PREMIS Maintenance Activity and Editorial Committee
The PREMIS Data Dictionary is the international de facto standard for preservation metadata.
For PREMIS resources, news, information, events, etc., please visit the PREMIS Maintenance Activity: http://www.loc.gov/standards/premis/
About
In 2005, the PREMIS (PREservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies) Working Group, jointly convened and sponsored by OCLC and RLG, released Data Dictionary for Preservation Metadata, a comprehensive description of core preservation metadata supported by recommendations and guidelines for its creation, management, and use. The PREMIS Data Dictionary was the first comprehensive preservation metadata specification produced from an international, cross-domain consensus-building process, and has since become the de facto standard for metadata used in support of the digital preservation process.
The PREMIS Maintenance Activity was set up by the Library of Congress to serve as a permanent Web home for the Data Dictionary, its associated XML schemas, and other resources. The Maintenance Activity also sets directions for and coordinates research activities related to the PREMIS Data Dictionary, organizes outreach events, and maintains several mechanisms for engaging with the Dictionary’s community of users. The Editorial Committee, which operates under the auspices of the Maintenance Activity, is responsible for managing the Data Dictionary and XML schemas, supporting their use, and coordinating updates and revisions.
Awards
This project was awarded The DPC 20th Anniversary Award (2022)
This project was awarded The 2006 Society of American Archivists Preservation Publication Award
This project was awarded The 2005 Digital Preservation Award
Background
Preservation metadata is a key component of nearly all digital preservation processes. Initial efforts to define preservation metadata took the form of a variety of element sets developed by different organizations and activities. These element sets exhibited varying scopes, purposes, underlying data models, and assumptions. No international standard for preservation metadata existed, and there was little consolidation of expertise and best practice.
To fill this gap, OCLC and RLG jointly convened an international working group that developed a comprehensive, high-level framework describing the types of information constituting preservation metadata. Shortly afterwards, OCLC and RLG then convened the PREMIS (PREservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies) Working Group, which translated the framework into a core set of implementable preservation metadata, supported by guidelines and recommendations for its creation, management, and use.
Impact
The PREMIS Data Dictionary is the international de facto standard for preservation metadata.
For PREMIS resources, news, information, events, etc., please visit the PREMIS Maintenance Activity: http://www.loc.gov/standards/premis/