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Emulation for Archivists

Getting Started

Module 1: What is emulation?

Module 2: What you need for emulation

Module 3: Fun with emulators

Conclusion and Works Cited

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Module 1: Self-Assessment



  1. What are the main differences between migration, emulation, and virtualization? When would it be better to use one method over the other?

  2. Imagine you're working on a project similar to the ones at the Andy Warhol Museum and the Born-Digital Preservation Lab at Stanford University Libraries. What logistics do you need to determine before you move forward with emulation work? In addition, what do you need to be certain of before you make the project accessible to researchers or to the public?

  3. What are layered rights? Can you think of another instance where layered rights can lead to further intellectual property considerations?

Now that you have a more thorough understanding of emulation and some key considerations, you're ready to go to Module 2 where you'll learn more about technical considerations for an emulation project.


Next: Module 2: What you need for emulation



Additional Resources

Caswell, Michelle, and Marika Cifor. 2016. “From Human Rights to Feminist Ethics: Radical Empathy in the Archives.” Archivaria 81: 23–43. https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/article/view/13557(opens in a new tab).

Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 101-107 (1976)

Cox, Kate. 2020. “Corellium notches partial victory in Apple iOS copyright case.” Ars Technica, December 30, 2020. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/12/corellium-notches-partial-victory-in-apple-ios-copyright-case(opens in a new tab).

Ippolito, John, and Richard Rinehart. 2014. “Generation Emulation.” In Re-Collection: Art, New Media, and Social Memory, 115–37. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Lavoie, Brian. 2014. “The Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model: Introductory Guide (2nd Edition).” Technology Watch. Digital Preservation Coalition. https://www.dpconline.org/news/digital-preservation-coalition-publishes-oais-introductory-guide-2nd-edition-technology-watch-report(opens in a new tab).

Rosenthal, David. S.H. 2015. “Emulation & Virtualization as Preservation Strategies.” New York, NY: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. https://mellon.org/news-blog/articles/emulation-virtualization-preservation-strategies/(opens in a new tab).

Rothenberg, Jeff. 1998. “Ensuring the Longevity of Digital Information.” International Journal of Legal Information 26 (1–3): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0731126500000469(opens in a new tab).

Schweikert, Annie, and Ethan Gates. 2021. “EaaSI Case Study #1: The Would-Be Gentleman.” Software Preservation Network. https://www.softwarepreservationnetwork.org/eaasi-case-study-1-the-would-be-gentleman(opens in a new tab).

“The Andy Warhol Museum Amiga Exhibit.” n.d. Iontank. https://www.iontank.com/projects/warhol-amiga(opens in a new tab).

The Sedona Conference. 2014. “The Sedona Conference Glossary: E-Discovery & Digital Information Management” 15 (Fourth Edition). https://perma.cc/8Q3S-6QEU(opens in a new tab).