Paper - iPRES 2011 - Singapore

Assessing the costs of preserving a digital data collection in the long term is a challenging task. The lifecycle costs consist of several cost factors. Some of them are difficult to identify and to break down. In this paper we present a cost model especially for small scale automated digital preservation software system. The cost model allows institutions with limited expertise in data curation to assess the costs for preserving their digital data in the long run. It provides a simple to use methodology that considers the individual characteristics of different settings. The cost model provided detailed formulas to calculate the expenses. The model supports the detailed calculation of the expenses for the near future and helps to identify the cost trend in the medium and long run (e.g. 5, 10 or 20 years) of the archive. The model monetary assesses the user’s work, the purchases of storage hardware and other costs of preserving a digital collection. In this paper the first version of the model is presented. It includes a discussion about the cost items and presents the calculation the costs. A case study shows the application of the model for a small business setting.

iPRES, Singapore, Cost model, Digital preservation, Automated archiving

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