7.5 Preservation Planning

7.5.1.1  Preservation planning, as has been discussed, is the planning and preparation which goes to ensure that the digital audio object remains accessible over the long term, even if the computing storage and access environment becomes obsolete. Preservation planning for a small scale collection which is interested only in the preservation of its own digital audio objects is a relatively straightforward task. The metadata captured above informs the decisions about preservation by making clear the relationship between the original and the preservation copy in the digital repository. The technical information helps with planning. The choice of BWF as the preservation format is made to ensure the longest time possible before any format migration is necessary. It remains only for the collection managers and curators to maintain knowledge of the changes occurring in the digital archiving domain through contact with such associations as IASA.