Life and Death of an Information Package: Implementing the Lifecycle in a Multi-Purpose Preservation System

Abstract : This paper aims to explain how the National Library of France (BnF) faced the question of the information lifecycle, during the implementation of its digital preservation system, in the light of the experience it acquired managing and using this system, from a theoretical approach following the OAIS reference model to an implementation. It was understood very early that from a preservation point of view the management of subsequent Versions and Editions of an Information Package was a particularly sensitive problem akin to risks management. However it was thought at the time that the system should be able to manage the lifecycle of an AIP (Archival Information Package) in a universal way that would be valid whatever the package considered and the context. These ideas quickly proved to be impractical and didn't resist the test of reality. Some improvements were provided, while taking into account the rest of the digital ecosystem of the BnF.