The following is a guest post by Nicole Scalessa, IT manager at The Library Company of Philadelphia, an NDSA member.
Digital stewardship is a prime topic for small institutions trying to keep pace with the increasing demands for digital content. The Library Company of Philadelphia, a special collections library founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731, hosted the National Digital Stewardship Alliance Philly Regional meeting to inform and connect mid-Atlantic institutions so they may consider new collaborations to meet digital preservation demands.
The intent of the NDSA Philly Regional meeting was to present a slate of speakers that represented some of the most influential thinking and trends in digital preservation today. The event was opened to new audiences to spread the word of NDSA’s accomplishments and ongoing activities. Members of the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries, PhillyDH, and the Delaware Valley Archivists Group were in attendance. The event, on the cusp of ALA Mid-Winter, also drew audiences from around the country from as far as North Carolina, Florida, Colorado and Washington State.
Things kicked off Thursday evening, January 23rd, with a welcome by Library Company Director John C. Van Horne and an introduction by Erin Engle, digital archivist with NDIIPP. Erin provided a clear presentation of the NDSA mission to advocate for common needs among members through reports, guidance, meetings, events and webinars. As an example, she mentioned the 2014 National Agenda for Digital Stewardship, an insightful look into the trends and current state of digital preservation and a tool to help decision makers and funders.