Guidelines for quarantine and preservation of computer storage media

Archives & Special Collections at the University of Glasgow hold a digital collection of ca 500TB.
300TB of those are stored in more than 1,000 individual computer storage media – from hard disk drives and floppy disks, to optical media and USB sticks.

 Quarantine and condition checks are a crucial part of our preservation process, ensuring that newly acquired storage media do not introduce contaminants that could harm existing collections; and that computer storage is stored, handled, and transported in a way that minimises the risk of damage or data loss.

 The Guidelines for Conservation and Preservation of Computer Storage Media collate information from British Standards, community documentation and good practice, to provide recommendations on long-term storage, proper media handling, safeguarding, visual inspections, transportation and acclimatisation.