[PADG:1648] Digital Preservation issues

["Emma Downing" <edowning@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

As a library student in Australia it has been interesting to follow the
developments in digital preservation strategies.  I would be interested in
your thoughts on some broader issues, specifically:

1)    Are you as library professionals optimistic or pessimistic re the
direction digital preservation strategies are taking.
2)    Are governments becoming more aware of the issues and if so is this
awareness translating into budgetary dollars.
3)    It appears to me that most of the debate and experiments are still in
the field of the public minded professional - eg emulation and migration
strategies, excluding the games community and the IBM UVC proposal.   Is
there much experimentation by the private professional community and is this
research available to the public?
4)    Is the scientific community in particular experimenting with
strategies for
retaining information - eg where migration loses the formulae or graphics of
the original software?

Any thoughts, comments or feedback would be much appreciated
Thanks, Emma Downing