Digital Curation at the Wellcome Library

The Wellcome Library is committed to acquiring and collecting born digital archival materials for its collections.

Many donors/creators now produce materials only in digital form. These files, emails, datasets and images have no paper equivalent, they are 'born digital'. If our collections are to grow and remain relevant we must find ways to acquire, manage and make this material available (see Library Strategy).

These pages provide information about how the Wellcome Library is working with born digital material. On these pages there are key Library documents, policies, workflows and our digital curation toolbox that outline the process of acquiring and managing digital material. These documents are the result of our own learning and experiences.

You will also find a glossary explaining the terms used.

What is digital curation?

Digital curation is about finding ways to manage changes in hardware and software, operating systems and media so that material remains accessible long into the future. It is about identifying and implementing processes to ensure that digital material remains accessible but also retains its authenticity, context and reliability.

You are encouraged to read these documents and to use them to support for your own digital management activities.

Where to get further information

For questions on donating material please see our digital curation toolbox. If you have further questions or want to discuss these issues please contact:

Natalie Walters, Archivist
The Wellcome Library
183 Euston Road
NW1 2BE

T +44 (0)20 7611 8888
E n.walters@wellcome.ac.uk

For technical questions about file formats, the means of transferring material and the processes of digital preservation please contact:

Dave Thompson, Digital Curator
The Wellcome Library
183 Euston Road
NW1 2BE

T +44 (0)20 7611 8425
E d.thompson@wellcome.ac.uk