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Free Government Information (FGI) is a place for initiating dialogue and building consensus among the various players (libraries, government agencies, non-profit organizations, researchers, journalists, etc.) who have a stake in the preservation of and perpetual free access to government information. FGI promotes free government information through collaboration, education, advocacy and research.

GPO to seek Trustworthy Digital Repository (TDR) Certification for FDsys

This is good news that GPO is going to go through the Trustworthy Digital Repositories (TDR) audit process for FDsys! The audit process looks at a repository to assure both its technical AND organizational infrastructure are in place for the long-term preservation of its digital objects and assets.

To my mind then, 2 of the most important pieces of the TDR audit process are “digital object management” — including especially ingest of content — AND “appropriate, formal succession plan, contingency plans, and/or escrow arrangements in place in case the repository ceases to operate or the governing or funding institution substantially changes its scope.” I hope that the process looks at GPO’s participation in the LOCKSS-USDOCS program as one of its key pieces in terms of “appropriate, formal succession plan, contingency plans, and/or escrow arrangements.”

For more details about the elements and measures see Trustworthy Repositories Audit & Certification: Criteria and Checklist.


In January 2013, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) will begin an audit process for GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys) to become a certified Trustworthy Digital Repository (TDR).

GPO completed an internal audit of FDsys in 2011. It is very imp>rtant to ensure FDsys stakeholders, including Federal depository libraries and the general public, that GPO’s official system of record provides permanent public access to Government information ingested into it. TDR certification from an external party offers such assurances, and other benefits as well.

The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) is conducting the audit. They will use metrics and criteria published by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Research Libraries Group (RLG), and CRL, which are the basis for ISO Standard 16363 for Trusted Digital Repositories.

During the audit CRL will examine elements such as organizational infrastructure, governance, policy framework, funding, digital object management, ingest, access, preservation, metadata, and technologies, technical infrastructure, and security. For more details about the elements and measures see Trustworthy Repositories Audit & Certification: Criteria and Checklist.

Completion of the CRL audit is expected by September 2013. GPO is the first Federal agency to seek external certification as a Trustworthy Digital Repository.

Read more about the audit and certification process from fdlp.gov.

OAIS / TDR presentation at FDLP

Here are the slides and a handout from my presentation on Monday October 17, 2011 about the OAIS and TDR standards.


From Production to Preservation to Access to Use:
OAIS, TDR, and the FDLP
Federal Depository Library Conference, October 2011
James A. Jacobs,
Data Services Librarian, Emeritus, University of California, San Diego

A brief, non-technical introduction to the “Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System” (OAIS) and the “Audit And Certification Of Trustworthy Digital Repositories” (TDR) and their relevance to the Federal Depository Library Program. This presentation will put these important standards in the context of the life-cycle of government information — from production to preservation to access to use. It will address the roles of key stakeholders — government agencies, GPO, FDLP libraries, and users. It will examine FDLP policies and the strategies of individual libraries in the context of OAIS and TDR.

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