1. Overview

This policy has been developed to present a common understanding of how digital preservation activities are conceptualized, managed, and evaluated at the University of Toronto Libraries.

For the purposes of this policy document, ‘digital preservation’ is defined as a program or activity that helps ensure the integrity, authenticity, and usability of digital assets held by UTL. Digital preservation combines policies, strategies and actions to ensure access to reformatted and born digital content over the long term.

In its current version, the policy consists of Foundational Principles, which outline the general philosophical approach to digital preservation at UTL, and Operational Principles, containing guidelines for how digital preservation activities should be carried out.

2. Scope and applicability

This policy applies to all digital preservation activities undertaken within the UTL system.
This policy is intended to outline what can be expected from digital preservation programs and activities at UTL and to place reasonable limits on those expectations given expected operating constraints and technological considerations.
This policy may form the basis for partnership agreements if UTL provides digital preservation services to non-UTL partners, now or in the future.

3. Principles

3.1 Foundational principles

Our digital preservation strategies are driven by and support the University of Toronto Libraries' collection building mandate, both at a broad scale and within our more specialized collections. Our digital preservation programs and activities complement and share the same mission as our physical preservation programs.
We affirm that long-term access to digital assets is the purpose of digital preservation.
Digital preservation is not a binary state where something is preserved or not. It is a property of the policies and procedures we use to manage our digital assets that either increases or diminishes their usefulness over time.
We recognize the importance of risk identification and mitigation as a central part of our digital preservation strategy.

3. 2 Operational principles

In the spirit of academic inquiry, we will document and share (as appropriate) our digital preservation policies and procedures for transparency, peer-review, internal review and as a demonstration of our commitment to our community.
Digital preservation is a resource-constrained activity. Choices to implement programs or initiatives must be made in the context of the overall resourcing environment at U of T.
We recognize that continual, meaningful engagement with our community is vital to ensuring the accessibility and usability of our digital assets.
We must obtain sufficient control - both physical and intellectual - of digital assets as needed for long term preservation, and maintain a record of those controls.

Last edited: 25 June, 2025
Approved: 1 August, 2016

Digital preservation

Related to

Service Management (ITS)

Digital preservation and recovery services