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LIFE3 project granted third phase funding

04 June 2009

Pioneering project to further develop support for permanent access to digital information

A ground-breaking project to support long-term digital preservation has been granted funding for its third phase. The LIFE Project (Life Cycle Information for e-Literature) is a collaboration between the British Library and UCL (University College London), supported by LIBER (the Association of European Research Libraries), which is developing tools and techniques to enable long-term planning for digital preservation by researchers, librarians, data managers and other information specialists.

The latest phase of the project has been granted funding by JISC (the Joint Information Systems Committee) and RIN (Research Information Network). The Project will develop a predictive costing tool which will enable long term lifecycle costs to be estimated at the point of acquisition or creation of digital collections. This will greatly enhance the ability of data professionals to plan and resource preservation activities, and understand the financial commitment that comes with key collection management decisions.

Helen Shenton, Head of Collection Care at the British Library, said, "We are delighted that the third - and most practical - phase of the LIFE Project is being supported by both JISC and RIN, which further enhances the very collaborative character of the project to date."

Dr Paul Ayris, Director of UCL Library Services, said, "The development of a costing tool, to cost digital preservation activities, will mark the culmination of the LIFE Project. The toolset will be available to academics, researchers, funders and libraries to help them predict the costs of the long-term digital curation of the assets they are creating and storing. It will be a major step forward to have this tool available and in the public domain."

LIFE3 concludes in July 2010. See: www.life.ac.uk

For more information, images and interviews, contact Ben Sanderson, Chief Press Officer, The British Library, T +44 (0)1937 546126 ben.sanderson@bl.uk

The LIFE Project (Life Cycle Information for E-Literature) is a project looking at the life cycle of the collection and preservation of digital material. The project is a collaboration between University College London (UCL) Library Services and the British Library and funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). LIFE completed its first phase (LIFE 1) in April 2006 and the second phase (LIFE 2) in August 2008. The third phase will complete in July 2010.

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk.

UCL Library Services has almost 2 million items and subscribes to over 12,000 journals in a combination of print and electronic format covering the sixty or so subjects which are taught in the College. The library's special collections cover a vast range of subject areas, notably Latin American archives, Jewish collections, James Joyce and the George Orwell Archive. UCL Library Services consists of 15 sites delivering services to the UCL community across London. It is also a partner in Middlesex University's Archway Healthcare Library. Our website is at www.ucl.ac.uk/library

JISC - the Joint Information Systems Committee - is responsible for supporting the innovative use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning, teaching, and research. It is best known for providing the JANET network, a range of support, content and advisory services, and a portfolio of high-quality resources Information about JISC, its services and programmes can be found at www.jisc.ac.uk/

The Research Information Network has been established by the Higher Education Funding Councils, the research councils, and the national libraries in the UK. We investigate how efficient and effective the information services provided for the UK research community are, how they are changing, and how they might be improved for the future. More information can be found at www.rin.ac.uk

LIBER - The aim of the Foundation is to represent the interests of the research libraries of Europe, their universities and researchers. The Foundation promotes in particular:

  • efficient information services;
  • access to research information, in any form whatsoever;
  • innovation in end-user services provided by research libraries in support of teaching, learning and research;
  • preservation of cultural heritage;
  • efficient and effective management in research libraries.

More information can be found at http://www.libereurope.eu.