PROTAGE · PReservation Organizations using Tools in AGent Environments

The aim of the project is to investigate and initiate complementary new approaches to digital preservation. <br/>The rapidly growing volume of digital information is causing data transfer from active IT systems to digital repositories at an increasing pace. This makes it necessary to find new levels of automation and self-reliance in preservation solutions. The diversity in sizes and complexity among new digital resources imply that the repository systems must be highly adaptable to various types of input, storage and access. <br/>The PROTAGE solution is to link digital objects to long-term digital preservation processes by using agent-based software technology. Based on the latest research on digital preservation strategies and on autonomous systems, the PROTAGE project will build and validate flexible and extensible software agents for long-term digital preservation and access that can cooperate with and be integrated in existing and new preservation systems. Intended application areas for prototypes produced by the PROTAGE project cover submission of digital material as well as monitoring of preservation systems and transfer between repositories.<br/>Tools developed by the PROTAGE project will:<br/>- allow content producers to create and publish in a preservation-compatible manner,<br/>- provide digital repositories with means of further automating the preservation processes,<br/>- facilitate seamless interoperation between content providers, libraries and archives, and end-users throughout Europe.<br/>Targeted end users are curators and digital content creators including individuals managing their own digital collections.<br/>PROTAGE will use archive and library materials from the project partners for system and user tests and external stakeholders in further validation. The Swedish Centre of Competence for Long-term Preservation will ensure availability of results to a wider community of memory institutions. The industrial partners will use the results to develop commercial solutions.