Trevor Owens. The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation.

Abstract

When asked to review this book, I jumped at the chance as it was published serendipitously to efforts I am making to articulate the digital-preservation ethos at my institution. Trevor Owens’ The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation serves as a refresher for the seasoned digital preservation practitioner, as well as providing new insights for how to undertake these efforts, all the while being approachable for the novice. Owens boldly chose to write this work from a first-person point of view, which makes it all the more engaging. It is filled with quips such as on page 107, where he has been discussing the need for maintaining multiple copies. He urges the reader, “If you don’t have a second copy of content you care about ensuring access to, stop reading the book now and go and make one.”