JISC

Introduction  

The Universities of Oxford and Manchester have established collecting profiles in modern political papers. The papers of contemporary politicians - that will become the research materials of tomorrow - are being comprehensively created in electronic form. The exemplar strategies that this project will develop with political papers will be of use for any institution which collects, preserves, and maintains access to private papers. Such institutions are not confined to major research libraries, but include a broad sweep of institutions in HE, and in other sectors, including national libraries, museums and galleries. Each of these institutions will benefit from a project that develops best-practice guidelines rooted in practical experience in the archival and preservation aspects of digital private papers. In addition, the project benefits will have major implications for University Archives who also have in their mission the need to collect, preserve, and maintain access to papers of individuals associated with their own institutions. 

Project Outcomes

1. Template for ensuring long-term access for institutional holdings of digital personal papers
2. Best-practice guidelines in the form of a ‘workbook’ on issues relating to the archiving of personal papers in digital form, made available in sections as they are completed
3. Strengthened local institutional capacity for digital preservation
4. Developed templates for institutional policies for collection development, retention, and disposal
5. Practical test of relevant software (eg DSpce or Fedora) and assessment methodologies (e.g. NPO’s Needs Assessment Tool)
6. Investigation and report on the potential of Archives Hub as a provider of distributed access to digital content preserved by the project
7. Research resources for 20^th century political history in the form of new archival collections

Lead Institution
University of Oxford 

Project Partners
University of Manchester 

Programme area(s) addressed:
1.   Institutional management support
3.   Institutional repository infrastructure development