On November 7, as part of the International Digital Preservation Day celebrations, the New Paths to Information Preservation and Access meeting was held, promoted by the FCT - Science and Technology Archive and by Arquivo.pt, the digital service of the Foundation for Science and Technology, developed by FCCN.
The first edition of the initiative took place at the Torre do Tombo, in Lisbon's Cidade Universitária, and was attended by more than 240 people.
"It would have been difficult to find a more symbolic place to celebrate World Digital Preservation Day than the Torre do Tombo, where there was an excellent atmosphere of sharing and various aspects of physical and digital preservation were discussed. I had the privilege of moderating a panel that mirrored this diversity, with interventions on Web Archives, Preservation Policies, Scientific Data and Audiovisuals.
We closed the day on a high note, with memories of the 50th anniversary of April 25 and how to ensure that we preserve the next 50 years efficiently," explains João Gomes, area director of FCCN, FCT's digital services .
During the meeting, the main challenges facing information and documentation professionals in terms of producing, organizing, making available and preserving information in digital format were discussed. The development of means to enable access to and reuse of information, while guaranteeing its digital preservation, was also a theme of the initiative.
According to Paula Meireles, head of the Science and Technology Archive, "No one is indifferent when it comes to Digital Preservation. This was clearly demonstrated at the event, which was only held in person, by the number of participants, and with national representation. It was a highly sought-after event that stood out for its diversity and for the panels of excellent speakers who, throughout the day, shared knowledge, policies, experiences, methodologies, good practices, projects and strategies at this turning point for the digital transition, making it clear that the work has to be collaborative and that these meetings promote unity, discussion, synergies and added value," says Paula Meireles,
"Managing, organizing, making available and preserving digital information is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges for information and documentation professionals who share the goal of guaranteeing access to and reuse of data and information in a transparent and democratic way, ensuring its digital preservation and long-term consultation," he adds.
More than 40 speakers, 7 sessions and a space dedicated to the community
There were dozens of participants in the sessions that took place throughout the day, both in person and on video. The event was opened by Silvestre Lacerda, director of the Directorate-General for Books, Archives and Libraries, Francisco Santos, vice-president of the FCT Board of Directors and Jane Winters, Chair of the Digital Preservation Coalition Board.
The opening conference, with the theme Building Digital Bridges: Paths to the Future of Preservation and Accesswas given by Henrique São Mamede, from the Open University.
This was followed by three panels debating: digital preservation initiatives and realities, how to preserve and reuse information on the web and how to preserve the present and safeguard the future. Among the various speakers, Arquivo.pt's digital curator Ricardo Basílio presented the Memories of April 25 on the Internet project. António Ramiro and Carmen Fonseca, the first winners of the Arquivo.pt 2024 Award, also took to the stage.
The Community Space featured nine presentations of seven minutes each, which showcased projects related to the topic under discussion. Among them, Pedro Gomes from the Arquivo.pt team, FCT's digital service, developed by FCCN, presented CitationSaver, which preserves citations for online content .
The event ended with a speech by Maria Inácia Rezola, Executive Commissioner of the Mission Structure for the Commemorations of the 50th Anniversary of the Revolution of April 25, 1974, and culminated with a few words of assessment of the initiative by João Gomes, area director of FCCN, FCT's digital services .
