n.information about data that supports the long-term availability of digital objectsOCLC/RLG 2001, 4Preservation metadata is intended to support and facilitate the long-term retention of digital information. . . . In particular, preservation metadata may be used to: ¶ store technical information supporting preservation decisions and actions ¶ document preservation actions taken, such as migration or emulation policies ¶ record the effects of preservation strategies ¶ ensure the authenticity of digital resources over time ¶ note information about collection management and the management of rights[.]Puglia, Reed, and Rhodes 2004, 11Preservation metadata encompasses all information necessary to manage and preserve digital assets over time. . . . ¶ Preservation metadata is information that will assist in preservation decision-making regarding the long-term value of a digital resource and the cost of maintaining access to it, and will help to both facilitate archiving strategies for digital images as well as support and document these strategies over time. Preservation metadata is commonly linked with digital preservation strategies such as migration and emulation, as well as more “routine” system-level actions such as copying, backup, or other automated processes carried out on large numbers of objects.Dappert and Enders 2010, 5All of these preservation functions depend on the availability of preservation metadata—information that describes the digital content in the repository to ensure its long-term accessibility.DPC 2015There is no clear line between what is preservation metadata and what is not, but ultimately the purpose of preservation metadata is to support the goals of long-term digital preservation, which are to maintain the availability, identity, persistence, renderability, understandability, and authenticity of digital objects over long periods of time.O’Meara and Stratton 2016, 58Preservation metadata can refer to two types of information: information about preservation activities or events and information required to achieve the goals of preservation.Eckard 2020, 309Preservation metadata: A type of administrative metadata used to record the intellectual property rights attached to content.
