I recently posted a message about a list of practical digital preservation tools and services that I am in the process of assembling. The latest additions to the list are 19 citations to digital repository services and systems.
I define a digital repository service as a situation where an institution or organization undertakes to preserve content on behalf of other entities. There are now many such services in existence around the world. Some rely on “home grown” customized software and practices, while others use various open-source or commercial solutions. Rather than try to compile an exhaustive list, I’ve provided cites to a few exemplars that I feel represent the best of what is available.
Repository systems are defined as software and documentation that an institution can install to establish a repository service. Most of the items on the list are open source, but I firmly believe there is a role for commercial products in this space. The old saying is that free software isn’t free: the source code may be freely downloadable but configuring and maintaining a system can be quite expensive. Commercial products can be significantly easier to install and cheaper to maintain. The key is that any system adopted must support an open architecture approach, which means that all the preserved data and other information assets must be moved to a new platform in a straightforward manner without corruption or loss.
Please let me know of any services or systems that should be included on the list.