Anthology of Computers and the Humanities · Volume 4

Éditions numériques : on cherche un responsable ! Qui pour les préserver une fois les projets terminés, et comment ?

Edgar Lejeune1,3 , Marcello Vitali-Rosati1,2 , Tony Gheeraert1 , Federico Siragusa1,2 , Josselin Morvan1 , Nolwenn Pamart1,2 , Antoine Marchand1,2 and Clara Grometto1,2

  • 1 Chaire d’Excellence en Édition Numérique, UR 3229 CEREdI, Université de Rouen-Normandie, France
  • 2 Université de Montréal, Canada
  • 3 UMR 7219 SPHERE, Université Paris-Cité, CNRS, France
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Permanent Link: https://doi.org/10.63744/lWYDTk12UMmf

Published: 21 May 2025

Keywords: digital editions, durability, university press, digital law

Mots clés : éditions numériques, durabilité, presses universitaires, droit du numérique

Abstract

How can we prevent system administrators from unpluging critical digital editions? And who should be responsible for making such decisions? We were confronted with the urgency of this question in October 2024, when a critical digital edition of L’Astrée–the result of work begun in 2004–was taken down from the host university’s servers. This presentation outlines the various challenges we faced in saving this “legacy” digital edition, from negotiations with Tufts’ IT department to the retroconversion of the edition and its inclusion in the catalog of the Presses Universitaires de Rouen et du Havre. Based on this example, we propose an organizational framework and pragmatic solutions applicable to other contexts. We also use this specific case to address broader issues about digital preservation and sustainability.