Digital Preservation Best Practices for Small Archives
Practical digital preservation steps for small archives — checksums, 3-2-1 backup, format identification, and PREMIS basics.
Not every archive has the budget for a dedicated digital preservation system. But that doesn't mean you can't implement robust preservation practices. Here are practical steps that any small archive can take today.
1. Start with Checksums
Enable Heratio's fixity checking feature. It's free, automatic, and will alert you to any bit rot or corruption.
2. Follow the 3-2-1 Rule
Three copies of your data, on two different storage types, with one offsite. Cloud storage like Wasabi or Backblaze B2 costs as little as $5/TB/month.
3. Document Your Formats
Use Heratio's PRONOM integration to identify file formats in your collection.
4. Create Preservation Metadata
PREMIS events don't have to be complicated. Start by recording when files were ingested, any format migrations performed, and fixity check results.
Remember: perfect is the enemy of good. Start small and build your preservation program over time.