Nestor – the Network of Expertise in Long-Term Storage have created a guideline that provides digital archives, irrespective of their particular organisational set-up or range of tasks, with assistance in creating their own institutional policy on digital preservation. It tackles the questions:
- What is the purpose of a policy?
- What must a policy cover?
- How is a policy produced?
An institutional preservation policy in the context of this document is a guideline that describes the essential setting, principles, structures and objectives of a digital archive. It can be aimed at both internal and external parties and furthers understanding (partly its own understanding) of the mission, methods and credibility of the institution. It is intended to be binding for practice over a long period of time and offers a fixed point of reference for daily work as well as for further strategic developments. Moreover, documents of the digital archive that cover related topics (e.g. technical specifications, strategy papers, etc.) should be in line with the preservation policy.