The Application of E-ARK Tools for Archival Interoperability to Support a Long-term Sustainable Digital Single Market

ABSTRACT European Union support for the development of digital cross-border means for conducting business and running governments has fundamentally changed how public and private business is conducted. But this digital information has to remain available for long periods, often beyond the life expectancy of individual information systems or technological components. This poses a significant challenge for both the original data creators and digital archives that have to be capable of both dealing with the most current information technology, and with “saving” information from legacy systems. To deal with these challenges, it is necessary to bridge the gap between the methods used in digital preservation and content creation and introduce additional practical interoperability into the solutions used for a Digital Single Market and digital preservation infrastructures. The European Commission recognized the need in 2013 and funded the E-ARK project (2014–2017), which successfully delivered a set of principles, specifications and tools that provided an interoperable and international solution for the sustainable long-term availability of digital information. This paper describes the solutions developed by the E-ARK project, focusing on the SIP format, as well as the steps the European Commission is taking toward building a thriving digital preservation community around the E-ARK outcomes.