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Category: Communication

Description: The digital preservation community has been without a code of ethics until this point. The National Library of New Zealand, in conjunction with the National and State Libraries of Australasia (NSLA), has developed a draft Code of Ethics for Digital Preservation. This code sets standards for the ethical behaviour of professionals in the community. It does so through highlighting and codifying our responsibilities to digital objects that have long-term value. It allows the community to have a degree of accountability through setting expectations. It acts as a statement of expectation for new members of the community, offering an introduction to who we are as a group and our responsibilities. The code is also an instrument of justification that can be referenced to support arguments for particular courses of action that are specific to the challenge addressed by digital preservation. Finally, the code offers a statement that the community is taking a step towards becoming a profession. The poster will introduce the draft code of ethics, giving context to the rationale behind its development and describing in detail the purpose and intent behind each of the principles. The poster will present the most recent draft of the code, taking account of feedback from the first stages of consultation.