The Project
In 2006, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded a two-year National Leadership Grant to the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL) and seven Alabama institutions. These seven institutions are building a low-cost distributed digital preservation network for the state of Alabama using open-source LOCKSS (“Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe”) software. The Alabama Digital Preservation Network (ADPNet) will preserve locally created digital assets and will demonstrate a preservation and access solution for academic institutions, state agencies, and community cultural heritage organizations. Aaron Trehub, Director of Library Technology at Auburn University, is the project director. The participating institutions are the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Auburn University, Spring Hill College, Troy University, the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of North Alabama.
By the end of the two-year project, institutions of higher education, libraries, state agencies, and other cultural heritage institutions in Alabama should have an increased awareness of the importance of preserving significant digital assets. The project will also show that a LOCKSS preservation network can support the digital preservation needs of different types of institutions. A representative body will govern the network and assure the long-term operation of ADPNet.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)