Library of congress to test cloud technologies.

• Position: INFO TECHNOLOGY

The Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) and DuraSpace have announced a one-year pilot program to test the use of cloud technologies to enable perpetual access to digital content.

The goal of the program is to develop a national strategy to collect, preserve, and make available digital content, especially materials created only in digital formats, for current and future generations.

The pilot will focus on a new cloud-based service, DuraCloud, developed and hosted by the nonprofit DuraSpace organization. Among the NDIIPP partners participating in the DuraCloud pilot program are the New York Public Library and the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Cloud technologies use remote computers to provide local services through the Internet. DuraCloud will enable an institution to provide data storage and access without having to maintain its own dedicated technical infrastructure.

For NDIIPP partners, it is not enough to preserve digital materials without also having strategies in place to make that content accessible. NDIIPP is concerned with many types of digital content, including geospatial, audiovisual, images, and text. The NDIIPP partners will focus on deploying access-oriented services that make it easier to share important cultural, historical, and scientific materials with the world. To ensure continuous access, valuable digital materials must be stored in a durable manner. DuraCloud will provide storage...