During the summer of 2014 the Library of Congress published
the Recommended
Format Specifications to identify characteristics of creative formats in
both analog and digital formats. One of the goals of these specifications was
to maximize the chance of survival of a given item by providing insight into
formats that currently have the potential for a long shelf life. While the
statement was geared for internal use within the Library of Congress, it was publicly published to help the creative and library community address the
need for best practices for the sake of preservation and long term access of content.
These formats are addressing a very complex issue in trying
to manage the complex changes occurring in materials formats. Formats are in a
constant state of fluctuation and thus, the standards need to be updated on a
continual basis. Recently the Recommended
Formats Statement was updated to reflect feedback the Library had received
in the past year. A brief synopsis of the changes can be found in this article from The
Signal. And to address the continued need for updates, a period for
comment for next year’s revisions will open in the near future.
