Application of ICT in Digital Preservation Strategies in Academic Libraries

Abstract

Facilitating teaching, learning and research is the major role of academic libraries, to do so effectively libraries rely on documented information resources born either as prints or digital. The paper highlighted the various strategies employed by academic libraries in digital preservation of their scholarly publications by the application of the appropriate information and communication technologies. Identified strategies for digital preservation by academic libraries as highlighted by this paper includes the following, Investment strategies, short-term and long – term strategies. The study identified that re-use of ICT, especially the software component play a vital role in the digitization and preservation of scholarly publications. The paper went further to highlight the technical Know-How and the ICT requirements in the digitization and preservation of scholarly publications which includes among others, identifying the items to be digitized, pulling them into loose sheets and digitize, ICT requirements highlighted includes scanners, Digital Cameras, use of AbbyyFine Reader and uploading the items to Dspace. In conclusion, digitization and preservation of scholarly publications has to deal not only with the maintenance of files but also ways of keeping them accessible bearing in mind the current trends in technology.