Overview
This two-day workshop brings together Canadian and international researchers, archivists, librarians, and digital preservation practitioners to address the critical challenges surrounding the creation of national infrastructure for preserving software-based digital media works in Canada. Funded by the Kule Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS) at the University of Alberta, the workshop focuses on collaborative approaches to ensure long-term access to born-digital and complex media works.
The workshop is structured around key themes essential to building sustainable preservation infrastructure:
Day 1: Alignment and Sharing provides a foundation for collaboration through introductions from participating institutions and projects, including National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition (NIMAC), Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN), the Software Preservation Network, OCADU's Inclusive Design Research Centre, UAlberta's Software History Futures and Technologies (SHFT) Group and Critical Research Yielding Playful Technologies (CRYPT), Queen's University Library, Queen's University's Vulnerable Media Lab, UAlberta Library, and the University of Toronto Libraries. Participants will explore current preservation technologies like GISST and EAASI, discuss Canadian cultural contexts and networks of care, and examine the legal landscape specific to Canadian copyright and cultural policy.
Day 2: Workshop emphasizes collaborative planning and output generation. Sessions will be determined based on Day 1 discussions, with potential focus on grant formation working groups, and concrete next steps for advancing preservation infrastructure.
Key topics include:
- Emulation and preservation technologies for complex media
- Networks of care and Canadian cultural contexts
- Post-colonial and custodial models in access negotiation
- Canadian copyright law and policy frameworks
- Prioritization and collaboration strategies
- Partnership opportunities and future project formation
The workshop takes place at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, providing an inspiring setting for participants to develop collaborative relationships, share knowledge across institutions, and establish concrete pathways forward for Canadian digital media preservation infrastructure.
This event is made possible by funding from the Kule Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Alberta, UAlberta's Media and Technology Studies, and Queen's University's Vulnerable Media Lab.