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Challenges in Preserving Digital Resources of Developing Countries

This paper explores the preservation challenges faced by developing countries in digitizing and maintaining digital resources. It discusses the role of repository libraries in safeguarding digital heritage and the responsibilities of various stakeholders. The analysis covers technical, economic, political, legal, and ethical considerations that influence digital preservation efforts in Africa and other developing regions.

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Challenges in Preserving Digital Resources of Developing Countries

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  1. Preserving the digital resources of developing countries: is there a role for repository libraries? Paper presented at the 2nd International Conference on Repository and Storage Libraries, Kuopio, 13-15 May 2004 Peter Johan Lor University of Pretoria

  2. Introduction • “Digitise all this old stuff” • Growth of digital output • Digitised • Born-digital • Preservation challenge • Scope • Four categories of digital material • Sub-Saharan Africa

  3. Outline • Introduction • Production of digital resources in Africa • Africa’s digital output • Who is responsible for preservation • Role of repository libraries in the North • Conclusion

  4. Outline • Introduction • Production of digital resources in Africa • Africa’s digital output • Who is responsible for preservation • Role of repository libraries in the North • Conclusion

  5. Production of digital resources in Africa • Conditions in Africa: a jeremiad • ICT infrastructure • Teledensity, backbone, bandwidth • Internet development indicators • Telecoms costs • Shortages of funds& skilled personnel • Organisational weakness • Political fragmentation

  6. Outline • Introduction • Production of digital resources in Africa • Africa’s digital output • Who is responsible for preservation • Role of repository libraries in the North • Conclusion

  7. Africa’s digital output • Digitisation of African heritage material • Mainly small, specialised collections • US • Africa • Example DISA (Digital Imaging project of South Africa)

  8. Africa’s digital output (2) • Electronic journals • Sabinet Online: 160+ titles • NISC South Africa: 7+ titles (via Ingenta) • Others • Total 200 titles?

  9. Africa’s digital output (3) • Electronic theses and dissertations • Rhodes University, Grahamstown • DATAD project • Database of African Theses and Dissertations • Association of African Universities • UNESCO-funded pilot project • Universities of Witwatersrand & Addis Ababa

  10. Africa’s digital output (4) • Web sites • How many? • More information on Africa on sites outside Africa • Rapid growth in Africa • Variety • News portals • Search engines

  11. Outline • Introduction • Production of digital resources in Africa • Africa’s digital output • Who is responsible for preservation • Role of repository libraries in the North • Conclusion

  12. Who is responsible? • In Africa: • Authors • Publishers • Universities • National libraries • National archives • Institutions in the North

  13. Outline • Introduction • Production of digital resources in Africa • Africa’s digital output • Who is responsible for preservation • Role of repository libraries in the North • Conclusion

  14. Role of repository libraries • Technical considerations • Many issues • Selection • Harvesting • Deep web • Organisation for retrieval • What is to be preserved? • Access: who, how, where?

  15. Role of repository libraries (2) • Organisational considerations • Institutional • internal organisation • Inter-institutional • North-North • International • North-South / South-North • Cooperation essential

  16. Role of repository libraries (3) • Economic considerations • Costs • Connect time, storage not the only costs • Up-front investment • Operational costs • Curation, storage space, upgrading • Who will fund? • Sustainability • Business model • Access for Africans?

  17. Role of repository libraries (4) • Political considerations • Context: North-South & South-North information flows • Not only North-South flow needed • Repositories: information imperialism? • Partnerships must respect autonomy, self-sufficiency, dignity of Africa • Possibility of misuse of information (political sites)

  18. Role of repository libraries (5) • Legal considerations • Intellectual property: who owns it? • IP law in Africa • Protection in country where dealt with • Web sites: can’t wait for permission • Download first, ask later? • Litigation risk?

  19. Role of repository libraries (6) • Ethical considerations • Shortcomings of international IPR regime • Questions: • To whom does this belong? • What are the rights of creators and owners of IP? • What are the rights of other parties?

  20. Role of repository libraries (7) • Ethical considerations: To whom does this belong? • Communal property • Oral transmission (unrecorded) • Web sites: many components • Dissertations: student or university?

  21. Role of repository libraries (8) • Ethical considerations: • What are the rights of creators and owners of IP? • Control utilisation (release, disseminate, withdraw) • Share in benefits • Moral rights (attribution, integrity)

  22. Role of repository libraries (9) • Ethical considerations: What are the rights of other parties? • Who? • “Discoverers” of indigenous knowledge • Scholars (who record, edit, annotate) • Artists (who adapt, dramatise, depict) • Developers of products (R&D; investment) • Scholars and students from countries of origin • Peoples: of the country, Africa, the world

  23. Outline • Introduction • Production of digital resources in Africa • Africa’s digital output • Who is responsible for preservation • Role of repository libraries in the North • Conclusion

  24. Conclusion • Volume small but growing • Significant part of Africa’s heritage • Repository libraries in North can play a role • Carefully consider all aspects, including “soft” issues • Projects should be cooperative • Parterships to build capacity in Africa

  25. Thank you Peter Johan Lor Department of Information Science University of Pretoria South Africa peter.lor@up.ac.za

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