Efficacy of digital preservation practices in institutional repositories (IRS) of selected public universities in Kenya

Abstract

Rapid changes in technology have put a demand on institutional repositories to consider preservation in order to fulfill their goals and objectives. Although research funders, depositors and other stakeholders need evidence that the repository is worthy of trust in relation to long-term preservation, the efficaciousness of these efforts are narrowly documented. This study aimed at establishing the efficacy of digital preservation practices in Institutional Repositories (IRs) of selected public universities in Kenya. Specifically it sought to achieve the following objectives: to determine the types of digital resources in the institutional repositories; appraise the digital preservation plans of the selected IRs; audit the existing digital preservation policies; examine the digital preservation strategies practiced by the IRs in the selected universities; identify digital preservation challenges in the IRs of the selected public universities and to make recommendations and propose best practices for digital preservation in the IRs in Kenya. The study was informed by both ISO 14721:2011: Open Archival Information System (OAIS) model and ISO 16363:2011: Space data and information transfer systems -- Audit and certification of trustworthy digital repository. The research adopted a pragmatic research paradigm and utilized the qualitative research approach incorporating a multi case study research design. Criterion purposive sampling was used to select three universities from which 19 respondents consisting of senior library management, institutional repository staff, systems librarians and ICT staff responsible for ICT issues in the library were sampled using expert sampling. Primary data was collected through interviews, observation and document review with trustworthiness established through triangulation, dependability, confirmability and transferability Data was analyzed using directional content analysis. The findings established that repositories were custodians of both digital and hybrid information resources that ingested into the IR without the support of a needs assessments, inadequate metadata, failure to consider file formats that support long term preservation, lack of comprehensive digital preservation policies, fragmented digital preservation planning, limited poor technology plans and budgets, failure to document preservation actions, limited skills as well as reliance on short term digital preservation strategies. The study concludes that the digital preservation practices could not guarantee long term preservation of the resources in the IRs. The following recommendations are proposed: review of the goals of the IR as this was seen as a major step towards determining the level of digital preservation required, development of: content selection policies, digital preservation policies and plans, development of a business model for digital preservation, investment in stakeholder sensitization and training on digital preservation, formation of cooperatives to address digital preservation challenges and promotion of resource sharing. Finally, framework for best practices in digital preservation informed by the current industry standards is proposed.