Digital Workflows at the National Agricultural Library and Implications for Preservation

Abstract

This study was designed to surface needs for an organization-wide digital preservation infrastructure at the National Agricultural Library by examining the processes currently used at NAL in routine work with digital materials. It used an observation-based interview method to learn directly from staff members about their workflows with digital objects, combining the information gathered into models that depict their work. The report is organized to follow each of the four major digital workflows, ending with a discussion of the implications of the study for an overarching digital preservation program at the library.