I’m in the hope stretch for the book to come out! It’s got a cover and it’s up on the Johns Hopkins University Press site. You can even pre-order it today, and it should get to you some time in November.
All told, this is bringing to fruition a project that I started back in 2016, It’s been a long road, but I’ve really loved it. The book largely brings together things I’ve learned in dialog with the digital preservation community and I can also say that the process of writing the book in the open felt like a genuine continuation of that learning through dialog process.
It has been really neat to see the book blurbs starting to roll in. I’m floored by the very kind and thoughtful comments I’ve received from people whose work I deeply respect and admire. To that end, below is advanced praise that the press has received for the book.
“Part of a long-standing and worldwide tradition of memory keepers” – David Ferriero
“Acknowledging that we are part of ‘a long-standing and worldwide tradition of memory keepers,’ Trevor Owens challenges us to use the lessons learned in traditional preservation as we approach digital preservation. Distinguishing digital preservation as craft rather than science, Owens provides reassurance to all of us worried about finding the ‘silver bullet.’ It does not and should not exist!” — David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, National Archives and Records Administration
“An indispensable handbook” – Matt Kirschenbaum
“An indispensable handbook that will be kept close at hand—used, reached for, and above all really read by those seeking a conceptual framework through which to understand the practicalities of grappling with the complex new reality of digital objects. Opening up the most theoretically sophisticated body of research in digital platforms to an entirely new audience while simultaneously equipping that audience with the conceptual background they need to function as experts in today’s information environment, Owens’s book is a practical, even-handed, and clear-eyed walkthrough of day-to-day situations. I expect it will be widely adopted in library and information science courses.” — Matthew G. Kirschenbaum, University of Maryland, College Park, author of Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing
“His axioms for digital preservation will guide novices and experts alike.” – Deanna Marcum
“Digital preservation, unlike the one-time process for preserving print, is an ongoing, changing responsibility for those who bear the responsibility of preserving our history and cultural heritage. Trevor Owens, a leader in the field, uses his experience and deep knowledge to show how the tools of the futurist can document the past. His axioms for digital preservation will guide novices and experts alike.” — Deanna Marcum, Ithaka S+R
“An ideal text for anyone interested in archives in the digital era” – Steven Lubar
“A superb introduction to both the why and how of preserving digital cultural heritage. The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation highlights history and theory, explains technology, and then moves on to practice, offering clear advice backed by examples. This is an ideal text for anyone interested in archives in the digital era.” — Steven Lubar, Brown University, author of Inside the Lost Museum: Curating, Past and Present
“At once historical synthesis, practical guide, and philosophical overview” – Alan Liu
“Owens blends the perspectives of archivist and media archaeologist to provide a richly satisfying appraisal—at once historical synthesis, practical guide, and philosophical overview—of what digital preservation can be. Its standout feature is a wise, practical approach for guiding even the smallest institutions in using technology for the ‘craft’ of preservation.” — Alan Liu, The University of California, Santa Barbara, author of The Laws of Cool: Knowledge Work and the Culture of Information