he said.
“I am delighted that West Sussex and Wiltshire & Swindon are the first to join us in the consortium which is open to other UK local authorities with no geographic restrictions. There is already keen interest and we look forward to others joining us in the near future.”
Local authorities carry a mandate to ensure a wide range of essential as well as historically significant government records are accessible for decades – from cultural history to social care, planning, infrastructure, transportation and democratic decision-making.
Digital preservation software makes it possible to future proof and provide wider public access to digital records, and to meet freedom of information and General Data Protection Regulation obligations.
Image from iStock, eLibraries
