Hello Josh,

Auburn University is a member of two Private LOCKSS Networks: the MetaArchive Cooperative and the Alabama Digital Preservation Network (ADPNet).  Here's a link to a recent conference paper that describes both networks, including their current pricing structures:

http://conference.ifla.org/past/ifla78/216-trehub-en.pdf

LOCKSS has worked well for us so far, in part because supporting community-based solutions is important to us.  As you point out, however, Glacier is an attractive alternative, especially for institutions that may be more interested in low-cost, low-throughput storage and less concerned about entrusting their content to a commercial outfit or having to pay extra to get it back out.  As with most things, you pay your money--more or less, depending--and make your choice.  And take your risks.

Good luck with whatever solution(s) you decide on.  They need not be mutually exclusive.

Best,

Aaron

Aaron Trehub
Assistant Dean for Technology and Technical Services
Auburn University Libraries
231 Mell Street, RBD Library
Auburn, AL 36849-5606
Phone: (334) 844-1716
Skype: ajtrehub
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
URL: http://lib.auburn.edu/

-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Joshua Welker
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 9:09 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Digital collection backups

Matt,

I appreciate the information. At that price, it looks like MetaArchive would be a better option than most of the other services mentioned in this thread. At this point, I think it is going to come down to a LOCKSS solution such as what MetaArchive provides or Amazon Glacier. We anticipate our digital collection growing to about 3TB in the first two years. With Glacier, that would be $368 per year vs $3,072 per year for MetaArchive and LOCKSS. As much as I would like to support library initiatives like LOCKSS, we are a small institution with a very small budget, and the pricing of Glacier is starting to look too good to pass up.

Josh Welker


-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Matt Schultz
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 8:49 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Digital collection backups

Hi Josh,

Glad you are looking into LOCKSS as a potential solution for your needs and that you are thinking beyond simple backup solutions for more long-term preservation. Here at MetaArchive Cooperative we make use of LOCKSS to preserve a range of content/collections from our member institutions.

The nice thing (I think) about our approach and our use of LOCKSS as an embedded technology is that you as an institution retain full control over your collections in the preservation network and get to play an active and on-going part in their preservation treatment over time. Storage costs in MetaArchive are competitive ($1/GB/year), and with that you get up to 7 geographic replications. MetaArchive is international at this point and so your collections really do achieve some safe distance from any disasters that may hit close to home.

I'd be more than happy to talk with you further about your collection needs, why we like LOCKSS, and any interest your institution may have in being part of a collaborative approach to preserving your content above and beyond simple backup. Feel free to contact me directly.

Matt Schultz
Program Manager
Educopia Institute, MetaArchive Cooperative http://www.metaarchive.org [log in to unmask]
616-566-3204

On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 5:20 PM, Joshua Welker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> We are starting a digitization project for some of our special 
> collections, and we are having a hard time setting up a backup system 
> that meets the long-term preservation needs of digital archives. The 
> backup mechanisms currently used by campus IT are short-term full-server backups.
> What we are looking for is more granular, file-level backup over the 
> very long term. Does anyone have any recommendations of software or 
> some service or technique? We are looking into LOCKSS but haven't dug too deeply yet.
> Can anyone who uses LOCKSS tell me a bit of their experiences with it?
>
> Josh Welker
> Electronic/Media Services Librarian
> College Liaison
> University Libraries
> Southwest Baptist University
> 417.328.1624
>

--
Matt Schultz
Program Manager
Educopia Institute, MetaArchive Cooperative http://www.metaarchive.org [log in to unmask]
616-566-3204