Communication in the digital context is more fragile than appears. Process requires sender and receiver using compatible technologies which in turn that evolve quickly, differently and continuously. How to maintain the ability to interpret and display in the future information that is understood today?

Prosperity for future generations is linked to keeping value of today’s digital assets by granting proper access to digital content in the future. In this regard, Digital Preservation can be thought of as communication with the future.

The SHAMAN project develops and tests a next generation, long term digital preservation framework including systems and tools for analysing, ingesting, managing, accessing and reusing information objects and data across libraries and archives. It comprises the definition of the SHAMAN Theory of Preservation integrating the analysis, ingestion, management, access to and reuse of information objects across distributed repositories. The data preservation capabilities offered secure the authenticity and integrity of data objects through time.

Up to now the SHAMAN Consortium has been busy performing state-of-the-art analyses of OAIS; an initial needs/requirements analysis outlining target audience and their requirements in order to identify the relevant components of the SHAMAN’s context model. Harmonization services, reference architecture, metrics specifications, usage scenarios and detailed design have been part of the research and creative process, carried in the last few months. Among current activities to be remarked the team is preparing the first demonstration prototype of SHAMAN technologies.

The SHAMAN Project is a Large Integrated Project co-financed by the European Union within the Seventh Framework Programme.