Born digital

Definition

Born-digital materials arrive at Yale University Library from a variety of sources. Curators at different libraries acquire data tapes, floppy disks, CD-ROMs or hard drives from donors. Staff in different Yale offices transfer born-digital records to University Archives. Researchers work with staff at Marx Science and Social Science Library to preserve their datasets. The file formats and genre of these materials vary widely.

Born-digital objects should be preserved in their native file formats whenever possible. In addition, different preservation master copies and/or access copies may be created. The format of these copies will vary depending on the needs of staff and researchers, the library’s digital preservation policy, and available resources. Guidelines about preferred file formats may be developed at a later date.

External Resources

Given the relative novelty of this field, standards and guidelines are still being developed.