In order to store and manage digital objects, procedures are frequently used that operate invisibly and are therefore difficult to evaluate. This is why experts have been intensively focusing on the reliability of long-term digital archives since the end of the 1990s. How can memory institutions prove that they are capable of preserving the authenticity, integrity, confidentiality and availability of digital information?

Several committees have developed criteria that allow for the technical and organisational evaluation of long-term digital archiving systems. These criteria have resulted in three different certification approaches:

• Data Seal of Approval (DSA; merged into the “CoreTrustSeal” initiative in 2017)
• nestor seal, based on DIN 31644 “Criteria for trustworthy digital archives”
• Certification based on ISO 16363 “Audit and certification of trustworthy digital repositories”

In 2010, under the patronage of the European Commission, these three initiatives agreed a European framework for certifying trustworthy long-term digital archives.

Data Seal of Approval

In 2015, the long-term archiving system of the German National Library was certified as a trustworthy long-term archive in accordance with the guidelines of the Data Seal of Approval. This represents a “Basic Certification”.

The Data Seal of Approval was merged into the CoreTrustSeal in 2017. We are currently working on the re-certification of our system.

nestor seal

In 2015 and 2016, the processes and systems for long-term digital archiving at the German National Library were subjected to an extended self-evaluation in accordance with DIN 31644 by nestor. In 2016, our activities in the area of online publications received the nestor seal for trustworthy digital archives. This represents the certification level “Extended Certification”.

Application of the German National Library for the nestor seal (only available in German)

Assessment report from the application (only available in German)

Additional information on the nestor seal