Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Local Digital Format Registry (LDFR) File Format Guidelines for Preservation and Long-term Access Version 1.0 File Format Guidelines for Preservation and Long-term AccessFile Format Guidelines for Preservation and Long-term Access - i - Local Digital Format Registry (LDFR) Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................................1 1.1 PURPOSE......................................................................................................................................................1 1.2 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................................................1 1.2.1 Preserving digital information...............................................................................................................1 1.2.2 Digital content preservation strategy ....................................................................................................2 1.3 TARGET AUDIENCE AND USE .......................................................................................................................2 1.4 SCOPE..........................................................................................................................................................2 1.5 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................3 1.5.1 Definition of file formats........................................................................................................................3 1.5.2 Evaluating the sustainability of file formats ..........................................................................................4 1.5.3 File format recommendations................................................................................................................5 2 GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................11 2.1 CONTENT CATEGORY: TEXT .....................................................................................................................11 2.1.1 Recommended......................................................................................................................................11 2.1.1.1 EPUB (Electronic Publications)...................................................................................................................... 11 2.1.1.2 eXtensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML)....................................................................................... 12 2.1.1.3 eXtensible Markup Language (XML)17 .......................................................................................................... 12 2.1.1.4 HyperText Markup Language (HTML) 17 ....................................................................................................... 13 2.1.1.5 Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME)............................................................................................. 13 2.1.1.6 Open Document Format (ODF) ...................................................................................................................... 13 2.1.1.7 PDF for long-term preservation: PDF-Archive (PDF/A) ................................................................................ 14 2.1.1.8 Rich Text Format (RTF) ................................................................................................................................. 14 2.1.1.9 Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML).......................................................................................... 14 2.1.1.10 Plain Text (Text)........................................................................................................................................ 15 2.1.2 Acceptable for transfer ........................................................................................................................15 2.1.2.1 Office Suites.................................................................................................................................................... 15 2.1.2.1.1. Microsoft Office Suite ............................................................................................................................... 16 2.1.2.1.2. Corel WordPerfect Office Suite................................................................................................................. 16 2.1.2.1.3. Lotus SmartSuite........................................................................................................................................ 16 2.1.2.2 Portable Document Format (PDF)................................................................................................................... 17 2.2 CONTENT CATEGORY: AUDIO ...................................................................................................................18 2.2.1 Recommended......................................................................................................................................18 2.2.1.1 Broadcast Wave Format (BWF)...................................................................................................................... 18 2.2.2 Acceptable for transfer ........................................................................................................................18 2.2.2.1 Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) ........................................................................................................... 18 2.2.2.2 Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) MPEG-1 layer-3, MPEG-2 layer-3 (MP3)...................................... 19 2.2.2.3 MPEG-4 AAC – Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) ......................................................................................... 19 2.2.2.4 Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI).................................................................................................. 19 2.2.2.5 WAVeform Audio Format (WAV) ................................................................................................................. 19 2.2.2.6 Window Media Audio (WMA) ....................................................................................................................... 20 2.3 CONTENT CATEGORY: DIGITAL VIDEO .....................................................................................................21 2.3.1 Recommended......................................................................................................................................21 2.3.1.1 JPEG 2000 MXF (or Motion JPEG 2000)....................................................................................................... 21 2.3.2 Acceptable for transfer ........................................................................................................................21 2.3.2.1 Audio Video Interleave (AVI) ........................................................................................................................ 22 2.3.2.2 MPEG-2 .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 2.3.2.3 Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG-4)...................................................................................................... 22 2.3.2.4 Quicktime MOVie (MOV).............................................................................................................................. 22 2.3.2.5 Windows Media Video (WMV)...................................................................................................................... 23 2.4 CONTENT CATEGORY: STILL IMAGES........................................................................................................24 2.4.1 Recommended......................................................................................................................................25 2.4.1.1 Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)...................................................................................................... 25 2.4.1.2 Joint Photographic Experts Group JPEG 2000 (JP2) ...................................................................................... 26 2.4.1.3 Portable Network Graphics (PNG).................................................................................................................. 26 2.4.1.4 Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) .................................................................................................................. 26 File Format Guidelines for Preservation and Long-term Access ii Local Digital Format Registry (LDFR) 2.4.1.5 TIFF – GeoTIFF.............................................................................................................................................. 26 2.4.2 Acceptable for transfer ........................................................................................................................27 2.4.2.1 Digital Imaging and COmmunications in Medicine (DICOM v. 3.0) ............................................................. 27 2.4.2.2 Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)........................................................................................................................ 27 2.4.2.3 Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) ...............................................................................................................