Curatorship and Digital Preservation: a study on the portal Brasiliana Fotográfica

um estudo sobre o Portal Brasiliana Fotográfica

Abstract

The research is characterized by a qualitative approach, defined as an observable study for knowledge purposes, describing structure and functioning. It has a documentary approach through books, articles, websites and databases. A structured analysis of the Brasiliana Fotográfica portal was also carried out. Finally, interviews were conducted with the curators responsible for selecting and organizing the photographs in order to understand the curation and preservation process in this virtual environment. In addition, at the end, firm guidelines are proposed for the establishment of a digital preservation policy in favor of national memory. The question arises through the relationship between curation and digital preservation, in this sense, the research sought to answer: How is the process of curation and digital preservation established in the Brasiliana Fotográfica portal? Based on this question, the general objective was defined: to understand the process of curation and digital preservation in the Brasiliana Fotográfica portal as a mediating mechanism for access to collections of national memory. And as specific objectives: to conceptualize digital curation and preservation through a bibliographic review in the field of Information Science; to identify elements pertinent to digital preservation, established in Brasiliana Fotográfica; to highlight the digital preservation policy that guides the portal; to highlight the information preservation policy characteristic of Digital Curation in the National Library and its interlocutions with national memory. From a theoretical point of view, the research outlined a chronological overview of the terminology of digital curation based on the authors Beagrie (2004), Abbott (2008) and Lee and Tibbo (2011). Digital Preservation is also presented from the author Arellano (2008). The concepts of heritage were highlighted, using the authors Nora (1993), Gonçalves (2009); Palma Peña (2010); Silveira and Moura (2016); Caldeira (2017) also chose to construct a historical overview of the National Library of Brazil, in this sense, the authors Schwarcz (2002); Juvêncio (2021) and Caldeira (2018) were used. The results showed that Brasiliana Fotográfica does not have a consolidated Digital Preservation Policy and that the activity of preserving photographs is carried out individually by each of the partner institutions. It was also shown that some of these institutions have developed their own preservation policy and others have not, thus preserving the images in the way they believe to be most effective, such as outsourcing to a partner company that provides several external HDs for storing the material.