Digital preservation faces significant long-term challenges, particularly when transferring archival content between repository systems. Traditional processes—exporting, converting, and ingesting archival information packages (AIPs)—often incur substantial hardware and personnel costs, especially at large scales, such as national archives.
To address these challenges, the E-ARK initiative introduced a groundbreaking concept in its deliverable D4.1 (Rörden & Randmäe, 2014): a pan-European AIP format. This standardized format aims to eliminate transfer costs by enabling direct ingestion of AIPs from storage systems, without the need for copying or restructuring. By relying on widely adopted standards and complementary conventions, the format enhances interoperability and tool support, fostering collaboration within the digital preservation community.
Discover how this innovative approach can streamline digital preservation efforts, reduce costs, and promote sustainability in our latest white paper.