3. Deposit system - the OAIS reference model

A deposit system supports procedures to preserve electronic publications (online and offline) and keeps them accessible through time. To implement such a system, specific standards, technologies, and procedures are needed. Project NEDLIB - Networked European Deposit Library^<2> , funded by the European Union from 1998 to 2000, developed a process model for deposit libraries. On the basis of the Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System - OAIS^<3> , European national libraries and archives found common grounds to encourage applied research in the area of digital preservation. The OAIS generic model consists of functional entities with well-defined interfaces and introduces a concept of packages to standardize and interconnect preservable content and metadata. A digital object is prepared for submission to the deposit system and packaged into a SIP (submission information package). The functional entity "Ingest" is responsible for preparing storage, further identification and creation of necessary metadata. Afterwards, repackaging into an AIP (archival information package) takes place. Core components of the model are "Archival Storage", where services and functions for the storage and maintenance of AIPs are provided, and "Preservation Planning". The latter entity monitors the environment of the archival system and provides recommendations to ensure that the information once stored remains accessible to the user community over the long-term even if the original computing environment becomes obsolete. When requested for access, the AIP is prepared for delivery and rebuilt as a DIP (dissemination information package). All these packages are more or less still conceptual views, which have to be technically implemented in reality for all kinds of digital object types. Nevertheless, we committed ourselves to OAIS compliance for our actual system development strategy.

Footnotes:
<2>	http://www.konbib.nl/nedlib
<3>	http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/nost/isoas/

© This publication and its compilation in form and content is copyrighted. Every realization which is not explicitly allowed by copyright law requires a written agreement. Especially, this holds for reprography and processing / storing by electronic systems.