Building Sustainable Digital Preservation Ecosystems in Indian Academic Libraries: A Conceptual Framework

The rapid need of digital scholarship in India has made the role of academic libraries at the forefront of the perpetual management task of knowledge. Yet, the issue of digital preservation is not given due priority by most library authorities, thus rendering the vast amount of research work, theses, and data generated by academics at risk of being lost. Indian libraries are in dire need of a coordinated strategy and policy framework concerning digital preservation, as is evident from the disparate practices being followed by various organizations for their repository and digitization needs. The present paper studies this issue and attempts to provide a conceptual model that can act as a guide while developing digital preservation ecosystems in academic libraries while also maintaining a sustainable business model. The paper uses conceptual research while comparing its findings to various international standards like OAIS, PREMIS, and FAIR, along with digital preservation systems such as LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, and others. In addition, the paper also reviews the initiatives undertaken in India, including INFLIBNET, Shodhganga, NDLI, and e-ShodhSindhu, to highlight the disparity between the current practices and the issues faced. The paper concludes with a proposed framework for digital preservation in Indian academic libraries. The seven components of the framework are suggested based on the issues identified, including the need for developing digital governance and policy, infrastructure, metadata and standards, preservation strategies, capacity development, collaboration, and finally, sustainability. This paper’s main contributions include the models & conceptual framework, which can be used for further empirical studies.