Digital Preservation at UVic Libraries

Welcome to the digital preservation initiative of the UVic Libraries. As custodians of knowledge in the digital age, we are dedicated to the meticulous stewardship of our cultural and scholarly heritage. In an era characterized by unprecedented volumes of digital content and rapid technological evolution, the imperative to preserve and protect these invaluable assets has never been more pressing.  

Our mandate 

At UVic Libraries, we are committed to the rigorous application of scholarly principles and best practices in digital preservation. Through meticulous curation, robust archival strategies, and adherence to international standards, we ensure the longevity, accessibility, and authenticity of digital materials entrusted to our care. Our endeavour extends beyond mere preservation; it embodies a scholarly mission to safeguard the integrity of our cultural record and facilitate scholarly inquiry for generations to come. Join us as we embark on this journey to safeguard the digital legacy of humanity. 

Digital Preservation Framework

The UVic Libraries' Digital Preservation Framework establishes a structured approach to safeguarding digital materials in alignment with the institution's strategic objectives. Guided by principles of selective preservation, the framework underscores the necessity for clear documentation, sustainability, and adherence to best practices and standards.  

Key elements of the Digital Preservation Framework: 

  • Responsibilities are designated to the Digital Preservation Librarian and key staff, ensuring coordinated efforts across units.  
  • Content groups, ranging from electronic theses to web archives, are prioritized for preservation. Each content group is managed through a detailed action plan outlining preservation strategies and storage protocols. Please see our action plan for research data on the Borealis platform as an example. 
  • Preservation and storage levels are defined to ensure redundancy and disaster resilience.  
  • Regular review processes ensure alignment with evolving technologies and best practices, reflecting a commitment to sustained digital stewardship in line with industry standards and collaborative initiatives. 

Digital preservation consultation services 

UVic Libraries offers comprehensive consultation services tailored to support digital preservation initiatives. Our expert team provides invaluable guidance and advice on preserving digital content, ensuring its integrity and longevity for future generations. Additionally, we furnish essential guidelines for crafting digital materials optimized for enduring preservation, empowering users to navigate the complexities of digital stewardship with confidence and clarity. 

Digital repository and harvesting services 

UVic Libraries maintains digital repository infrastructure to facilitate access to and preservation of born-digital materials. Our repositories encompass: 

  • Vault is the digital asset management system used by UVic Libraries to store and provide access to digitized materials both from the rare and unique holdings in Special Collections and University Archives and from UVic Libraries’ project partners. 
  • UVicSpace is an open access learning and research repository for published and unpublished digital scholarly works by the UVic community and its partners. 
  • The University of Victoria Borealis Collection of research data repositories serves our faculty, researchers, and students. Dataverse is a general-purpose repository, suitable for all disciplines, and accepts a wide range of data types and formats. 
  • Our Archive-It web archiving service helps the Libraries to harvest, build, and preserve collections of digital content relevant to our community. 

Collaborative preservation efforts

UVic Libraries actively participates in various collaborative preservation initiatives, which include: 

Contact us 

For more information, please contact: 

Corey Davis 
Digital Preservation Librarian 
coreyd@uvic.ca  
(778) 677-5746