In this paper we describe the National Library of New Zealand’s attempts to conceptualise how we measure the degrees of effort required to achieve acceptable levels of digital preservation. We argue that understanding digital preservation practice in terms of “optimal effort” may help us conceptualise where and how best to achieve the greatest impact in proportion to effort. The paper examines the various roles of digital preservation, including the archival/curatorial, digital object handling, preservation management, and policy roles through case studies of our experience. We argue that through conceptualising our ideal digital preservation and the levels of effort required to achieve those, we will be able to better understand where our effort is being expended and the levels of preservation we are achieving.

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