Digitization and Internet access provide libraries and cultural heritage organizations with wonderful opportunities to share our primary resources with the world. Typically, we organize our digital resources into collections – perhaps centered around a particular theme, time period, event, or central figure.

The websites listed below not only provide access to collections based on particular themes, time periods, and events, but they also incorporate a variety of different viewpoints for each collection. For example, what does an American have to say about living on the Alaskan frontier in 1872? What about the person that just arrived from Siberia? How does a map of U.S. colonies drawn by a British settler differ from that of a French settler during the 1600s? What are the experiences of a U.S. military attache in 19th century Rio de Janeiro??

The Library of Congress has partnered with a number of national libraries around the world to digitize and provide access to multi-points of view about historical events and international relations. You can read more about the collaborations here. Collaborative Digital Libraries

France in America
This collection is a partnership between the Library of Congress and France’s national library. It includes digital primary sources about the French presence in North America up until the late 1800s. Includes English and French language versions.

The Atlantic World: America and the Netherlands
The National Library of the Netherlands has partnered with the Library of Congress to provide access to digital resources detailing U.S.-Dutch interactions from the 1600s to mid-1940s. Includes English and Dutch language versions.

Meeting of Frontiers: Siberia, Alaska, and the American West
This is a multi-collaborative project involving the Library of Congress, the University of Alaska, and a number of Russian libraries. The project includes a variety of digital resources about the American West, the settelment of Siberia, and Russian-U.S. relations in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Includes English and Russian language versions.

Parallel Histories: Spain, the United States, and the American Frontier
A partnership between the National Library of Spain and the Library of Congress brings us a collection of digital primary sources detailing Spain-U.S. relations from the 15th century to the 19th century. Includes English and Spanish language versions.

United States and Brazil: Expanding Frontiers, Comparing Cultures
This collaboration between the National Library of Brazil and the Library of Congress provides access to digital resources showcasing Brazilian-U.S. relations from the 18th century until the present. Includes English and Portuguese language versions.

Perhaps your organization alone already has some multi-view primary sources about a particular subject or event. Check out the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association’s interactive digital exhibit on the 1704 raid on Deerfield, Massachusetts. The exhibit incorporates perspectives of the raid on Deerfield, as well as the history of the area leading up to the raid, from the English, French, Mohawk, Huron, and Wabanaki. Raid on Deerfield: The Many Stories of 1704

Has your organization created a digital project like the ones mentioned above? If so, please let us know in the comments section!

Perhaps like many libraries and cultural heritage organizations, you have been digitizing your resources, as well as acquiring objects that are already “born digital.”

Where do we go from here? How can we ensure that access to our valuable digital assets survives technological changes, obsolescence, and varying levels of funding?

It’s time to begin thinking about digital preservation. I highly recommend starting with this tutorial, Digital Preservation Management: Implementing Short-term Strategies for Long-term Problems, which was created by Cornell University, and is currently maintained by the University of Michigan’s Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research department. The tutorial provides a comprehensive overview of digital preservation terminology, guidelines and models, preservation metadata, and bibliographic resources.

Another resource for learning about digital preservation is offered by DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE). This organization is currently developing animated YouTube videos that “encapsulate complex digital preservation issues and problems and explain them in a funny and easy to follow plot.*”

The first video, “Digital Preservation and Nuclear Disaster: An Animation” can be found here. Future animations will be available at this YouTube Channel.

Keep in mind that BCR is also offering an “Introduction to Digital Preservation” seminar on October 23, 2009. You can find more information here. We hope to see you there!

* May 11, 2009, DIGLIB listserv announcement from Emily Nimmo, Preservation Resources Officer with the Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute (Glasgow, Scotland).