Lydia,

I would say one of the most important issues of digital preservation is the careful selection of what NOT to preserve. 

In particular, avoiding the trap "storage is cheap, we'll keep everything".

Reduce the long-term records-keeping to the barest possible minimum. And then cut it down more.

Bear in mind there is a galactic difference between keeping records for 20 years, and keeping records for 200 years. In theory, the term "digital preservation" covers both, but success in the latter endeavour is so unlikely as to be miraculous.

Regardless of the approach you choose to digital preservation, the accumulation of records over the very long term ensures that the costs will be outrageous. 

Outrageous costs mean that at some point, an exasperated management will refuse to pay for further preservation, and you will then have to hastily figure out what to do, what to keep, how to keep it, etc. 

Better to make those choices ahead of time, with a cool head, and with careful consideration of your company's REAL preservation needs.

One way to look at this is: if your company will die without keeping these records permanently, then keep them. If you are realistic, you will find there are very, very few such records.

As to emulation, IMHO, it's a very short-term solution. 

This is because you will either have to periodically re-create from scratch an entirely new emulator (or, more likely, emulators) for your original application, or create an emulator for your emulator. And then later, an emulator for your emulator's emulator. There is no end to this reductio ad absurdum.

Furthermore, as time goes by, you will find fewer and fewer people who understand how the old computer systems worked (remember--it's not just your old application--it's the ENTIRE PLATFORM), and even fewer people who understand how the old business process worked, and understand BOTH well enough to create a functioning emulator.

This is why most organisations have decided in favour of migration as the preferred preservation approach, though it too, has its failings. Many failings.

Very best of luck with your projects,

Fred

---------------------------------
Frederic J. Grevin
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212-312-3903
Vice-President, Records Management
New York City Economic Development Corporation

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