“Land of the lost”: a discussion of what can be preserved through digital preservation Nick del Pozo, Andrew Stawowczyk Long and David Pearson National Library of Australia, Digital Preservation, Canberra, Australia Abstract Purpose – The aim of this paper is to assist both the National Library of Australia and other institutions to think about digital objects in ways that will help to identify which preservation actions are most appropriate for a particular circumstance. It seeks to examine the basic nature of digital objects and how users interact with those objects. Design/methodology/approach – This article brings together and clarifies a number of key digital preservation theories. It proposes the concept of preservation intent: a clear articulation of a commitment to preserve an object, the specific elements of the object the should be preserved, and a clear time line for the duration of preservation. It investigates these concepts through simple and practical examples. Findings – The paper presents what the authors believe are some of the essential ideas and thinking about digital preservation. Practical implications – The paper will prove useful in clarifying some of the terminology and concepts to those who are in or are yet to be initiated into the “order”. Originality/value – The paper brings together and clarifies some of the core ideas and theories in digital preservation, in order to better facilitate the minimisation of change in the digital objects stored by the National Library of Australia. Keywords Archives management, Organizations, Australia, Digital storage Paper type Research paper 1. Introduction One of our colleagues once remarked that to outward appearances, the field of digital preservation is like a monastic order, whose chanting is gibberish to those outside of its walls. While this might be true, it might also be fair to say that even for those of us who are “monks”, the chanting is still, at times, inconsistent and fragmentary. This paper does not attempt to explicate all aspects of digital preservation. It does try to illuminate and converge some of the disparate concepts that the authors believe are core to effectively dealing with digital objects, particularly in the context of deciding how to allocate the most appropriate preservation actions for digital objects. This paper is written from the perspective of collecting institutions that have either a mandate or a desire to preserve access to digital objects over time. It discusses what the authors believe is possible to preserve, and how our interaction with digital objects, The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm The authors wish to thank the following individuals: Maxine Davis (NLA), James Doig (NAA), Colin Webb (NLA), Tina Mattei (NLA), Kevin DeVorsey (NLNZ). They especially wish to thank Andrew Wilson (NAA) for his invaluable input and criticism. LHT 28,2 290 Received 31 January 2010 Revised 5 February 2010 Accepted 8 February 2010 Library Hi Tech Vol. 28 No. 2, 2010 pp. 290-300 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0737-8831 DOI 10.1108/07378831011047686