James R. Jacobs

Join U.S. Government Information Librarian James R. Jacobs, his brother James A. Jacobs, a seasoned data services librarian, and Shari Laster, head of Open Collections Curation at ASU, as they delve into the critical importance of preserving government information. They discuss the challenges of safeguarding digital records in a rapidly changing landscape. Highlighting the roles of transparency and accessibility, they emphasize how gaps threaten democracy and propose collaborative solutions to ensure vital public records remain intact for future generations.

James A. Jacobs is a librarian emeritus with extensive experience in government documents, while James R. Jacobs is a government information librarian at Stanford and co-author of a pivotal book on preservation. They explore how historical practices shape modern digital preservation and discuss key differences between publications and archival records. The duo emphasizes the internet's disruption of traditional practices and advocates for a distributed preservation network. They also outline vital preservation guarantees and highlight grassroots efforts amid challenges in government information preservation.