Digital Preservation Framework
About the Digital Preservation Framework
NARA’s archival holdings include a large amount of digital files—two billion and growing, representing more than 700 file format versions. These files are taken in by the agency from across the federal government and NARA’s custodial areas. That many files means a.) a lot of file formats and b.) a lot of planning. The Digital Preservation Framework (hereafter “Framework”) is a core aspect of how NARA achieves the objectives of our Digital Preservation Strategy.
Created in response to this current and anticipated volume of electronic records in the agency’s holdings, the Framework supports NARA staff in the processing and stewardship of a wide variety of file formats. The Framework exists as a comprehensive resource to assess risks posed to file formats and plan for the long-term preservation and sustainability of those files deemed permanent for NARA’s holdings, as well as formats the agency anticipates receiving in the future. It is actively maintained by the Digital Preservation Program, including quarterly updates to the Framework’s existing information and adding new formats based on ongoing research. These efforts capture this continual and intentional practice of research, assessment, and documentation.
While this resource is intended for use by NARA staff, it also provides transparency by communicating about NARA’s current practices and approach to digital preservation for all interested stakeholders, such as federal agencies, records managers, archivists, digital preservation & allied professionals, private industry, researchers, and members of the public. Our vision is to ensure access to extraordinary volumes of government information and unprecedented engagement to bring greater meaning to the American experience.
How to Get Started
The Framework consists of three components: the Risk Matrix, File Format Preservation Action Plans, and Record Category Preservation Action Plans. At present, all three components are available on NARA's Digital Preservation repository on GitHub.
- The Risk Matrix measures NARA’s ability to preserve and sustain digital file formats. It answers questions about formats based on NARA’s research and risk analysis, informing how we prioritize them for preservation actions.
- The File Format Preservation Action Plans identify NARA’s proposed course of action for formats analyzed in the Risk Matrix. It describes each format and recommends preservation actions guided by NARA’s practices and preferred tools.
- The File Format Preservation Action Plans are additionally available as Linked Open Data.
- The Record Category Preservation Action Plans support planning for potential format migrations for 16 categories of records (digital audio, email, geospatial, and more). These Plans document the “Significant Properties” unique to each Category and that should be retained over time, ensuring high fidelity format migrations.