2025 NDSA Staffing Survey

The 2025 Staffing Survey is the fourth NDSA benchmarking study to examine the state of digital preservation staffing and skills. Developed by a thirteen-person working group convened in February 2025, this survey builds on the previous surveys conducted in 2012, 2017, and 2021. This iteration of the survey further develops the practitioner-centered approach of the 2021 survey, offering an updated understanding of how digital preservation work is structured, experienced, and sustained within organizations.

The findings from this iteration of the longitudinal survey indicate progress in policy development, infrastructure, and the adoption of assessment frameworks. Practitioners demonstrate high levels of competency, particularly in communication, collaboration, and workflow design, often building these skills through hands-on experience. Taken together, these positive trends point to a committed, resourceful, and increasingly professionalized workforce.

Overall, the findings reinforce a key conclusion: the primary barrier to sustainable digital preservation is not a lack of practitioner expertise or commitment, but a lack of alignment between organizational goals and the resources required to achieve them. Advancing the field will require sustained investment in staffing, infrastructure, and training; clearer mandates and stronger leadership support; and more coordinated, strategic approaches to decision-making.