Digital preservation involves archiving, preserving, and sharing materials such as video recordings, audio tapes, paper documents, and photographs. 

The University of Arizona Libraries was recently awarded a $299,454 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program to expand Digital POWRR (Preserving Digital Objects With Restricted Resources), a long-running digital preservation training initiative.

Previous research by Digital POWRR identified challenges in digital preservation, including limited access to practical training, role ambiguity, professional isolation, and a lack of dedicated digital preservation staff, particularly at smaller and resource-constrained organizations. The two-year grant project, led by Associate Librarian and Digital Preservation Unit Lead Stacey Jones, addresses critical workforce needs among library, archives, museum, and other cultural heritage professionals responsible for stewarding digital collections. 

Beginning this month, the project will expand POWRR’s cohort-based training model through two complementary programs. 

Digital POWRR Academy

The Digital POWRR Academy will extend POWRR’s existing institute model into an immersive five-day experience designed for practitioners from across the United States who are new to digital preservation or need to build practical skills as their roles evolve. 

“This expanded format will provide participants more time for hands-on work with tools, project planning, peer learning, and individualized guidance,” said Jones. “It’s an excellent opportunity to take a more holistic approach to digital stewardship.” 

Two Academy cohorts are planned for the summer in 2027 and 2028. 

Digital Preservation Summer Institute

A new Digital Preservation Summer Institute will be piloted in the summer in 2028. The institute will serve as a field-wide professional development venue that offers multiple concurrent workshops with an emphasis on intermediate and advanced topics that currently lack reliable training opportunities. The project will also support curriculum development, evaluation, and dissemination of openly available training materials.

Last year, the University Libraries took the steps to make preservation knowledge practical and available to everyone in the Wildcats Memory Lab.

“We’re grateful to IMLS for investing in this critically important workforce development.  Digital preservation is essential to ensuring that today’s knowledge and cultural record remain available to future generations,” said University Libraries Dean Shan Sutton. 

"Through the University of Arizona Libraries' POWRR Academy and Digital Preservation Summer Institute, professionals from libraries, archives, and cultural heritage organizations will build digital preservation skills and programs to ensure long-term access to the historical record," said Sutton.