Metodologia para implantação de programas de preservação de documentos digitais a longo prazo

A paper document can be maintained for several years, even when it does not receive much proper treatment. Documents created via computers do not have such longevity and documental evidences which are crucial for the operation of the institutions – be they legal, cultural or historical ones. Recorded in digital media, those documents may disappear. The issue of digital preservation is a real problem for institutions, mainly for the ones in which the long term maintenance of documents is a legal obligation, either to support citizen’s demands or to preserve the institutional history. This article is an initiative to guide public institution managers on dealing with digital preservation issues. Here is presented a methodology for creating long term digital preservation programs for archives, as well as an example of its application in the scope of a real situation. It is expected to contribute towards the success of digital preservation initiatives through the dissemination of related basic principles.