NDSA Folks,

The Standards and Practices Working Group is pleased to announce the release of a new NDSA report, "The Benefits and Risks of the PDF/A-3 File Format for Archival Institutions."

The report, created by a subgroup of the Standards and Practices Working Group, takes a measured look at the costs and benefits of the widespread use of the PDF/A-3 format, especially as it effects content arriving in collecting institutions. It provides background on the technical development of the specification, identifies specific scenarios under which the format might be used and suggests policy prescriptions for collecting institutions to consider.

Special thanks goes to the authors of the document:

* Caroline Arms, Library of Congress contractor
* Don Chalfant, National Archives and Records Administration
* Kevin DeVorsey, National Archives and Records Administration
* Chris Dietrich, National Park Service
* Carl Fleischhauer, Library of Congress
* Butch Lazorchak, Library of Congress
* Sheila Morrissey, ITHAKA
* Kate Murray, Library of Congress

especially Caroline and Sheila who carried the heavy lifting. Bravo!

More information in today's blog post on the Signal:
http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2014/02/new-ndsa-report-the-benefits-and-risks-of-the-pdfa-3-file-format-for-archival-institutions/

The report is available at:
http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/ndsa/working_groups/documents/NDSA_PDF_A3_report_final022014.pdf?loclr=blogsig

Butch Lazorchak
Digital Archivist
National Digital Information Infrastructure and
Preservation Program
Library of Congress
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202-707-2603
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twitter.com/ndiipp


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