ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Preservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies

Okay kiddo, imagine your mom has a very special toy that she wants to keep safe for a really long time. She needs to take care of the toy so that it doesn't get broken or lost. Similarly, when people create really important things like pictures, videos, documents, or even websites, they want to keep them safe for a long time too.

Now, in the case of these important things, we call them "digital objects." And just like your mom needed to take care of her toy, people need to take care of digital objects too - by making sure they don't get lost, damaged, or messed up. One way to take care of digital objects is by using something called "preservation metadata."

Preservation metadata are special pieces of information that help people understand how a digital object is supposed to be taken care of. It's kind of like a set of instructions or guidelines for how to handle and store the digital object so that it stays safe and usable for a really long time.

Now, there are different ways that people can use preservation metadata to take care of digital objects. Some people might make a list of things they need to do to preserve the object, like making multiple copies and keeping them in different places, or making sure the object is stored in a cool, dry space. Others might use special software programs that automatically add preservation metadata to the digital object, so that the object can be easily found and accessed later on.

So, to sum it up - preservation metadata helps people take care of important digital objects by providing important information about how to handle and store them. People can use different methods to implement preservation metadata, such as making a list of things to do or using special software programs, to make sure that digital objects stay safe and usable for a long time.