He described some recent digitisation projects to illustrate both the scale and value of digital collections. These are national assets and their accessibility and reusability is something we should all be concerned about. He outlined some of the main problems, such as the decay of storage media and technological obsolescence. Technological solutions to these problems are already available, and others are being developed. Perhaps more important, though, are strategic planning, project design and management, which must inform our future thinking.
Collaboration is the key, both across institutions and between different professions.
In terms of risk assessment he thought that lessons could be learned from Higher Education. Coherent technical support is also vital, along with the need to develop regional cultural policies. Another significant risk factor, often overlooked, is the longevity of institutions. We often assume that organisations will survive indefinitely, but local government reorganisations have a significant impact on library collections, and the effect of such upheavals is likely to be even greater for digital collections. But if we are to succeed, we must understand the rules of the game.