I am contacting you on behalf of the NDLTD: Networked Digital Library 
of Theses and Dissertations (http://www.ndltd.org/) and the MetaArchive 
Cooperative (http://www.metaarchive.org/) for help in gauging the 
digital library community's interest in establishing a preservation 
network specifically for electronic theses and dissertations. Because 
many universities are now welcoming or requiring ETDs, academic 
institutions must ensure that the digital files will be as available 
and enduring as their bound print volumes have been. To this end, we 
must begin to develop consistent, standardized, and distributed 
preservation systems for these institutional resources.

We have a 14-question (multiple choice and brief answer) survey 
designed to help us determine how widespread the interest may be in 
participating in an ETD-specific preservation network, and what level 
of participation institutions may wish to have in such a network.

Please participate in this 10-minute Digital Preservation of ETDs 
Survey at http://lumiere.lib.vt.edu/surveys/. You may remain anonymous 
or provide your contact information. The responses are compiled as each 
survey is completed and you may view the results at the same URL.

Thank you for helping address long-term digital preservation of ETDs.

On behalf of the NDLTD and the MetaArchive Cooperative

Gail McMillan (Director, Digital Library and Archives, Virginia Tech)
Martin Halbert (Director of Digital Programs and Systems, Emory University)