Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a test for data centres, repositories and archives to determine OAIS functional model conformance. The test developed was carried out among the World Data Centre (WDC) member data centres. The method used to develop the OAIS functional model conformance test is discussed, along with the test…

Reviews requirements for a data archive system and describes storage media alternatives that are currently available. Topics discussed include data storage; data distribution; hierarchical storage architecture, including inline storage, online storage, nearline storage, and offline storage; magnetic disks; optical disks; conventional magnetic…

The World Wide Web has generated a dramatic increase in the availability of electronic journals. Discusses the development of electronic publishing: CD-ROM systems, local data loading, and pre-Web online environments; and outlines remaining obstacles to libraries making the leap from paper to electronic collections: critical mass, aggregation,…

The first of two articles discusses the technical issues of text transfer and processing encountered by the Knowledge Warehouse project. The second describes the development of the concept of a national electronic archive, and discusses issues such as contractual agreements, access control, copyrights, and commercial aspects of value added…