The UK LOCKSS Alliance aims to preserve scholarly works digitally over the long term by building a community-run digital preservation system. It addresses threats like lost access after subscription cancellation, journal discontinuation, or publisher insolvency. Multiple libraries cooperate under LOCKSS to archive subscribed content they have rights to. This ensures preservation of at-risk digital resources with limited funds. Participation benefits include post-cancellation access and risk mitigation. The Alliance is coordinated by EDINA and guided by a steering committee of libraries. It identifies important at-risk works, develops policies, and encourages adoption to build a sustainable national preservation network.

1. What’s Different about the Digital:
Community Action via UK LOCKSS Alliance
Adam Rusbridge
UK LOCKSS Alliance Coordinator
EDINA, University of Edinburgh

2. Threats to Digital Material
• Can we still access the subscribed journals if
we stop paying subscription (post-
cancellation access)?
• What happens if a publisher discontinues a
journal?
• What happens if a publisher goes bust?
• Will we still be able to view current formats
in the long term?

3. UK LOCKSS Alliance
• The UK LOCKSS Alliance is a co-operative organization
whose goal is to ensure continuing access to scholarly work in
ways that are sustainable over the long term.
• LOCKSS allows libraries to be involved in the development of
journal preservation infrastructure and collections.
– EDINA offers underlying technical support and coordination

4. Challenges and Goals
• Limited resources are available for digital preservation
• Our task in the UK LOCKSS Alliance is to:
1. Identify priority “at-risk” resources
2. Ensure that these are preserved in a stable
environment
• How do we achieve this?

5. A LOCKSS Box is a Digital Bookshelf
http://

6. LOCKSS Permission Statement
• Content can be archived if:
1. It has a LOCKSS permission statement
2. The library has an active subscription to the content, or
3. The content is released under Creative Commons license

7. Multiple approaches to consider
• Some libraries are participating in more than
one approach
– Pick the set of solutions that meets their needs
• Third party archives
– CLOCKSS
– Portico
• Legislative Mandate
– British Library - UK legal deposit
– KB e-Depot
– Access may be limited to on site, UK published

8. Motivations to participate
• A library task is to manage risk in order to ensure long
term preservation and access.
• Why participate in preservation initiatives?
– Cost savings: post-cancellation access
– Form of insurance for high value e-only subscriptions
• Participation is still relatively low - not only in UK
LOCKSS Alliance, but across the board.
– Need different initiatives?
– Other benefits – or different articulation?
– Is it the cost?
– Are people waiting for others to lead; a tipping point?

9. Benefits of Community Action

10. Dynamic and Multimedia Content

11. UK LOCKSS Alliance Members
• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• De Montfort University
• Durham University
• Edinburgh University
• Glasgow University
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Huddersfield
• University of Hull
• King's College London
• London School of
Economics
• University of Newcastle
• Oxford University
• Royal Holloway, University
of London
• Salford University
• University of Sussex
• University of St Andrews
• University of Warwick
• University of York

12. Governance of the UK LOCKSS Alliance
• Steering Committee
– Tony Kidd (University of Glasgow)
– Geoff Gilbert (University of Birmingham)
– Phil Adams (De Montfort University)
– Lisa Cardy (London School of Economics)
– Liz Stevenson (University of Edinburgh)
– Lorraine Estelle (JISC Collections)
– Peter Burnhill (EDINA, University of Edinburgh)
– Adam Rusbridge (UK LOCKSS Alliance Coordinator)

13. Steering Committee Activities
• Collection Management Policies
– Methods to determine what content is of priority and at-risk
• Community Outreach
– Supporting other libraries
– How to contribute to national policy
• Technical Operation and Development
– Usage of LOCKSS within institutions
• Finance, Activity and Resources
– Achieving a sustainable organisation

14. Priorities for 2010-2013
• JISC have awarded funding for Community
Development Activities (2010 – 2013)
• Continued identification of at-risk scholarly titles
• Develop well-defined policies and practices
– And encourage their adoption
• Improve communication between the UKLA members
– Engagement with the wider community, e.g. via RLUK
• Develop active ‘self-help’ communities to share
information
• Engage with other initiatives to encourage joined-up
services
– Benefit from ‘Shared Services’

15. Get involved in the UK LOCKSS Alliance
Participation Information
http://www.jisc-collections.ac.uk/catalogue/lockss
£1,800E-F
£2,250D
£2,750C
£3,750B
£5,000A
Annual FeeJISC Band

16. Principles of LOCKSS: Building Solid Archives
• Assured and licensed access to content
• Appropriate control and custody of content
– Within UK policy and funding control
• Responsibility spread across the community
– Built upon a strong organisational foundation
• Shepherded by strong universities with strong libraries

17. Where do we go from here?
Thank you for listening
Adam Rusbridge
a.rusbridge@ed.ac.uk