DIGITAL PRESERVATION AND ACCESSIBILITY OF ARCHIVES IN OMAN: Current Status and Future Directions

Shehata, Ahmed Maher Khafaga ; Mkadmi, Abderrazak

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121098 Copy

Description

Title

DIGITAL PRESERVATION AND ACCESSIBILITY OF ARCHIVES IN OMAN: Current Status and Future Directions

Author(s)

• Shehata, Ahmed Maher Khafaga
• Mkadmi, Abderrazak

Issue Date

2023

Keyword(s)

• Digital preservation
• Oman
• Institutional archives
• Information management
• Accessibility

Abstract

Digital preservation significance is widely recognized and imperative for all institutions. It is a pressing concern for archival specialists who acknowledge its relevance and necessity in contemporary information management practices. The current paper aims to examine the present state of digital preservation and Accessibility of institutional archives in Oman and to ascertain the challenges and prospects in this domain. This research is conducted through a comprehensive analysis of the extant literature and semi-structured interviews with administrative personnel employed in both public and private institutions in Oman. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten professionals in governmental organizations, who were chosen based on their expertise and experience in the field, using purposive sampling. The findings showed that interviewees in Omani institutions value digital preservation for many reasons, such as compliance with Omani law on archives, improved organization and security, and ease of document access. However, all institutions have no unified application strategy for digital preservation. The findings revealed many challenges, including technological obsolescence, security risks, big data management, and human resource challenges.

Series/Report Name or Number

iPRES 2023

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Copyright and License Information

Copyright held by the author(s). The text of this paper is published under a CC BY-SA license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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