Dataset Preservation for the Long Term: Results of the DareLux Project

The purpose of the DareLux (Data Archiving River Environment Luxembourg) Project was the preservation of unique and irreplaceable datasets, for which we chose hydrology data that will be required to be used in future climatic models. The results are: an operational archive built with XML containers, the OAI-PMH protocol and an architecture based upon web services. Major conclusions are: quality control on ingest is important; digital rights management demands attention; and cost aspects of ingest and retrieval cannot be underestimated. We propose a new paradigm for information retrieval of this type of dataset. We recommend research into visualisation tools for the search and retrieval of this type of dataset.