Tuesday, July 01, 2014

LIbrary of Congress Recommended Anolog and Digital Format Specifications

As the web site says:
Recommended Format Specifications are hierarchies of the physical and technical characteristics of creative formats, both analog and digital, which will best meet the needs of all concerned, maximizing the chances for survival and continued accessibility of creative content well into the future. 
And:
The specifications seek to provide a framework within which creative works should have the flexibility to grow and develop, and also help ensure that these creative works be accessible and authentic into the future.
The Library of Congress identified six basic areas of creative output: Textual Works and Musical Compositions; Still Image Works; Audio Works; Moving Image Works; Software and Electronic Gaming and Learning; and Datasets/Databases. Technical teams worked to identify recommended formats for each category and to establish hierarchies of format preferences.  The Library is committed to reviewing these specifications on an annual basis.

The Library of Congress noted that:
The specifications which the Library is now publishing do not replace or supersede the Best Edition Statement, which provides guidance to publishers and creators in fulfilling their obligations with regard to the registration or deposit of their works under the terms of the Copyright Law. Instead, it seeks to complement that work, building upon the knowledge gained from working with the Best Edition Statement and providing a broader set of recommendations, aimed at providing guidance and clarity in a creative world, which is both rich with potential and rife with pitfalls, and afforded numerous competing options for information format or container.
The specifications are available at:
This is an excellent resources, which I hope many organizations will rely on.  The layout of the document and the level of detail included makes it easy for anyone to use, from students to digitization managers.  I encourage you to spread the word about its existence.

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