UA Software Preservation Interest Group
Since 2018, LGIRA has been a member of the University of Arizona Software Preservation Interest Group (UA-SPIG), an affiliate of the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) and the Software Preservation Network (SPN). UA-SPIG was established when LGIRA collaborated on a grant--"Through Use and Emulation: Increasing Institutional Knowledge of Software Preservation with Computer Game Archiving"--with colleagues from the UA Libraries who specialize in software preservation and information archiving. Details about this project are below.
Project abstract
The goals of “Through Use and Emulation: Increasing Institutional Knowledge of Software Preservation with Computer Game Archiving” are two-fold: (1) to bring together relevant and interested stakeholders at the University of Arizona to illuminate challenges around software preservation activities related to the Learning Games Initiative Research Archive (LGIRA), and (2) to foster discussion that results in translating the LGIRA’s approach of “preservation through use” into digital workflows involving emulation. These workflows, along with postmortems of them lessons learned, will be shared with the FCoP cohort and the broader software preservation community in furtherance of the Software Preservation Network’s vision of “Preserving software through community engagement, infrastructure support, and knowledge generation.”
Vision
As part of the “Through Use and Emulation: Increasing Institutional Knowledge of Software Preservation with Computer Game Archiving” project, we envision a community of practice at the University of Arizona that fosters discussions and illuminates challenges related to software preservation—especially as theyit relates to video games—with a view towards bridging local gaps in knowledge and practice.
Mission
We will catalyze a software preservation community of practice by forming the University of Arizona Software Preservation Interest Group (UA-SPIG). The UA-SPIG will aggregate relevant and interested stakeholders and act as a local nexus for software preservation interest and activity at UA and in the local community. The UA-SPIG will be the central driver for illuminating challenges and forming recommendations related to addressing specific preservation-related objectives. Initially, the group’s goal will be to provide guidance and expertise geared toward expanding the LGIRA’s effectiveness in video game preservation and harmonizing “preservation through use” and emulation-based preservation workflows. Through its members, the UA- SPIG will also work to champion software preservation in each member’s respective community and highlight the importance of software preservation in other scenarios (e.g., preserving student work, considering preservation issues in policy and decision-making).