Data preservation in geological repositories is expanding from primarily physical collections to include data and collections that are increasingly born digital or digitized for storage and access. These collections require specific skills and have needs that are different from those of a physical collection. Digital collections will only continue to expand as geologists increase their use of technology to conduct research. Digital collections will also allow greater access for the geological community, the public and other stakeholders.
In recent years librarians and archivists have been developing standards and tools to help with maintenance and care for digital collections. This work includes publications and models like the Digital Curation Centre’s Curation Lifecycle Model and the CCSDS’s Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS). Other ongoing research includes the DigCCurr project at the University of North Carolina. In the next two years, DigCCur will host two professional institutes on curation practices for digital objects. By working with librarians and archivists there is the potential for continuing education in the field of digital preservation, learning from the work already done in this field and creating partnerships that will help protect our geological resources.